There’s just no getting around the fact that Android phones (much like any other phones) have terrible default ring tones. If you are tired of your phone sounding like an old mobile circa late 1990s, you can add your own ringtones as well as your choice of music to your phone instead.
The good news for Android users is that it is very easy to add custom ringtones or media elements to your phone – especially if you are running Windows as your desktop operating system. Your phone works much like a USB stick when used on Windows desktops, allowing you to drag and drop directly into the media folders that contain audio.
If you are a Mac or Linux user, it may be just a little trickier – there are a number of apps however that help the process along. Android File Transfer is available for Mac users, while other tools such as Dropbox and Google Play can also be used for a quick and easy transfer.
If you’re doing things old school with a MTP Windows copy, here’s what you need to know to get those tones added to your phone.
Adding Songs and Custom Ringtones to Your Android Phone
First things first, grab your USB charger, plug in your phone and connect to your computer. You should see a message box appear with a few options. From there, the following steps should be taken:
1. Click the ‘Open to view files’ option to open up your phone’s file storage .
2. Look for the ‘Media’ folder that is either on your phone storage or your external memory card.
3. If there is no such folder, you can make your own by creating a new folder and labeling it ‘Media’.
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4. In this folder, look for or create a new folder called ‘Audio’.
5. In the Audio folder, look for or create a folder called ‘Ringtones’.
6. Open up your music folder and copy the songs you want to add as ringtones for your phone.
7. Paste these songs into the Ringtones folder and exit Windows explorer.
8. Unplug your phone from the USB cable safely.
You should see your new songs in the list of ringtones found in the Tones setting menu. If you do not see your newly added songs, don’t worry – do a quick reboot to give your media card the chance to refresh.
You can also look for applications that allow you to add tones directly to your phone without having to move or copy anything. Adding music through Google Play allows you to use tools such as Music Manager, which is very easy to install and use. You can also browse for new music with this app, making it ideal for those who like to change their ringtones on a regular basis.
These steps can also be used to add any other type of file to your phone too, whether it is images or movies or even documents you want to save on your phone. Once you have tried the transferring process, it will become as easy as pie to copy over anything you want to add to your Android, quickly and easily (and without the need for annoying desktop managers).
Craig Daitz is the owner of SMARTlab and techaholic. He actively contributes to the SMARTlab blog where he dishes out tips and tricks for smart device users across the board. Connect on Facebook.
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