Notification Sounds is the best free source for phone alert tones: it has hundreds of original notification sounds and SMS tones in MP3 for Android, M4R for iPhone and OGG, free to use even in commercial projects as long as you credit the site with a link back. For app, video or game alerts, Mixkit has 46 free notification sound effects under its free sound effects licence.
A notification sound is the sound you'll hear more than any other on your phone, so a bad one gets old fast. If you're building an app, a course or a video, it's also the smallest bit of audio with the biggest job: telling someone something happened without making them jump. Here's where to get good ones free, and the one thing to check before you download.
Two free sources, two different jobs
| Source | Formats | Licence | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notification Sounds | MP3, M4R and OGG | CC BY 4.0: free, including commercial use, with a credit and link back | Your own phone's message and alert tones |
| Mixkit | Download from each sound's page | Mixkit Sound Effects Free License | Alerts inside an app, a video, a game or a course |
Notification Sounds: collections by mood and length
Notification Sounds has been giving away tones since 2008. Every sound is made in-house, and the site says there's no account to create and no bundled app, so you download a file and set it as your tone. It sorts everything into 39 collections, and the names make browsing quick: SMS Message Tones, Notification Sounds, Short / 1-Second Tones, Soft / Subtle, User Interface, Alarms, Wake-up Tones, Game Sounds and Voice Ringtones among them.
Each sound has a one-line description, which helps more than you'd expect. Slick is a short tone that slips in and out before you notice. Not good is an error sound that sounds like a stern teacher catching you out. Light hearted, Sly, Joyous and Come here were among its top 10 most downloaded when I checked.
The terms are short. Unless stated otherwise, the sounds are original works under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. They're free to use, including in commercial projects, as long as you credit the site with a link back, and its License page explains exactly how. If you're only changing your own phone's tone, nobody sees a credit, but the moment a sound goes into an app or a video you publish, credit the site as its terms ask.
Mixkit's alert sounds for apps and videos
Mixkit had 46 free notification sound effects when I checked, all under its Sound Effects Free License. Mixkit has a separate licence for each item type, so make sure you're reading the sound effects one. The titles group nicely by what the alert needs to say:
- Success: Correct answer tone, Confirmation tone, Positive notification and Correct answer reward.
- Errors: Wrong answer fail notification and Sci-Fi reject notification.
- New message: Message pop alert, Bubble pop up alert notification, Bell notification and Long pop.
- Something urgent: Urgent simple tone loop and Game notification wave alarm.
- Someone's at the door: Doorbell tone and Doorbell single press.
- Interface clicks: Software interface start, Software interface back and Interface option select.
If you're designing an app or an online course, pick a matching pair for success and error from the same style, so they feel like one product rather than two random beeps.
Will your phone let you use a custom tone?
A downloaded tone only helps if your phone or app lets you pick it. Google's Android Help says you can change notification settings for certain apps or for your whole phone, turn alert types on or off and control sound and vibration. It also says an app can have its own settings menu where you choose the sound that app's notifications make, so look inside the app as well as in your phone's settings. Settings vary by phone, and Google suggests contacting your device maker if yours look different.
Two Android settings explain why a new tone can seem to do nothing. First, some phones let you set each app's notifications to Alerting or Silent. Alerting means you hear a sound; Silent means no sound or vibration, even though the notification still shows when you swipe down. Second, Notification cooldown, when it's on, cuts down sound interruptions when you get a lot of notifications in a short time. Calls, alarms, priority conversations and emergency alerts are the exceptions.
Choosing a tone you won't hate by Friday
- Decide how often you'll hear it. For alerts you'll hear dozens of times a day, start in the Short / 1-Second Tones collection.
- If you share an office or a bed, try the Soft / Subtle collection first.
- Download the right format: MP3 for Android or M4R for iPhone from Notification Sounds.
- Set it in your phone's settings or, for one app, in that app's own settings menu.
- Check the app is set to Alerting, not Silent, or you'll never hear it.
- Give different sounds to the apps that matter most, so you know who's calling for your attention without looking.
Want a full ringtone instead? See my list of free ringtones. For app-specific fixes, here's how to change the Snapchat notification sound and how to turn off the Discord notification sound.
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My pick for notification sounds
I'd use Notification Sounds if you want a new tone on your own phone, because it gives you MP3 and M4R files with clear descriptions and no sign-up. I'd use Mixkit if the sound is going inside something you make, like an app, a course or a video, because the titles map neatly to success, error and message moments. Skip anything long and loud for everyday alerts. A one-second tone you barely notice beats a jingle you'll mute by Friday.
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I download free notification sounds?
Notification Sounds has hundreds of free notification sounds and SMS tones in MP3, M4R and OGG. Mixkit has 46 free notification sound effects for apps, videos and games.
Are free notification sounds OK for commercial use?
Notification Sounds allows commercial use as long as you credit the site with a link back. Mixkit sound effects come under its Sound Effects Free License.
Which format do I need for iPhone and Android?
Notification Sounds offers M4R for iPhone and MP3 for Android, plus OGG. Download the one that matches your phone.
Why can't I hear my new notification sound?
On Android the app may be set to Silent rather than Alerting, or Notification cooldown may be cutting down sounds when lots of notifications arrive. Some apps also have their own sound setting.
Can I set a different sound for each app?
Often, yes. Google's Android Help says an app can have its own setting to choose the sound its notifications make, and settings vary by phone.
