Snapchat, the popular multimedia messaging app, has revolutionized the way we communicate. Its ephemeral nature, coupled with its creative filters and lenses, has made it a favorite among millions. One aspect of the Snapchat experience that users often want to customize is the notification sound. While Snapchat doesn’t offer a direct, in-app option to change the notification sound on all devices, there are workarounds and settings within your phone’s operating system that can help you achieve a personalized notification experience. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the various methods you can use to change your Snapchat notification sound, providing detailed steps and instructions for both Android and iOS devices.
Understanding Snapchat’s Notification System
Before diving into the methods for changing the notification sound, it’s essential to understand how Snapchat’s notification system works. Snapchat sends notifications for various events, including:
- New Snaps
- Chat messages
- Stories updates
- Mentions
- Friend requests
- Other miscellaneous alerts
Each of these notification types might have a different sound assigned to it. However, Snapchat’s in-app settings provide limited control over the notification sounds themselves. Therefore, users often need to rely on their phone’s operating system settings to customize the sound.
Changing Snapchat Notification Sound on Android
Android offers more flexibility in customizing notification sounds compared to iOS. Here’s a detailed guide on how to change your Snapchat notification sound on Android:
Method 1: Using Android’s System Settings (Android 8.0 Oreo and Later)
Android 8.0 Oreo introduced a feature called Notification Channels, which allows users to customize notifications for individual apps in a more granular way. This method is the most direct way to change your Snapchat notification sound on Android devices running Oreo or later.
- Open the Settings App: Locate the Settings app on your Android device. The icon usually looks like a gear or a cogwheel.
- Navigate to Apps & Notifications: Scroll down in the Settings menu and tap on “Apps & Notifications.” On some devices, it might be labeled simply as “Apps” or “Application Manager.”
- Find Snapchat: Look for Snapchat in the list of installed apps. You might need to tap on “See all apps” to display the complete list.
- Tap on Notifications: Once you’ve found Snapchat, tap on it. This will open the app’s information page. Then, tap on “Notifications.”
- Explore Notification Channels: You will see a list of notification channels, such as “Chat Notifications,” “Snap Notifications,” “Story Notifications,” and “Other.” Each channel represents a different type of notification from Snapchat.
- Select the Notification Channel to Customize: Tap on the specific notification channel you want to customize. For example, if you want to change the sound for new Snap notifications, tap on “Snap Notifications.”
- Change the Sound: Within the notification channel settings, you should find an option labeled “Sound.” Tap on it. This will open a list of available notification sounds.
- Choose a New Sound: Select the desired notification sound from the list. You can usually preview the sound by tapping on it.
- Save Your Changes: Once you’ve chosen a new sound, make sure to save your changes. The process for saving varies depending on your device, but it usually involves tapping a back arrow or a save button.
- Repeat for Other Channels: Repeat steps 6-9 for any other Snapchat notification channels you want to customize.
Method 2: Using Third-Party Apps
If you have an older Android device that doesn’t support Notification Channels, or if you want even more customization options, you can use third-party apps from the Google Play Store. These apps allow you to set custom notification sounds for individual apps.
Popular Third-Party Apps:
- Notification Sounds Changer: This app allows you to change notification sounds for any app installed on your device. It’s simple to use and offers a wide range of customization options.
- Light Flow: While Light Flow is primarily known for controlling LED notification lights, it also allows you to customize notification sounds for individual apps. It’s a powerful app with many advanced features.
Steps to Use a Third-Party App:
- Download and Install the App: Search for the desired third-party app in the Google Play Store and download and install it on your device.
- Grant Permissions: Open the app and grant it the necessary permissions, such as access to notifications and storage. These permissions are required for the app to function properly.
- Find Snapchat: Look for Snapchat in the list of installed apps within the third-party app.
- Customize Notification Sound: Follow the app’s instructions to customize the notification sound for Snapchat. This usually involves selecting a new sound from a list or choosing a custom sound file from your device’s storage.
- Test the Sound: Send yourself a test notification from Snapchat to ensure that the new sound is working correctly.
Method 3: Creating Custom Notification Sounds
For a truly personalized experience, you can create your own custom notification sounds and use them for Snapchat. This involves creating or downloading a sound file and then setting it as the notification sound.
Creating a Custom Sound File:
- Record a Sound: You can use a voice recorder app on your phone or a sound editing program on your computer to record a sound. Make sure the sound is short and clear.
- Download a Sound: You can download sound files from various websites that offer free sound effects and audio clips.
- Edit the Sound: Use a sound editing program to trim the sound, adjust its volume, and convert it to a compatible file format, such as MP3 or WAV.
Setting a Custom Sound as Notification Sound:
- Transfer the Sound File to Your Device: Connect your Android device to your computer and transfer the custom sound file to your device’s storage. You can create a dedicated folder for notification sounds.
- Use Android’s System Settings or a Third-Party App: Follow the steps in Method 1 or Method 2 to access the notification sound settings for Snapchat.
- Select the Custom Sound: When choosing a notification sound, look for an option to select a sound from your device’s storage. This option might be labeled as “Custom,” “From file,” or something similar.
- Browse to the Sound File: Navigate to the folder where you saved the custom sound file and select it.
- Test the Sound: Send yourself a test notification from Snapchat to ensure that the custom sound is working correctly.
Changing Snapchat Notification Sound on iOS (iPhone and iPad)
Unfortunately, iOS offers significantly less flexibility in customizing notification sounds for individual apps compared to Android. Apple’s operating system does not allow users to change notification sounds for specific apps directly. However, there are a few workarounds and settings you can adjust to improve your Snapchat notification experience on iOS.
