Solved How to change default notification sound for Text Messages in Android 9

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

Hello,

New to the forum here. I have a Motorola Moto e6 XT2005DL. It is running Android 9. I am now assuming that Android 9 is terrible, and newer versions allow what I'm wanting, but hoping someone else who also has the older Android 9 can confirm.

I know how to custom change the notification sound for an individual contact, but I want to change the entire default setting, so that every single text message I receive will be one particular sound.........so that I know I received a text, rather than every thousand other sounds I'm getting during the day.

Amazingly, it doesn't look like I can do that. In fact, it seems like I can only have the same "default" notification sound for every app I have on the phone. I've searched online, and it gives the following instructions, but they do NOT apply to my Android 9.

How to Change Android Notification Sounds

Change Android notification sounds so you can differentiate them. It's also fun to create custom sounds for Android notifications, so you know when to look at your phone.

www.lifewire.com

My phone does NOT show "behavior" under notifications. There is absolutely nothing under the text message app notifications on my phone that allows for changing the notification sound.

How is it possible to custom change the text message notification sound for each individual contact person, but not the default sound for all texts? There must be some way. It should not be this difficult to figure out.

thanks all

 

[mustang7757]

Welcome to AC!
If you go to settings>sounds and vibrate>go to default notifications you should be able to set this global

 

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

Hi, and thanks for the reply, however that does not help me. I know that I can change the global default notification sound setting for all apps. But I would like a separate notification sound just for Text messages. So that I know (just from the sound) that I received a text. I get many many of the same sounds coming from my phone all day. How do I differentiate between a text, an email, a home security camera alert, a new youtube video upload, etc etc.

I've missed important texts because I get tons of the same exact sound all day, and I just assume it's another youtube video notification.

It's insane to me that it seems this can't be done, since I can change each individual notification sound for each contact, which is kind of useless because I don't know the phone number (for example) of the service provider coming to my home, or doctor's office giving me an update etc.

 

[mustang7757]

Hi, and thanks for the reply, however that does not help me. I know that I can change the global default notification sound setting for all apps. But I would like a separate notification sound just for Text messages. So that I know from the sound that I received a text. I get many many of the same sounds coming from my phone all day. How do I differentialte between a text, email, home security camera, new youtube video upload, etc etc.

I've missed important texts because I get tons of the same exact sound all day.

It's insane to me that it seems this can't be done, since I can change each individual notification sound for each contact, which is kind of useless because I don't know the phone number (for example) of the service provider coming to my home, or doctor's office giving me an update etc.

Ahh ok so long press the message app then tap info>notifications>notifications categories>tap incoming messages and change default sound

 

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

Ahh ok so long press the message app then tap info>notifications>notifications categories>tap incoming messages and change default sound

There is no "notifications categories" on my phone under notifications
edit: the only way I can see, to get to notification category, is to get there by selecting a particular text. Then click the three dots>details>>notifications

Then I'm at notification category (for that ONE particulart contact). And below I see behavior.

But again, it's only for that one contact, not for the entire text message app (for all incoming texts).

Looks like I'm I may be stuck with the same default sound setting for all apps. unbelievable.

 

[mustang7757]

There is no "notifications categories" on my phone under notifications

Looks like I'm I may be stuck with the same default sound setting for all apps. unbelievable.

Go to notifications>advanced settings>manage notifications for each app toggle on ?

Which message app your using?

 

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

I'm using Google message app. Updated to latest version.

Under Apps & Notifications >Advanced>Notifications> the messages app is toggled to the on position. I get a sound whenever I receive a text, it's just the default sound which all apps give

 

[mustang7757]

You see this menu when you long press the message app then tap info>notifications tap

 

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

Under App info>notifications

it shows "1 category deleted" . I click on the little "i" information circle and it does nothing. wondering if some important sound category is missing.

I'm about to give up and accept that I can't change the sounds for each individual app. I played with this about a year ago and gave up. Seems crazy to me I can't do this.

 

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

You see this menu when you long press the message app then tap info>notifications tap

Mine looks nothing like that. I posted a screenshot above, of what my App info>Notifications screen looks like.

Are you using Android 9? That's what I have.

 

[mustang7757]

Mine looks nothing like that. I posted a screenshot above, of what my App info>Notifications screen looks like.

Are you using Android 9? That's what I have.

I'm on Android 14

 

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

Well, that would explain it

I guess Android 9 sucks lol. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put in to help me. If nothing else, it gives me some comfort to know this is an active board, and I know where to come when I have Android issues.

 

[mustang7757]

Well, that would explain it

I guess Android 9 sucks lol. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put in to help me. If nothing else, it gives me some comfort to know this is an active board, and I know where to come when I have Android issues.

Your welcome Hope to see you around

 

[Wax Bean Tycoon]

Your welcome Hope to see you around

By the way, I figured it out lol. I'm an idiot But I refused to believe there was no way to do this.

So in the image below, I assumed, that pressing on "incoming messages" would only uncheck the box, (similar to what happens when you click on a toggle item), but when I clicked on incoming messages, it showed the items I needed. ( Behavior, and Advanced.)

Clicking on advanced then allowed me to change the sound.

It seems so simple, yet when Google searches mislead you, it gets confusing.

again, thanks for all your effort. appreciate it.

 

[mustang7757]

By the way, I figured it out lol. I'm an idiot But I refused to believe there was no way to do this.

So in the image below, I assumed, that pressing on "incoming messages" would only uncheck the box, (similar to what happens when you click on a toggle item), but when I clicked on incoming messages, it showed the items I needed. ( Behavior, and Advanced.)

Clicking on advanced then allowed me to change the sound.

It seems so simple, yet when Google searches mislead you, it gets confusing.

again, thanks for all your effort. appreciate it.

View attachment 360123

Yes clicking on the words and not touching the toggle goes into another menu , awesome they just changed it a little more in Android 14