It may sound like dark sorcery, but it's a simple setting on most phones.

Custom text message tones might seem like a small feature, but they can be immensely useful. A custom text message tone can tell us to respond to one notification among a sea of default notification tones. A gunshot can mean the boss is texting you after hoursagain and you can ignore him, while a whip crack means your wife is texting you, and you should really check it right now. Whether you're using Google Messages — the default SMS app on most phones — a manufacturer version like the Samsung Messages app, or one of our favorite third-party SMS texting apps like Textra or Pulse, setting a custom text tone for a contact or conversation is easy to do. However, you might find the setting in different places, depending on your app or phone.

How to set custom text tones on Google Messages

Google Messages is the standard messaging app on a large portion of Android phones these days, and is available for free on Google Play if your phone didn't have it pre-installed. Google Messages uses the "common" method for custom conversation notifications on phones running Android Oreo and up.

  1. Tap theConversation you wish to set a custom notification for.
  2. Tap thethree-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. TapDetails.
  4. TapNotifications.
  5. TapSound.
  6. Tap yourdesired tone.

  7. Tap theback arrow, orOK orSave if those options appear with your ringtone picking menu.

How to set custom text tones on Samsung Messages

Samsung Messages got a new look last year with One UI, but the basic layout should be the same on all modern Samsung devices, whether they're still on Android Oreo or running Android 10.

  1. Tap theConversation you wish to set a custom notification for.
  2. Tap thethree-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. Tap thetoggle next to Custom notifications.
  4. Tap the textCustom Notifications.
  5. TapSound.
  6. Tap yourdesired tone.
  7. Tap theback arrow in top left corner of the screen.

If you don't find conversation-specific text tones using these menus on a Samsung phone running Android Nougat or an even older version, check the desired contact entry in the Samsung Contacts app.

How to set custom text tones on Pulse SMS

  1. Tap theConversation you wish to set a custom notification for.
  2. Tap thethree-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. TapConversation settings.
  4. TapConversation Notification Customization.
  5. TapSound.
  6. Tap yourdesired tone.
  7. Tap theback arrow, orOK orSave if those options appear with your ringtone picking menu.
  1. Tap theConversation you wish to set a custom notification for.
  2. Tap thedownward-pointing carat in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. TapCustomize this conversation.
  4. TapNotifications.
  5. TapNotification Sound.
  6. Tap yourdesired tone.
  7. TapOK.

How to set custom text tones on Mood Messenger

  1. Tap theConversation you wish to set a custom notification for.
  2. Tap thethree-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. TapOptions.
  4. Under Notifications & Sounds, tapCurrent tone.
  5. At the top of the sound picking menu are three icons. Tap thebell icon to use the system notification picker to select a text tone. You can also tap the microphone icon to record a custom phrase as the text tone or the folder icon to select a ringtone through your file manager.
  6. Tap yourdesired tone.
  7. TapOK.

Your turn

Whether you stick with the standard messaging app your Android phone came with or branch out with a third-party client, setting custom text tones for your most-used contacts can be a small but very helpful tool —WHIP-CRACK! — in helping avoid distractions while you try to work. After all, no one needs a needy —WHIP-CRACK! — roommate wasting your time during a lab.

WHIP-CRACK!WHIP-CRACK!

If you'll excuse me, I need to answer this before my mother calls and asks me why I'm not answering her text.

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ARA WAGONER