Google Pixel 2XL won't customize ringtones *anymore*
October 17, 2023 8:37 AM
I just gave my partner my old Google Pixel 2XL and transferred all the data from his old phone to the Pixel. But now his own ringtones don't work.
When I used this phone, I would go to a contact, go to the upper right menu, select "Set Ringtone," go to Ringtones, go to My Sounds, and select whatever sound (that I'd previously downloaded) I wanted that person to have, it would preview it, I would hit "Save," and, voila, that would be the ringtone I would hear when that contact called me.
NOW, my partner has transferred all of his ringtones to the phone. he goes to a contact, goes to "Set Ringtone," goes to Ringtones, goes to My Sounds, selects whatever ringtone he wants that person to have, it previews the ringtone (so it's THERE, in the phone), and hits "Save." Then I call his phone and the ringtone is the default phone ringtone, NOT the "My Sounds" ringtone that he's saved.
WHY???? (we've rebooted a million times, etc.)
So We Do A Check:
He goes back to the Contact, goes back to "Set Ringtone," it takes him to the ringtones, and the ringtone that he's saved IS the ringtone that he selected! But -- it doesn't register wherever it's supposed to register to use that ringtone.
THOUGHTS??
When I used this phone, I would go to a contact, go to the upper right menu, select "Set Ringtone," go to Ringtones, go to My Sounds, and select whatever sound (that I'd previously downloaded) I wanted that person to have, it would preview it, I would hit "Save," and, voila, that would be the ringtone I would hear when that contact called me.
NOW, my partner has transferred all of his ringtones to the phone. he goes to a contact, goes to "Set Ringtone," goes to Ringtones, goes to My Sounds, selects whatever ringtone he wants that person to have, it previews the ringtone (so it's THERE, in the phone), and hits "Save." Then I call his phone and the ringtone is the default phone ringtone, NOT the "My Sounds" ringtone that he's saved.
WHY???? (we've rebooted a million times, etc.)
So We Do A Check:
He goes back to the Contact, goes back to "Set Ringtone," it takes him to the ringtones, and the ringtone that he's saved IS the ringtone that he selected! But -- it doesn't register wherever it's supposed to register to use that ringtone.
THOUGHTS??
Check for duplicate contacts too - you can use "Merge and fix" on https://contacts.google.com/
posted by samj at 10:39 AM on October 17, 2023
posted by samj at 10:39 AM on October 17, 2023
"we've rebooted a million times" meant "turned it on and off..."
I have also looked for duplicate contacts.
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:47 AM on October 17, 2023
I have also looked for duplicate contacts.
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:47 AM on October 17, 2023
Just to make sure - when you call him, does the phone display you as the contact who is calling? (i.e. is the number he has saved as yours definitely the one that the phone recognizes when you call?)
posted by trig at 11:23 AM on October 17, 2023
posted by trig at 11:23 AM on October 17, 2023
The phone recognizes it as me.
posted by DMelanogaster at 11:53 AM on October 17, 2023
posted by DMelanogaster at 11:53 AM on October 17, 2023
Sounds like you are doing everything correctly. Have you tried saving a different ringtone so that you can eliminate the ringtone being the issue? What happens if you change the default ringtone? Does it change when someone is calling? It sounds like the ringtone is in the correct directory if it is recognized as one of "my ringtones", but maybe there is another copy of the ringtone that is "confusing" the phone? Maybe rename the ringtone and then try to save it as the ringtone for your calls? When someone else in his contacts calls, does it work for their custom ringtone?
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:22 PM on October 17, 2023
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:22 PM on October 17, 2023
Have you tried changing the ringtone selection directly from the "Phone" app instead of the "Contacts" app?
I recommend trying to set your custom ringtone from the Phone app instead. You would open up Phone app, select the Contacts tab at the bottom of the Phone App and then select the person you want to have a custom ringtone.
posted by QueenHawkeye at 12:27 PM on October 17, 2023
I recommend trying to set your custom ringtone from the Phone app instead. You would open up Phone app, select the Contacts tab at the bottom of the Phone App and then select the person you want to have a custom ringtone.
posted by QueenHawkeye at 12:27 PM on October 17, 2023
I've had something like this happen like every time I set up a new Android phone. Often when you migrate from one Android phone to another, custom ringtones don't even show up in the list of options to select, or don't save correctly. What I've done to address this previously: Install the Astro app, which lets you browse files directly. Then use that to browse to where the ringtone files are saved, copy them, and paste them in to the correct folder.
In internal storage, under the Files tab, I usually copy all my ringtone files and custom notification sound files from whichever folder I find them in into both the Ringtones and Notifications folders, just for good measure. You may then see them show up multiple times in the lists of ringtones and notification sounds, but you should be able to select at least one entry for the correct sound file and have it save correctly.
posted by limeonaire at 12:37 PM on October 17, 2023
In internal storage, under the Files tab, I usually copy all my ringtone files and custom notification sound files from whichever folder I find them in into both the Ringtones and Notifications folders, just for good measure. You may then see them show up multiple times in the lists of ringtones and notification sounds, but you should be able to select at least one entry for the correct sound file and have it save correctly.
posted by limeonaire at 12:37 PM on October 17, 2023
THIS JUST IN: THere WAS a duplicate contact! even though I got rid of one -- I guess there was a TRIPLICATE of me, so there were two left. I deleted my Other (see the TV show Counterpart) and the ringtone now works! GEEZ. But all this info surely will come in handy when other things go wrong!!! thanks.
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:07 PM on October 17, 2023
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:07 PM on October 17, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mskyle at 10:22 AM on October 17, 2023