Method 1: Adjusting Overall Notification Settings for Snapchat
While you can’t change the specific sound, you can adjust other notification settings to make them more noticeable or less intrusive.
- Open the Settings App: Locate the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. The icon usually looks like a gear.
- Navigate to Notifications: Scroll down in the Settings menu and tap on “Notifications.”
- Find Snapchat: Scroll down in the list of apps and tap on “Snapchat.”
- Customize Notification Options: Here, you can customize various notification options:
- Allow Notifications: Make sure this is toggled on to receive notifications from Snapchat.
- Lock Screen, Notification Center, Banners: Choose where you want Snapchat notifications to appear.
- Banners Style: Select either “Temporary” or “Persistent” banners. Persistent banners stay on the screen until you dismiss them, making them more noticeable.
- Sounds: Ensure that the “Sounds” toggle is enabled to hear notification sounds. If it’s disabled, you won’t hear any sounds for Snapchat notifications.
- Badges: Enable badges to see a number on the Snapchat icon indicating the number of unread notifications.
Method 2: Using Custom Text Tones (Limited Applicability)
In some older versions of iOS, it was possible to assign custom text tones to individual contacts. While this doesn’t directly change the Snapchat notification sound, it can help you distinguish Snapchat notifications if you frequently receive messages from a specific friend.
Steps to Assign a Custom Text Tone to a Contact:
- Open the Contacts App: Locate the Contacts app on your iPhone.
- Find the Contact: Find the contact you want to assign a custom text tone to.
- Tap Edit: Tap on the “Edit” button in the top right corner of the contact’s information page.
- Scroll Down to Text Tone: Scroll down to the “Text Tone” option and tap on it.
- Choose a Custom Tone: Select a custom tone from the list.
- Tap Done: Tap “Done” to save your changes.
Limitations:
- This method only works for chat notifications from specific contacts. It won’t affect the notification sound for Snaps, Stories, or other types of notifications.
- This feature may not be available on newer versions of iOS.
Method 3: Using Accessibility Features
iOS offers several accessibility features that can make notifications more noticeable, such as visual alerts and vibration patterns.
Visual Alerts:
- Open the Settings App: Locate the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Navigate to Accessibility: Scroll down and tap on “Accessibility.”
- Tap on Audio/Visual: Scroll down and tap on “Audio/Visual.”
- Enable LED Flash for Alerts: Toggle on “LED Flash for Alerts.” This will cause the LED flash on the back of your iPhone to blink when you receive a notification.
Custom Vibration Patterns:
- Open the Settings App: Locate the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Navigate to Sounds & Haptics: Scroll down and tap on “Sounds & Haptics” (or just “Sounds” on older devices).
- Tap on Text Tone: Tap on “Text Tone.”
- Tap on Vibration: At the top of the screen, tap on “Vibration.”
- Create New Vibration: Scroll down and tap on “Create New Vibration.”
- Record Your Vibration: Tap the screen to create a custom vibration pattern.
- Save Your Vibration: Tap “Stop” and then “Save” to save your custom vibration pattern.
- Assign the Vibration: You can assign this custom vibration to a specific contact by editing their contact information and selecting the vibration under “Text Tone” then “Vibration”. As stated before, this only applies to message notifications and functionality might vary based on iOS version.
Method 4: Providing Feedback to Snapchat
The most effective way to get the feature you want is to request it directly from Snapchat. Provide feedback to Snapchat suggesting that they add an option to customize notification sounds within the app. Many apps evolve based on user feedback, so your voice matters.
How to Provide Feedback to Snapchat:
- Open the Snapchat App: Launch the Snapchat app on your device.
- Go to Your Profile: Tap on your Bitmoji or profile icon in the top left corner of the screen.
- Open Settings: Tap on the gear icon in the top right corner to open the Settings menu.
- Find “I Need Help”: Scroll down and tap on “I Need Help.”
- Select “Contact Us”: Tap on “Contact Us.”
- Choose a Relevant Topic: Select a topic related to feedback or suggestions.
- Write Your Feedback: Explain that you would like Snapchat to add an option to customize notification sounds. Be specific and polite in your request.
- Submit Your Feedback: Follow the on-screen instructions to submit your feedback.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Changing notification sounds can sometimes be tricky. Here are some common issues and how to troubleshoot them:
- No Sound:
- Check Volume: Make sure your device’s volume is turned up and not muted.
- Check Notification Settings: Ensure that notifications are enabled for Snapchat in your device’s settings.
- Check Do Not Disturb: Make sure Do Not Disturb mode is turned off, as it can silence notifications.
- Wrong Sound:
- Verify Settings: Double-check that you have selected the correct notification sound in your device’s settings or the third-party app.
- Restart Device: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve issues with notification sounds.
- Third-Party App Issues:
- Permissions: Ensure that the third-party app has the necessary permissions to access notifications and change sounds.
- Compatibility: Check that the app is compatible with your device’s operating system.
- Update App: Make sure the app is up to date.
Conclusion
Customizing your Snapchat notification sound can significantly enhance your overall experience with the app. While the process differs slightly between Android and iOS devices, there are several methods you can use to achieve a personalized notification experience. On Android, you can leverage Notification Channels or third-party apps to change the sound directly. On iOS, you can adjust overall notification settings and explore accessibility features to make notifications more noticeable. By following the detailed steps and instructions in this guide, you can tailor your Snapchat notifications to suit your preferences and stay connected in a way that works best for you. Remember to provide feedback to Snapchat requesting the implementation of in-app notification sound customization for a more seamless and user-friendly experience in the future.