How to play ringtone/alarm sound in Android

Question

I have been looking everywhere how to play a ringtone/alarm sound in Android.

I press a button and I want to play a ringtone/alarm sound. I could not find an easy, straightforward sample. Yes, I already looked at Alarm clock source code... but it is not straightforward and I cannot compile it.

I cannot make this work:

Uri alert = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_ALARM); 
mMediaPlayer = new MediaPlayer();
mMediaPlayer.setDataSource(this, alert);
final AudioManager audioManager = (AudioManager)getSystemService(Context.AUDIO_SERVICE);

if (audioManager.getStreamVolume(AudioManager.STREAM_ALARM) != 0) {
    player.setAudioStreamType(AudioManager.STREAM_ALARM);
    player.setLooping(true);
    player.prepare();
    player.start();
}

I get this error:

04-11 17:15:27.638: ERROR/MediaPlayerService(30): Couldn't open fd for
content://settings/system/ringtone

So.. please if somebody knows how to play a default ringtone/alarm let me know.

I prefer not to upload any file. Just play a default ringtone.

score 210 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 19 '11 at 22:17

210

You can simply play a setted ringtone with this:

Uri notification = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION);
Ringtone r = RingtoneManager.getRingtone(getApplicationContext(), notification);
r.play();

answered Dec 19 '11 at 22:17

markov00

3,682
2
24
25

3

I still get an error - Failed to open ringtone content://settings/system/alarm_alert – Bilbo Baggins Feb 10 '13 at 19:19
3

Nice and simple. However, depending on the device, this method may interrupt other sounds (like music) that might be playing in Android. – igordc Nov 24 '13 at 17:46
Using getApplicationContext() might not be a very good option. More info here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9122627/should-i-use-getapplicationcontext-or-activity-this-in-a-long-running-asynctask – Saket Jun 12 '14 at 08:10
@BartSimpson how u resolved issue i m also getting this error – user3233280 Oct 26 '14 at 11:22
I tried this but the sound may get cut off. I used MediaPlayer as igordcard@ answered it worked perfectly. – wyz Mar 11 '15 at 07:15
Ringtone doesn't routed to bluetooth headset :( – Anuj Jain Aug 31 '15 at 10:21
2

Ringtone can not stoppable. If start ringtone again, plays double. stopPrevious not working, by the way I create ringtone player with the same context object, not getapplicationcontext. – Metehan Toksoy Dec 24 '15 at 18:11
may be change context or get system service for ringtone – blackHawk Jun 09 '17 at 14:59
@MetehanToksoy, you have to keep track of the `Ringtone` instance, for example, as a class variable. Then you can do something like `myRingtone.stop()` later on. – wildcat12 Jun 23 '17 at 21:55

score 68 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 21 '14 at 12:25

68

If a user has never set an alarm on their phone, the TYPE_ALARM can return null. You can account for this with:

Uri alert = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_ALARM);

if(alert == null){
    // alert is null, using backup
    alert = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION);

    // I can't see this ever being null (as always have a default notification)
    // but just incase
    if(alert == null) {  
        // alert backup is null, using 2nd backup
        alert = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_RINGTONE);                
    }
}

edited Feb 21 '14 at 12:25

Melquiades

8,496
1
31
46

answered Apr 16 '11 at 14:08

Blundell

75,855
30
208
233

1

The URI returned might not be `null` even though it does not point to a valid sound. You should test the return value of `RingtoneManager.getRingtone()` for `null` instead/as-well – Attila Jan 04 '13 at 18:07
In 2017, not working failing to ring. Do you have it working in recent Android? – Jun 28 '17 at 08:02

score 66 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 24 '13 at 17:46

66

This is the way I've done:

Uri notification = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION);
MediaPlayer mp = MediaPlayer.create(getApplicationContext(), notification);
mp.start();

It is similar to markov00's way, but uses MediaPlayer instead of Ringtone which prevents interrupting other sounds, like music, that might already be playing in the background.

answered Nov 24 '13 at 17:46

igordc

1,525
1
14
20

5

I tried the top answer (ringtone.play) but the sound may get cut off. I used this approach and it worked perfectly. – wyz Mar 11 '15 at 07:16
1

This is a better solution for anyone using any other audio components in their app. – EntangledLoops Aug 12 '15 at 00:11
@YumYumYum, I just tested and it works. I did nothing but put the above code into my setOnClickListner. What did you do? – feature sky Jun 30 '17 at 13:37

score 17 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 11 '10 at 20:37

Your example is basically what I'm using. It never works on the emulator, however, because the emulator doesn't have any ringtones by default, and content://settings/system/ringtone doesn't resolve to anything playable. It works fine on my actual phone.

ulmaxy · Answer 5 · 2017-10-14T06:31:29.927

For the future googlers: use RingtoneManager.getActualDefaultRingtoneUri() instead of RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(). According to its name, it would return the actual uri, so you can freely use it. From documentation of getActualDefaultRingtoneUri():

Gets the current default sound's Uri. This will give the actual sound Uri, instead of using this, most clients can use DEFAULT_RINGTONE_URI.

