Here’s Why iPhones Still Don’t Have Custom Ringtones

P.S. It’s 2023, dear Apple

An Image by the Author

Remember the old era when using an iPhone felt like living in North Korea? I’m talking about the late 2000s.

Back then, iPhones were pretty restrictive. They barely had any customisation options. While Androids had lively animated wallpapers, iPhones were limited to static wallpapers, that too for the lock screens.

There was no option to change the home screen wallpaper from the default black background. But with iOS 4, Apple opened this possibility. This shows how obedient Apple is in fulfilling its customers’ demands.

Likewise, back then, Apple didn’t let iPhone users pick their favourite songs as ringtones. But as of today… well, Apple still doesn’t let iPhone users pick their favourite songs as ringtones. Should I take back my statement where I mentioned ‘Apple’ and ‘obedient’ together? Maybe I should.

On the contemporary, setting a custom ringtone on Android has always been as simple as going to the settings and selecting an MP3 file for the ringtone. Yet, one cannot do the same on an iPhone. Here’s why:

Apple’s ringtone model

Before the existence of iPhones and Androids, the ringtone market was a one-billion-dollar annual industry.