The Ringtones FAQ
Technical Questions

* The Ringtones FAQ has moved here, in an all new and improved version 2.0
(The content below is partly outdated and kept here only to accomodate those coming from search engines)

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How can I know if my specific phone model supports customizable ringtones?
More than 10 popular phone brands support customizable ringtones, including well-known brans such as Nokia, Ericsson or Siemens but also Audiovox, Samsung, Panasonic and others. Use the link below to find out if your phone is compatible.
• Check out the list of phone models that support custom ringtones here.

How do I change my phone's ringtone?
It depends on the phone you have. Each company has its own system. Ericsson, for example, let you use a web-based composer for you to design your own ringing tones then manually input them in your phone. You can also find Ericsson melodies on the web and type them yourself on your phone.
• See Ericsson ringtones for more

As for Nokia, a few phones have the "Ringtone composer", including the Nokia 3210 (and, reportedly, the 8210 and the 3310, but I haven't been able to confirm it yet - anybody has one of these phones?). All other Nokia phones that can have customizable ringtones can only receive them by connecting to your computer through a data cable, or by receiving a special type of SMS message, called "Smart Message", containing the ringing tone.
• See Smart Messaging Ringtones for more

All other companies have a Melody Composer in those of their phones that can accept programmable ringtones.

How do I upload ringtones directly to my phone?
Since most Nokia phones don't allow you to input the ringtones directly on the phone, you need to transfer them from a computer to the phone if you don't want to use one of the web's many services that send ringtones through by a special kind of SMS text message.
• See Smart Messaging Ringtones for more

First, you will need something to connect your phone to your computer. If your phone has infrared communications (Irda), such as the Nokia 6100 series, and your computer has it too (for example, most laptop have an infrared communications port), you can connect through these devices. Otherwise, you will need a data cable that you can purchase at many specialized stores.
• See my lists of Top 100 cellular sites for links to many of these online stores

Once you have your connection, you will need a special software, such as Logo Manager, Nokring or the Nokia Data Suite. You can buy the Nokia Data Suite in specialized stores or at Nokia's web site, but there are also freeware and shareware programs that you can use.
• See my links to software available for your phone

What are the RTTTL, Nokia 3210 or even binary formats?
These are three popular Nokia formats for coding or sending ringtones to a Nokia phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can use one or two of these formats:

RTTTL:
It is the format for coding the notes of a ringtone so that it can be recognized by GSM Nokia phones when transfered through a data cable using a special program. RTTTL stands for "Ringing Tones text transfer language" and is the most common ringtone format seen on Internet.

Nokia 3210 (or Nokia Composer):
It is the common name used for ringtones coded according to the special format used by the "Nokia Composer" program. This small program is installed in some Nokia phones - the first of which was the Nokia 3210. Owners of a phone equiped with that composer can key in a new ringtone directly into their phone by pressing sequences of keys.

Binary Format:
The "binary format" can be easily recognized to its suites of non-sense characters, such as "A8AC126" beginning by "//SCKL". This is in fact a way of coding a ringtone according to the Smart Messaging format, developped by Nokia and Intel. That format is used mainly by specialized web sites that send ringtones to your phone as if it was a text message. But since it is a "Smart Message", it is recognized by your phone as a ringtone, operator logo or something else. Some Nokia phones users can even send themselves a ringtone through a general SMS gateway, but for a reason not yet known, it only works with a small selection of Nokia phones. For more on the question of sending ringtones through SMS, see The SMS Ringtones Mystery.
• View a comprehensive list of phones and the ringtone formats that they accept

Which formats are used by the other brands of phones, like Ericsson and Siemens?
They use proprietary formats. Refer to your user's manual for the proper method for entering ringtones with these phones.

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Glad you found that information? Have friends who need better ringtones? Let them know, email them our ringtones page!

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