Android 8.1.0 cannot add custom ringtone? Must use an app?

[Android Central Question]

My wife got a new Pixel XL with Android 8.1.0, and it's a step up from her Android 4.4. I was expecting good things yet she could not add a custom ringtone without downloading an app to do it.

I copied an MP3 file to the "Ringtones" folder, but it did NOT show up in the ringtone list from settings. I pressed the MP3 file but there was no option to "SET AS RINGTONE". On top of all this, we only had about 10 default ringtones to choose from. I could not believe this.

Am I wrong that setting the ringtone is one of the first and most important things that people do with their phones? Isn't this an important function? Why would Google only provide 10 default ringtones? This is Android 8.1 NOT Android 1.0. Why is there no EASY way to set a custom ringtone. I watched a number of youtube videos and copying an mp3 to the ringtone folder worked for them -- but NOT for us.

We are DEFINITELY going to an iPhone next time. This is crazy. I had to find and download an app just to do a simple thing like set a custom ringtone. That's terrible.

 

[hallux]

I still have a Nexus 6P still on 8.1 (that Pixel should go higher, but I honestly wouldn't have taken it as it's at least a year out of date even when fully updated). At the bottom of the ringtone list is an option to add a ringtone, do you not have this?

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[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! It's certainly possible (and usually easy) to use your own custom ringtones on a Pixel phone -- I do it all the time. Do you have any 3rd party file managers installed, like ES File Explorer or anything like that? Sometimes, if you accidentally select a 3rd party file manager to complete the action when searching for a custom ringtone, that can cause problems, because those file managers aren't really designed for that.

Go to Settings>Apps, tap the option to show all apps, then tap Menu>Reset App Preferences. Now go through the process to select a custom ringtone, and see if it prompts you to select an app to complete the action. If you see that, make sure you select the system file manager, not the 3rd party one.

hallux is correct -- the 1st gen Pixel got updated all the way to Android 10, so you really ought to update the phone until you get there. Keep in mind that the updates need to be done serially, so it might take a while to keep installing each subsequent update until it gets to the last one.

Your phone selection is totally up to you, but I find it a bit rash to consider this little hiccup as the deciding factor for you to change to iPhone. If you don't really understand the system (and considering that you're using a 1st gen Pixel stuck all the way back on Oreo, I'm guessing you're pretty much a novice at this), then it's worth making an effort to get used to it before making a final judgment. Also remember, iOS is nowhere near as customizable as Android (and it's a bit ironic that this bit of customizability that you're having problems with would make you want to switch to iOS).

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

And custom ringtones on iOS usually have to be formatted in aiff format or you have to download paid ringtones from the App Store. Adding custom ringtones on iPhone is a LOT harder than on Android. I just did that the other day and it was a nightmare.