iPhone Ringtone Maker: Cut Any Song to 30 Seconds

iOS 26 can turn an audio file into a ringtone straight from the Share menu, but only if the clip is 30 seconds or shorter, and it has no trim tool. Pick a song here, choose the part you want, and save a ready MP3. No GarageBand, no app subscription, no upload.

How to use the iPhone ringtone maker on iOS 26

1. Make the clip. Choose a file above, drag the start slider to the part you want, press Play clip to check it, then Save ringtone. The length is capped at 30 seconds because iOS rejects anything longer.
2. Find the file. In Safari, tap the downloads arrow in the address bar, or open the Files app and go to Downloads.
3. Share it as a ringtone. Open the MP3 in Files, tap the Share button, scroll down and tap Use as Ringtone. If you don't see it, tap More at the end of the list. Still missing? See Use as Ringtone not showing.
4. Pick it. Go to Settings › Sounds & Haptics › Ringtone. Your new tone is at the top of the list. You can also give one contact their own tone in Contacts › Edit › Ringtone.

Working on a computer? Make the ringtone here, then AirDrop the MP3 to your iPhone or save it to iCloud Drive. Once it is in Files, the steps above are the same.

Picking a good 30 seconds

• Start on the hook. A ring is often answered within 10 seconds, so put the recognisable part first rather than the intro.
• Keep the fades on. A short fade in stops the tone starting with a click; the fade out makes the loop back to the start less jarring when the phone keeps ringing.
• Quiet song? Tick Make it louder. It raises the clip until the loudest moment sits just under the maximum, which helps with acoustic tracks and voice memos.
• Text tone instead? Set the length to 3–5 seconds. iOS lists the same file under Text Tone too.

Which songs work

Any audio file you have on your device: MP3s you bought or downloaded, WAV and M4A files, voice memos, and the sound from a video you recorded. Songs streamed from Apple Music or Spotify can't be used, because those files are copy-protected and the browser can't read them. Buying the song in the iTunes Store gives you a file you can use, or Apple sells ready-made tones in Settings › Sounds & Haptics › Tone Store.

Older iOS: the GarageBand way

Before iOS 26 there was no Use as Ringtone button. If your iPhone can't update, save the clip here, then open GarageBand, start an Audio Recorder project, tap the loop icon, choose Files and drag the MP3 onto a track. Go back to My Songs, long-press the project, tap Share › Ringtone › Export. It takes a few more taps, but the clip you made here is already the right length.

FAQ

Why 30 seconds?

That's the limit iOS 26 enforces. A longer file shows an error instead of the Use as Ringtone option. Other online cutters still export 40-second iPhone ringtones from the iTunes days, and those fail on iOS 26.

Do I need the M4R format?

No. M4R was what iTunes and GarageBand needed. iOS 26 accepts a plain MP3 through the Share menu, which is why this tool saves MP3.

Is my song uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read and cut by your browser and never leaves your device. You can switch to airplane mode after the page loads and it still works.

Can I use a TikTok or Instagram video?

Save the video to your phone first, then choose it here. The tool takes the sound track from the video.

Does this work on Android?

Yes. Save the MP3, then go to Settings › Sound › Phone ringtone and pick it from your files (the exact menu names differ by brand).