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Custom ringtones not playing

J

jimwright

Newbie
Hey all. Fairly new to Android, using a Mac for syncing files. After a lot of searching for a simple way to sync over ringtones, and finding a lot of things that didn't work, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and I copied several custom ringtones that I made a while back over to my phone's default location for these, /system/media/audio/ringtones. I used a utility to mount the filesystem as rw, copied the files from my SDCard, rebooted the phone.

The files correctly showed up in the file listing, but would not play. Existing ringtones worked as usual.

I had saved these as OGG format, so I decided to convert them to MP3, copied them back over, rebooted, same issue, not playing. I fired up the Music player, found my new ringtones listed there (possibly they were scanned off the SDCard, since the files were still there?) and they play just fine.

I'm a little bit stumped on exactly what it takes to make an official ringtone on android.

For what it's worth, I'm using a ZTE Avail 2, using the Azazel ROM posted in the Prelude forum (same phone, different carrier), forum thread here: http://androidforums.com/prelude-all-things-root/795640-azazel-rom-z993-aio.html

I checked the ringtones included on that ROM, and from what I can tell there are no obvious differences in the files. The ones on that ROM had ID Tags showing author and other information, one thread I found indicated that ringtones shouldn't have tags, but obviously they can. Some of the ROM files were stereo, so that's allowed. Encoding matches as best I can tell, tried using a different audio converter app, no change.

There has to be some magic here that I'm missing...
 
What I do with mp3s (doesn't matter what folder they're in but I think they stick better if they're in internal) is just, in the phone's sound settings, choose ringtone and when it offers a choice of where to choose from I select ES File Explorer (my preferred file manager) and navigate to the mp3 I want from there. Have you tried that mate?
 
I seem to remember I had to move the MP3s to the /Ringtones folder to get them to work .. of course, that may have been with an earlier version of Android.
 
Interesting problem I to have my personal ringtones in the /system/media/audio/ringtones folder and they all play just fine. So a couple of questions for you.

1. What app/program are you using to make the ringtones? (I recommend audacity on the computer)

2. Have you checked the permissions of the ringtones to make sure you are authorized to use them? In my system the permissions are -rw-rw-rw make sure yours are the same.
 
I was using Audacity, and another tool I can't remember to make the sounds. But you were spot on for the permissions, mine were set to ---------- after I had copied the files. LOL

Thanks so much for the tip! Never would have occurred to me otherwise to check that. I was planning on writing a script that I could stick on my SDCard's folder that I'm using to temporarily store ringtones, which will read the contents of that folder, and then copy all of the tones over to the /system/media/audio/ringtones folder (it's hell using the terminal app on the phone and trying not to make typos on the paths!), I'll add in a line to reset the permissions when I get around to scripting that. :)
 
You must have a LOT of ringtones :eek:

I've used the same one on every phone I've had since around 2004. And it's just a regular MP3.
 
SiempreTuna said:
You must have a LOT of ringtones :eek:

I've used the same one on every phone I've had since around 2004. And it's just a regular MP3.
Click to expand...

LOL, not really a lot, but I've got a core set that the family liked so I always put those on the phones when I can. Until now they were all iPhones, so it was easy. My son is the one getting the Android phone, so I'm having to learn tricks all over again.

Usually we have these set as contact specific ringtones, so we can tell easily who is calling.
 
If the phone is rooted you can use a filemanager like ES Explorer to change the permissions of the files.

In ES Explorer you will have to go to tools and turn on Root Explorer in able to give ES root access
 
I think that on startup it loads the names of all audio files that it finds in folders ending with "/ringtones" into the ringtones list. (Audio files in folders ending with "/notifications" go in the other list.)

My current phone (Droid Maxx) does not have a removable SD card. My previous phone (Droid Bionic) did. If the ringtones folder was on the removable SD card and I was connected to my Windows workstation with a USB cable it would only play the ringtones that were standard. The reason was file sharing between the two machines. The PC in Mass Storage mode was given control.

... Thom
 
Thom said:
I think that on startup it loads the names of all audio files that it finds in folders ending with "/ringtones" into the ringtones list. (Audio files in folders ending with "/notifications" go in the other list.)

My current phone (Droid Maxx) does not have a removable SD card. My previous phone (Droid Bionic) did. If the ringtones folder was on the removable SD card and I was connected to my Windows workstation with a USB cable it would only play the ringtones that were standard. The reason was file sharing between the two machines. The PC in Mass Storage mode was given control.

... Thom
Click to expand...

Hi Thom!
I have been asking questions about this in another thread: http://androidforums.com/threads/custom-ringtones.760463/
but this seems like it fits my problem also. I had custom ringtones and SMS tones in a "ringtone" and "notifications" folder respectively. Didn't have any trouble until I hooked my phone up to my computer to transfer some text files over. I later noticed I wasn't getting notified of calls or texts. When I checked my tones weren't in the list to choose from. But they still appear in the file manager. I have been reading and trying everything I can the last few days but I have run out of ideas. Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you! Elaine p.s. I added screenshots of my file locations.
 

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UNCLE

I thought you wertre asking a question about a Motorola Droid Maxx because you pposted youir question in that forum.

What device are you using?
What version of the Android system are you using on it?
Are you connected by USB cable to a computer? If you are connected you can encounter problems of exsclusive control of files by the compouter or phone that can make the results screwey.

... Thom
 
Hi,
Yes, I have a Droid Maxx. I was using my usb cable to add an audiobook to my phone. It was after I disconnected the phone from my laptop that my custom ringtones and text tones disappeared from the list where you choose them. They are still on my phone in the same Folder, just no longer there for me to choose them. This has happened several times before, but I've always been able to get them to work again by deleting and reinstalling the tones. However this time, nothing seems to work.
Thanks!! Oh yes, I am using the latest version of Kitkat for Verizon.

One question though, how do YOU add files to your phone? Am I not supposed to do it with my usb cable? Thanks again.
 
Think he meant can you do it directly via USB, do you need to download a driver for your phone for anything other than media, or do you need a program like Kies?

How agressive is your AV or protection on the computer? It could see these files as malware and delete them.
 
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