Get New Ringtones From Your Cell Phone Carrier

When you get a new cell phone it usually comes with some very basic ringtones. Most of the time these ringtones are an uninspired collection of "beeps" and "boops". These are fun for a little while, but after the first few rings the excitement is over. How can you get some new (and better) cell phone ringtones? This article discusses the easiest and safest method to get new mobile ringtones for your phone. That method is to buy them from your mobile phone carrier. Be aware that this process is a little different for each carrier, but the steps below should be adaptable to most major cell carriers.

A Few Questions

There are a few questions you should be able to answer before you go looking for a new cell ringtone:

1. What ringtone formats does your phone support? - If your not sure, look in the manual that came with your mobile phone. Scan the table of contents or index, looking for a section on ringtone formats. You can also check the phone manufacturer and/or carriers website or call their support number. A Google search might also turn up the information you're looking for. It's important to know what ringtone formats your phone can play so that you don't pay for a ringtone that won't work on your phone.
2. What method or methods can you use to transfer ringtones onto your phone? - There are 3 methods to get mobile phone ringtones on to your cell phone: The first is a "WAP download" which is downloading the ringtone straight to the phone through it's internet connection. Another way is that you can sometime receive ringtones as text message attachments, but this is less common. The third method is to download the file to your computer, then transfer it to the phone (usually through bluetooth, USB, or a memory card). If you're not sure which of these methods your phone/carrier supports, check the same resources recommended in question 1. If you're going to use method 3, you may also need additional equipment like a USB cable or bluetooth dongle and you'll probably need to download the correct drivers and software from the mobile phone manufacturers website.
3. Will there be extra costs? - Ringtones purchased from your carrier will usually cost anywhere from $.99 to $3 a piece. But if you are going to get your ringtone through a WAP download, or text message attachment, make sure you have a text message and/or data plan. If not, you may be charged fees per text message or kilobyte of data downloaded. Ask your carrier about your text message and data plan. If you are transferring from a computer to your mobile phone this shouldn't be an issue.

Getting a New Ringtone

After you know these things, the steps for buying a ringtone are pretty simple:

Find a ringtone you want and make sure it's in a compatible format. The way you browse and buy the ringtone will be different depending on the method you use to get it onto your phone.

If you are using a WAP download, there should be a program installed on your phone that allows you to browse and download the ringtones. The price of the ringtone will be added to your next cell phone bill.

If you want to use text messaging, you will need to go to your carriers website and browse the ringtones there. The specifics differ for each carrier, so check the exact instructions on their website. Usually it's as simple as clicking the "buy" button, then entering the phone number where you want the ringtone sent. Once again, you will be billed for it on your next statement.

If you are downloading the ringtone to your computer, you will once again need to go to your carriers website and browse the ringtones there. Then click the "buy" button, download the ringtone to the computer, then use the phone software (see question 2 above) to transfer it to the phone.

Now just go into your phone settings and apply the new file as your ringtone. If you aren't sure how, check the resources mentioned in question 1.

That's all there is to it! You now have a great new ringtone to show off. The process is very easy, and after you do it once or twice you'll be a pro.

by: Joel Coleman