How to Change the Mail Notification Sound in iOS Mail

Pick special sounds for VIPs and threads on iPhone or iPad

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on February 23, 2022
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Select Settings > Notifications > Mail > Allow Notifications.
  • Choose the account, sender, or thread for which you want notifications.
  • Choose a sound.

This article shows how to choose a sound to alert you when you receive new emails on any iOS device running any modern version of Mail.

How to Pick a New Email Sound in iOS Mail

To choose the sound that plays when you receive a new email message:

  1. Open the Settings app.

  2. Go to Notifications > Mail.

  3. Turn on the Allow Notifications toggle switch.

    Notifications, Mail icons in iOS Settings

  4. Choose the account:

    • Select an email account to change its new email sound.
    • If VIP senders are set up, make Mail create a different sound to distinguish those senders from other recipients. Choose VIP instead of a specific email account.
    • Choose Thread Notifications to make a different email sound for the messages you enabled notifications.

    Custom sounds for VIP and Thread Notifications work even if other Mail notifications are disabled.

  5. Tap Sounds.

    VIP settings, Sounds, Thread Notifications in iOS Settings

  6. Select the new email sound you want to use for the email account, VIP senders, or email threads that have notifications enabled.

  7. Each tone you select plays a preview sound.

    Tone Store, Note, Alert Tones store in iOS

    Choose Tone Store to shop for new sounds.

  8. Press the Home button to save and exit the settings. Or, repeat the steps to change the email sound for a different email account.

FAQ
  • How do I turn off notifications on iPhone?

    You've got a couple of options. To turn off all notifications - including calls - on your iPhone, open the Control Panel and select Do Not Disturb. You can also turn off notifications by app: Settings > Notifications. For each app, make sure the slider for Allow Notifications is turned off.


  • How can I manage push notifications on my iPhone?

    You can decide which apps you want to get notifications from and what type of alerts they send. To do that, tap Settings and go to Notifications to display the apps on your phone. Select Show Previews to choose when you want notifications to appear for an app: Always, When Unlocked, Never. You can also customize government alerts.

    How to Manage Notifications on the iPhone
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