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How to make a ringtone on iPhone from a video

Convert the video to audio first, open the file on the Audio tab, tap Ringtone, pick up to 30 seconds and tap Export as Ringtone (.m4r). Save it to Files, then install it through GarageBand — iOS won’t let any app set a ringtone on its own, ours included.

3 min read · Updated 2026-09-16

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What you need

An iPhone ringtone is just an .m4r file capped at 30 seconds. The app makes that file from any sound you’ve already converted. The last step — actually installing it — happens in GarageBand, Apple’s free music app, because Apple keeps that door locked to itself.

Step 1: get the sound out of the video

  1. On the Videos tab, tap the video (or tap + to pick one from the Files app).
  2. In Select format, M4A is fine for a ringtone; it is the least processed option.
  3. Tap Convert to Audio. You do not need to trim here; the ringtone step has its own trim.

Step 2: cut 30 seconds and export the .m4r

  1. Go to the Audio tab and tap the file you just converted.
  2. Tap Ringtone. The Ringtone Creator opens with a waveform.
  3. Drag the start handle to where the ringtone should begin, then the end handle. The window never goes past 30 seconds, and the time label shows how long your clip is against the 30s maximum.
  4. Tap Export as Ringtone (.m4r). A Files sheet opens.
  5. Save the file to On My iPhone (or iCloud Drive), in a folder you will find again.
Example: a 200-second song, ringtone starting at 00:45
You doThe app shows
Drag the start handle to 00:45Start 00:45
Drag the end handle all the way to the endEnd stops at 01:15
Check the lengthDuration 00:30, the 30s maximum

Step 3: how to make a ringtone on iPhone with GarageBand

The app lists these under How to install your ringtone: as a quick reminder. Spelled out fully:

  1. Open GarageBand and start a new project with the Audio Recorder.
  2. Switch to the tracks view, tap the loop browser icon, choose Files and browse to the ringtone you saved. Drag it onto the track.
  3. Go back to My Songs, touch and hold the project, tap Share and choose Ringtone.
  4. Name it and tap Export. When it finishes, choose Use sound as and pick Standard Ringtone.
  5. Later you can change it in the iPhone's Settings under Sounds & Haptics, then Ringtone.

Convert MP3 to M4R on iPhone

Got a song or sound effect sitting as an MP3 in Files? Tap + on the Videos tab, pick it, convert (M4A is fine) and follow step 2 above. Works the same for M4A, WAV and AIFF too.

Tips

  • Start the clip right before the loudest or most recognisable bit — the first second is the whole job, since that’s what you hear over a ringing phone in your pocket.
  • 1 ringtone a day on the free tier; Pro drops the limit.
  • The .m4r never shows up in the Audio list. Keep it in Files so you can reinstall it later without redoing the export.
  • Ringtones come from an already-converted file, never straight from the video, which is the whole reason step 1 exists.

Questions and answers

Can I make a video my ringtone on iPhone?
Not the video itself — ringtones are sound only on iPhone. You can take the sound out of it, cut up to 30 seconds, and install that, as above.
How long can an iPhone ringtone be?
Up to 30 seconds in the Ringtone Creator. Drag the end handle further and the window just stops 30 seconds past the start point.
How do I make a ringtone on iPhone without GarageBand?
You still need some way to install the .m4r file. On iPhone, that’s GarageBand; on a computer, syncing through the Music app or Finder works too. The app makes the file; it can’t install it — nothing iOS lets a third-party app do that.
Is the ringtone maker free?
Yes, 1 a day on the free tier. Pro lifts the cap entirely.

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