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If I have a sound file in my library, that’s not anyone’s business and Apple should let me play it.
Oh, you’re talking about local files. How would that even work? I don’t think the HomePod even has that much storage, plus it’s a smart speaker; it relies on Wi-Fi for everything. Additionally, no smart speaker supports uploading custom ringtones for use as alarm sounds as far as I’m aware.
 


The dust is beginning to settle on iOS 26, but there is one more smaller improvement that we wanted to make sure that we highlighted: the ability to set custom ringtones on the iPhone without using the GarageBand app.

iOS-18.4-Ambient-Music-Feature.jpg

To set a custom ringtone on iOS 26, open the Files app and tap on an MP3 or M4A audio file that is less than 30 seconds long. Next, tap on the share button in the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap on More, and tap on Use as Ringtone. Then, that audio file will be listed as a ringtone option in the Settings app under Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone.

As noted by Macworld last week, the Use as Ringtone option also appears for audio files in select other apps, including Voice Memos. However, it is not possible to set Apple Music songs as custom ringtones for free, even with a subscription.

Apple continues to sell 30-second song ringtones for $1.29 each through the iTunes Store app on iOS 26, but this is a legacy feature.

iOS 26 is currently in beta.

Article Link: iOS 26 Lets You Set Custom Ringtones Without Using GarageBand
People still have ringtones? My phone and watch haven’t been off silent in about a decade…
 
Oh, you’re talking about local files. How would that even work? I don’t think the HomePod even has that much storage, plus it’s a smart speaker; it relies on Wi-Fi for everything. Additionally, no smart speaker supports uploading custom ringtones for use as alarm sounds as far as I’m aware.
Feature phones twenty years ago could do it, so it shouldn’t be magic. If the HomePod doesn’t have even a few MB of storage (where does it store its alarms though?), it can stream from iCloud. Apple Music alarms rely on Wi-Fi as well.
 
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People are genuinely oblivious to the underlying dynamics at play: we’re receiving all these unexpected benefits now (including the comprehensive iPadOS overhaul) precisely because Apple Intelligence turned into such a spectacular disaster. This is Craig’s calculated peace offering, and admittedly, it appears to be effective. It’s textbook damage control masquerading as generosity. Not that I’m complaining about the improvements, but I’m certainly not buying into the narrative that this was all part of some grand benevolent plan either.
 
I hope our lovely Trillion-Dollar-Company doesn't go broke, because of loosing the ability to charge $1.29 for a simple thing like a ringtone, every other phone, able to play mp3, could do like - since forever?
[edit] ...for free, btw!
 
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They should have led with this at the event lol. Now add this feature to the watch.

I also hope this encourages people change their tones from the default tones too. Airport, bus, train and grocery store you hear the same call and text tones and leads to confusion on who's phone is ringing lol.
Now it makes so much sense why most iPhone user I know have their phone set to vibrate only, no ringing. It makes for finding a misplaced iPhone a pain in the (_!_) to find though.😤 I guess it gets dull hearing the same ringtone for every call.

I could never live with that. Every important contact has their own ringtone so I know who's calling.🤗 I have a standard ringtone for unknown callers so I know what to ignore.
 
People are genuinely oblivious to the underlying dynamics at play: we’re receiving all these unexpected benefits now (including the comprehensive iPadOS overhaul) precisely because Apple Intelligence turned into such a spectacular disaster. This is Craig’s calculated peace offering, and admittedly, it appears to be effective. It’s textbook damage control masquerading as generosity. Not that I’m complaining about the improvements, but I’m certainly not buying into the narrative that this was all part of some grand benevolent plan either.
It's not a disaster. Apple AI is awesome at choosing the worst SPAM email of the day, prioritizing and summarizing it for me! It's a godsend!
 
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Is this for making the ringtones..I don't quite get it? I currently have custom ringtones on my phone...they are .m4a (renamed as .m4r) files that I copied over from my Mac.
What you are doing is converting files to ringtones in iTunes/Apple music. That’s the easy way that was possible previously, next to doing that whole GarageBand thing.
This is more like setting a photo from your library as a wallpaper. Easier, integrated, as close to the source file as possible.
 
Yeah. That's one thing that people who switched from Android complain about a lot. "What do you mean I have to do all this nonsense to set a ringtone?!"

And I completely nod my head in agreement; Apple either didn't realize people wanted this, or had some reason to prevent it.

Now we can finally put this idiocy to bed.
The ringtone store ;)
 
Not gonna happen because of the licensing agreements Apple has in place w/ rightsholders and record labels.
How does that even work, legally?

If I have a license to play a song whenever I want, why is that somehow "different" when the song plays as a ringtone?

This is something that's always baffled me.
 
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