How to Set Voice Memo as Ringtone on Your iPhone

The latest models of the iPhone allow extensive customization and allow the user to set up a song as a ringtone, among other elements. However, there are limitations to what you can do with built-in resources, so you might not be able to use a recording of your voice for a ringtone unless you find specialized software that can accomplish this task.

If you would like to personalize your iPhone with a voice memo used as your ringtone, you have a couple of good options on your hands. We present two different ways to complete this fundamental task using third-party software products compatible with iOS devices. Both methods are easy to learn and require very little understanding of sound processing or technology in general, as you don’t even need a computer in order to achieve the goal you had in mind.

How to Make Voice Memo a Ringtone on iPhone?

Many of the audio recording or sound editing tools that you already have on your iPhone could have the capacity to turn any voice recording into a ringtone. One of the most commonly used products of this kind is certainly GarageBand, which has been around for a long time and is well-known to most iPhone enthusiasts. This convenient audio tool provides the user with a mini studio on his phone and gives him the power to process sound in many different ways.

If you have an iPhone with iOS 11 or later and GarageBand is already installed on your phone, you won’t have to wonder how to make voice memo a ringtone. Just follow the procedure described here.

Step 1. Open the Voice Memo app on your iPhone and select the recording you would like to use.

Step 2. Tap on the three dots icon, then choose Save to files and confirm by tapping on Save.

Step 3. Run GarageBand on your iPhone and tap the Project button.

Step 4. Tap the Loop button, then go to Files, and finally choose Browse items from the Files app.

Step 5. Drag and drop the voice memo you previously saved into your timeline.

Step 6. Disable the Metronome option, then tap the arrow down icon and select My Songs.

Step 7. Long press on the sound clip, and then tap on Share.

Step 8. Select Ringtone, then tap on Export, and choose Standard Ringtone when asked what to use the sound for.

How do I Turn a Voice Memo into a Ringtone without Using GarageBand?

GarageBand is certainly not the only tool you can use for the purpose of setting up a custom ringtone on your iPhone. If you find the procedure described above too complicated, you could try AnyTrans. This powful software suite can help you with a lot of different tasks, so it’s worth keeping on your iPhone as a general utility. In addition to transferring files between different platforms and managing your social media content, AnyTrans lets you set up a ringtone using a recording you made by converting the audio file into the right format (m4r instead of m4a).

It won’t take you long to learn how to make voice memo a ringtone on iPhone with AnyTrans, since the whole process is very intuitive. Here are the steps you need to make to personalize your ringtone with a voice memo recording:

Step 1. Create a recording in the Voice Memos app on your iPhone and save it.

Step 2. Download AnyTrans on your computer > Connect your iPhone to the computer through USB port and run AnyTrans > Go to Category management page, and select Ringtone maker tool from the menu.

Step 3. Choose Import from device, then find your recording in the list of audio files.

Step 4. Select Ringtone, and then customize the tone by selecting the part of the recording that you would like to hear when your phone rings (or a text arrives).

Step 5. Now, you can select and make your own ringtone as you need > Click Import to device when you are finished, and the recording will be saved on the iPhone in the correct format.

Step 6. Go to Settings on your iPhone > Open Sounds menu, and choose Ringtone to select the new recording from the list of options.

The Bottom Line

Contrary to what most people think, it’s not hard to make your own recording into a ringtone on your iPhone. There are several great tools you can use for this purpose, with GarageBand and AnyTrans among the most reliable ones. It may take a few tries before you become completely comfortable with this procedure, but once you do setting up a new ringtone will be a routine task for you. With a custom ringtone that you personally recorded, your iPhone will be even more fun to use.