Notification sounds locked to wrong location (can't change) so no sound

[silyrabbt]

The phone worked normally when last used as a phone in 2016. When traveling, I'd buy a sim card where I was (unlimited air time & texts, 100 min voice = $ ). Since that time it has been in a drawer, played a few games solitaire.

Today put in sim card, turned it on - and the notification sound library gone. Or not linked. Can't change it either, like w call library.

But now this must be prime phone.

Please.

Help me.

(I'm half blind; semi technologically skilled but that was with computers and w A/V)

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone? How are you looking for the sound library? Are you saying that when you go to the Settings>Sound menu and want to change the ringtone, for example, it doesn't give you any tones to select from?

 

[silyrabbt]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone? How are you looking for the sound library? Are you saying that when you go to the Settings>Sound menu and want to change the ringtone, for example, it doesn't give you any tones to select from?

(Sorry - this site a bloody pain to reply when visually impaired!! Ads don't comport to the law of assistive devices, violating by coming across screen -- grrr!!)

Phone S5. To change ringtone of MESSAGE (as noted, NOT calls menu), there are sounds listed but no sounds emit - no sounds are associated any longer. And there's no "add" on this menu. Is closed menu - just the proffered sounds. Thus I wondered where is the folder, perhaps I can reload sounds (I have another S5)? Or you've an alternative suggestion? Phone is silent EXCEPT on calls now (used to be normal - but last use for messaging/as phone 2/2016. Since as a computer only).
Thx

 

[B. Diddy]

The preinstalled tones (regardless of whether you're talking about notification tones, ringtones, or alarm tones) are all in protected system directories that you can't access with a file manager unless the phone is rooted. You can add your own custom tones by copying the sound files to the directories called /Notifications, /Ringtones, or /Alarms.

It's odd that you can see the system tones in the sound picker list, but nothing plays when you select them. Does the phone make any sounds at all? For example, if you play a YouTube video, do you hear the audio? When the phone rings, do you hear the ringtone? If you set an alarm, do you hear it go off?

No disagreement here about the ads -- I dislike them as well! And I didn't even think about how it could affect the visually impaired.:-\

 

[silyrabbt]

As noted, it makes all other ringtone (calls) & I listen to books, music, podcasts on device (I used this for everything BUT a phone for 2 yrs).
And no, I've made my own ringtone directory on my SD card but CAN'T RE-DIRECT THIS DIRECTORY TO ANY OTHER DIRECTORY -- unless you know some super secret method. *The message soundpicker is closed; you can't redirect, can't change folder or add sounds.* That is why I posted here -- there's no way to tell phone "use this path, this directory, this folder, this sound" -- I'm just trying to re-establish the bloody whistle, the only sound I use for messages. But for some reason, silent. And no means by which to reconnect or redirect.

No "add" which is what gives ability to connect to other folders (I've done that on all my phones as all sounds/songs are on external 14GB-40GB cards).

Thank you so very much. I may be back in hospital for next few days, so delay in reply (I'm immuno-suppressed & looks like it's blood cancer after all. When you lose 85 lbs with no explanation, that's usually the source).

 

[B. Diddy]

Android can have difficulties accessing ringtone sound files saved to tthe SD card. Make sure you copy your custom sound files to the /Ringtones directory on Internal Storage, not the SD card.

Sorry to hear about your medical travails. Stay strong, and fu** cancer!