Custom Text Tones Missing after iOS 17 update ? iPhone & iPad [solved]

Ringtone are important feature in iPhone but in latest iOS many iPhone user are finding that while setting custom tone for Text/ Notification, the custom tones are missing from it. After iOS 17 the old custom tones simply disappeared. However if you have set any of them as active tone for contact then it will jeep working but you will not be able to find then in library or set again for someone else.

This is issue with the iOS 17 as all custom tones were available in in ringtones and text tones now all my text tones are missing. The custom tones that which are previously are still set(Text, Calendar, sent mail) are not in the list. The custom tone is missing for text and notification tone but available as only ringtone

Even if you are able to see all custom ringtones in iOS 17 under ringtones , but you can’t set them as custom text tones. Somehow new issue is seen where iOS 17 Purchased Text Tones are Missing.

The freshly purchased text tone from iTunes Store are also not working and can’t set them as tone. Purchased tones are not working on iPhone/ iOS 17 as option to make it as text tone is missing on iPad, iPhone 11,12,13,14

Eve the tones created in Garage Band are missing after iOS 17. This is painful and annoying to see Apple have removed the ability to have custom text or notification tones, and all old custom tones have disappeared.

Why Custom Tones Not Available as Text Tone in iOS 17: iPhone 11/12/13/14, iPad

Like many other iPhone users if you are also surprised and disappointed to discover that iOS 17 has downgrade in terms of being able to assign custom text or notification tones. The changes seem to be intentional from Apple to stop support of custom tone in iPhone.

Apparently missing custom tone isn’t a bug but done purposely by Apple on iOS 17, the only text tones (affects new voicemail, new mail, sent mail, calendar & reminders) you can now use are purchased ones which are bought ones but not your own free ones. If you want the custom text tone feature back in iPhone then please report to Apple at :

Submit feedback to Apple here:

Product Feedback – Apple

What will happen to my old custom tone after iOS 17 :

If you have set custom tone for some contacts then after iOS 17 : if you attempt to change them – they will be lost permanently.  However you can only use your customs as ringtones.

How to Use the Custom Tones as Text/ Notification Tone : iOS 17 :

If you are unable to set custom tone as text tone on iOS 17 then a workaround to fix the issue is to edit old Ringtone .plist (/Media/iTunes_Control/iTunes) and add the lines “purchased”, album (same data as name) and media kind.

Copy the content of the Ringtones.plist file from the Media/iTunes_Control/iTunes folder, and in the XML/plist editor replace all instances of:

<string>ringtone</string>

with

<string>tone</string>

Also make sure to upload the tone to Media/iTunes_Control/Purchases along with all .m4r files.

Also, any tone longer than 30000 (milliseconds) will not play, so either remove them from the .plist or shorten the audio length to less than 30 seconds.

For example, this item will not play nor be listed in the list of alert tones but will in ringtones (for calls)

<key>Total Time</key>

<integer>39913</integer>

In iOS 17 the Ringtones are now limited to 30 seconds.