ringyOpen Ringy

Make an iPhone ringtone with GarageBand

GarageBand can turn an unprotected audio file into an iPhone ringtone of up to 30 seconds. Export the project as a ringtone, rather than simply saving the song.

Published by Ringy · Reviewed 2026-10-18

In this guide
  1. Prepare a usable file
  2. Import and export
  3. Why the wrong part can appear
  4. If import is disabled

Prepare a usable file

Use a recording or audio file that you own or have permission to use. Download it to the phone first so the import does not depend on a cloud placeholder. Give it an easy-to-find name. A streaming subscription’s offline cache is not a general audio file for this purpose.

Import and export

  1. Open a GarageBand audio recording project and switch to Tracks view.
  2. Open the Loop Browser. Choose Files for a saved file or Music for a locally stored, unprotected song. Drag the selected audio onto the track.
  3. Trim the region to the phrase you want and position it at the start. Keep the ringtone at or below 30 seconds.
  4. Return to My Songs. Select the project, open Share and choose Ringtone.
  5. Name the tone and export it. Use the offered sound-assignment choice, or select it later in Settings.

Why the wrong part can appear

The section length in a project can limit how much of an imported file is shown. If the part you want is beyond that limit, review the song-section length before choosing your excerpt. Moving the playhead does not trim a region: check the region boundaries and listen to the actual start.

For a clean result, choose boundaries where the sound naturally begins and ends. A long pause at the beginning delays what callers trigger. A distinctive short name helps distinguish this export from earlier attempts.

If import is disabled

Check local download and protection status. If the song cannot be imported, obtain a permitted unprotected source or use your own recording. Do not rename a protected download to MP3. If GarageBand itself will not install on your older phone, check the supported OS requirement in the App Store; this guide does not promise availability on every older iPhone.

Related guides

Sources & compatibility

Documentation and product records reviewed October 18, 2026. These instructions have not been physically tested on every supported phone in this review.

  1. Apple: Create a custom ringtone on your iPhone
  2. Apple: Import audio and MIDI files into GarageBand
  3. Apple: Import a song from the Music app

Ringy publishes this guide about its own app and phone setup. Menus can vary by device, OS version and region. For a correction, email help@rin.gy.