Where to find the notification sound setting

Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top-left corner. Tap the gear icon to open Settings. Scroll down and tap Notifications. From there, you'll see options for different notification types — Messages, Calls, Snaps, and Stories. Each one has its own sound setting you can change independently.

The exact location varies slightly between iPhone and Android, but the path is the same: Profile → Settings → Notifications. On both platforms, you're looking for the notification type you want to customize, then tapping into that section to choose a new sound.

Key Takeaways

  • Snapchat lets you set different notification sounds for Messages, Calls, Snaps, and Stories — each one separately.
  • You change sounds through Settings → Notifications, then select the notification type and pick a new sound from your device's library.
  • Your phone's operating system controls which sounds are available; Snapchat uses whatever your device offers.
  • If you don't see a sound option for a notification type, that feature may not have a customizable sound on your version of the app.
  • Turning off notification sounds is faster than changing them — toggle the sound off entirely in the same Notifications menu.

Choosing a sound on iPhone

After you tap into a specific notification type (Messages, Calls, Snaps, or Stories), you'll see a "Sound" option. Tap it. Your iPhone will show you the sounds available on your device — these come from your phone's system sounds, not from Snapchat itself. Scroll through the list and tap the one you want to hear.

You can preview each sound by tapping it before you confirm. Once you select one, Snapchat remembers that choice for that notification type. If you want Messages to use a different sound than Calls, you set them separately in the same menu.

Choosing a sound on Android

The process on Android is similar: go to Settings → Notifications, pick the notification type, and tap the Sound option. Android will show you sounds from your device's system library. Tap the one you want, and it applies immediately to that notification type.

Some Android phones let you use custom sounds you've downloaded or created, but this depends on your phone model and Android version. If you've added custom notification sounds to your phone's notification folder, they may appear in this list alongside the default options.

Why you might not see a sound option

Snapchat doesn't let you customize sounds for every notification type on every version of the app. If you're looking for a sound option and don't see one, it's usually because that particular notification type doesn't support custom sounds in your version of Snapchat.

Updates to Snapchat sometimes add or remove sound customization for specific notification types. If a sound option disappears after an update, check whether Snapchat has a newer version available in your app store — sometimes a fresh install restores missing settings.

Turning off notification sounds entirely

If you want silence instead of a new sound, you don't have to pick a different tone. In the same Notifications menu, toggle the sound off for any notification type you want to mute. The notification will still arrive on your phone — you just won't hear it.

This is faster than scrolling through sound options if you only want to silence one type of notification. You can turn sound on for Messages but off for Stories, for example, all from the same menu.

What happens if you change your phone's system sounds

Snapchat pulls notification sounds from your phone's system library, not from its own files. If you change your phone's default notification sound in your phone's Settings, Snapchat notifications may change too — but only if you haven't already picked a specific sound for that notification type in Snapchat.

Once you've chosen a sound in Snapchat's Notifications menu, that choice overrides your phone's default. Changing your phone's system settings won't affect it. If you want Snapchat to follow your phone's default sound again, you'd need to go back into Snapchat's Notifications and select the default option if one is available.

Troubleshooting when sounds won't change

If you've picked a new sound but still hear the old one, close Snapchat completely and reopen it. Sometimes the app doesn't register the change until you restart it. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom to close the app. On Android, swipe up from the bottom and hold, then swipe Snapchat away.

If restarting doesn't work, check whether your phone is in Do Not Disturb or Silent mode. Both of these override app-level sound settings and will mute Snapchat notifications regardless of what you've chosen in the app. Check your phone's Control Center (iPhone) or Quick Settings (Android) to see if either is turned on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upload my own sound as a Snapchat notification?

Not directly through Snapchat. You can only choose from sounds already on your device. If you want to use a custom sound, you'd need to add it to your phone's notification sounds folder first, then select it from Snapchat's sound menu. The process for doing this varies by phone model.

Why do my Snapchat notifications make no sound even though I turned sound on?

Your phone is likely in Silent or Do Not Disturb mode. Check your phone's Control Center (iPhone) or Quick Settings (Android) and toggle these off. Also check whether Snapchat has permission to send notifications — go to your phone's Settings, find Snapchat, and make sure Notifications are allowed.

If I change the notification sound for Messages, does it change for Calls too?

No. Each notification type has its own sound setting. You can set Messages to one sound, Calls to another, and Snaps to a third. They don't affect each other.

Will changing my notification sound use more battery?

No. The sound file itself is tiny, and playing it uses negligible battery. Turning notifications off entirely saves more battery than changing the sound, but the difference between sounds is not measurable.