Add ringtones to my device

  • Article

4/14/2014

Ringtones

Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld comes with a large assortment of ringtones to choose from, but you might prefer to express yourself with the sound of your favorite music, animal, power tool—whatever.

Tip

If you can play a sound file on your device, if it isn't protected with digital rights management (DRM), and if it's smaller than 30 MB, then you can use it as a ringtone on your device.

You can also go to the Windows Phone Store on your device to download ringtone apps (or the Windows Phone Store on the web from your PC). You can even use sound files sent to you in text messages.

If you have a sound file on your PC that you want to use, then you can add it as a ringtone a few different ways—depending on the specific type of computer you're using. To find an app that works with your computer, see Sync my Windows Phone.

You don't necessarily need an app to add ringtones to your device, though. You can also use one of the methods listed below.

To add a ringtone to my device using a Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 PC

  1. Connect your device to your PC, then do one of the following:
  2. On a Windows Vista or Windows 7 PC, click Start, and then click Computer.
  3. On a Windows 8 PC, click Desktop, click File explorer, and then click Computer.
  4. Under Portable Devices, double-click your device, double-click the Device folder, and then double-click the Ringtones folder.
  5. Find a sound file on your PC (for example, music files are often in the Music folder and organized by artist and album), and then drag the file into the Ringtones folder. (You need to move a file from your computer to your device to add or rename a ringtone. You can't add a ringtone by moving a file from a folder that's already on your device or rename an existing ringtone.)
  6. On your device, go to Settings > Ringtones + sounds > Ringtone. Your new ringtone will appear under Custom in the list of available ringtones. (You can customize sounds for the different alerts you receive. To learn how to choose a specific ringtone for a contact or set a custom alert sound, see Ringtones, sounds, and volume.)

To add a ringtone from a text message

  1. Tap and hold the ringtone file, and then tap Save as ringtone.
  2. Rename the ringtone, if you want to, then tap OK.