Android Magazine Issue 54 - 2015 UK.pdf

Tutorials
App used » ZEDGE Ringtones & Wallpapers Works with » Varies with device
Set your favourite tune
asaringtoneThose default ringtones are dull, aren’t
they? It’s time to add your own…
Thereisnodenyingthefactthat the
default ringtones packaged with new
devices just aren’t individual enough. Not
only this, often they’re actually quite
inadequate as effective ringtones.
Thesolution,ofcourse,istoset your own
custom ringtone. This might be a segment of
afavouritesong,orperhapsasound effect
fromamovie.Betterstill,you’re not limited
at customising ringtones – notifications and
alarms can also be enhanced with short MP3
files. After all, it’s far better to have a phone
ringtone, alarm noise and notification alert
that you will react to, rather than one that
you’re prone to ignore.
Make your alerts and notifications fit for
purpose! All you need to get started is the
MP3 file of your choice, cropped to 30 seconds
of your favourite segment (perhaps the chorus
or a riff, rather than the intro).
1 SelectandcropyourMP3
BeginbyselectinganMP3fileandcropping
ittotherequiredlengthifnecessary.Tocropthe
file you can use an app like MP3 Cutter, or a
browser-based tool like http://mp3cut.net/.Once
you’re happy, copy to your phone via USB cable or
sync via your favoured cloud app.
2 Check the sync
Has the MP3 synced to your phone? Open
Dropbox, Google Drive or whichever cloud solution
you use and check that the file is available. Once
you’ve done this, confirm that it will play on your
device, as encoding issues with cropped MP3 files
can prevent successful playback.
34
3 Usetherightfolder
For the ringtone to be detected by Android,
you will need to save it in the correct folder.
Whether you’re copying via USB or you have
synceditviathecloud,useafilemanagerlikeFX
to copy the file into the Ringtones folder in your
Android’s main storage.
4 AddyourMP3ringtone
You’re now ready to set the file up as a
ringtone. To do this, open Settings>Sound &
Notification and select Phone Ringtone. You
should see the chosen ringtone listed (they are
displayed alphabetically) so select it to get a
preview and tap OK when you’re happy.
5 Set custom options
It isn’t only your ringtone that you can
customise. Android’s alarm clock and audible
notifications can also be personalised, and the
process is just as simple as adding a new ringtone.
Before you start, however, give some thought to
the chosen MP3, making sure it is fit for purpose.