Meanwhile getDefaultUri() says this:

Returns the Uri for the default ringtone of a particular type. Rather than returning the actual ringtone's sound Uri, this will return the symbolic Uri which will resolved to the actual sound when played.

Kamran Ahmed · Answer 6 · 2015-11-18T02:21:09.087

13

This works fine:

AudioManager audioManager = (AudioManager) getSystemService(Context.AUDIO_SERVICE);
MediaPlayer thePlayer = MediaPlayer.create(getApplicationContext(), RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION));

try {
    thePlayer.setVolume((float) (audioManager.getStreamVolume(AudioManager.STREAM_NOTIFICATION) / 7.0)),
                        (float) (audioManager.getStreamVolume(AudioManager.STREAM_NOTIFICATION) / 7.0)));
} catch (Exception e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

thePlayer.start();

edited Nov 18 '15 at 02:21

answered Sep 13 '13 at 08:43

Kamran Ahmed

7,661
4
30
55

2

Why are you dividing the volume by 7.0 ? Is it a commonly known working value or something you dig out yourself ? – ErGo_404 Oct 22 '13 at 14:30
Something I dug out... :D – Kamran Ahmed Oct 23 '13 at 03:41
Why do you do Float.parseFloat(Double.toString(....))?? Going through a String instance because you want a double->float conversion? Why do you do this? – Zordid Jun 10 '15 at 07:34
1

This part is redundant Uri.parse(RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION)), getDefaultUri() return a URI already, no need to parse it yet into another URI – DritanX Nov 17 '15 at 19:23
1

7 is a max volume for the stram – Leo DroidCoder May 21 '18 at 16:56

score 12 · Answer 7 · edited Feb 22 '22 at 07:36

12

It may be late but there is a new simple solution to this question for who ever wants it.
In kotlin

import android.provider.Settings
val player = MediaPlayer.create(this,Settings.System.DEFAULT_RINGTONE_URI)
player.start()

Above code will play default ringtone but if you want default alarm, change

Settings.System.DEFAULT_RINGTONE_URI

to

Settings.System.DEFAULT_ALARM_ALERT_URI

edited Feb 22 '22 at 07:36

Andreas Haferburg

5,189
3
37
63

answered Aug 02 '20 at 04:37

Reza

845
13
18

1

you save my day! – hamid Mahmoodi Dec 20 '20 at 14:29
Some devices need permissions for Settings.System.DEFAULT_RINGTONE_URI – Yasiru Nayanajith Feb 24 '22 at 13:49

OcuS · Answer 8 · 2010-09-15T17:12:29.583

9

You can push a MP3 file in your /sdcard folder using DDMS, restart the emulator, then open the Media application, browse to your MP3 file, long press on it and select "Use as phone ringtone".

Error is gone!

Edit: same trouble with notification sounds (e.g. for SMS) solved using Ringdroid application

edited Sep 15 '10 at 17:12

answered Sep 15 '10 at 17:06

OcuS

5,320
3
36
45

score 5 · Answer 9 · edited Apr 16 '15 at 11:03

public class AlarmReceiver extends WakefulBroadcastReceiver {

    @Override
    public void onReceive(final Context context, Intent intent) {
        //this will update the UI with message
        Reminder inst = Reminder.instance();
        inst.setAlarmText("");

        //this will sound the alarm tone
        //this will sound the alarm once, if you wish to
        //raise alarm in loop continuously then use MediaPlayer and setLooping(true)
        Uri alarmUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_ALARM);
        if (alarmUri == null) {
            alarmUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_RINGTONE);
        }
        Ringtone ringtone = RingtoneManager.getRingtone(context, alarmUri);
        ringtone.play();

        //this will send a notification message
        ComponentName comp = new ComponentName(context.getPackageName(),
                AlarmService.class.getName());
        startWakefulService(context, (intent.setComponent(comp)));
        setResultCode(Activity.RESULT_OK);
    }
}

where does `AlarmService` come from? – Eduardo Wada Apr 26 '20 at 19:35 — Eduardo Wada, Apr 26 '20 at 19:35

score 3 · Answer 10 · answered Mar 31 '15 at 17:26

You could use this sample code:

Uri ringtoneUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_ALARM);
Ringtone ringtoneSound = RingtoneManager.getRingtone(getApplicationContext(), ringtoneUri)

if (ringtoneSound != null) {
    ringtoneSound.play();
}

score 2 · Answer 11 · answered Oct 05 '10 at 16:56

2

Copying an audio file to the sd card of the emulator and selecting it via media player as the default ringtone does indeed solve the problem.

answered Oct 05 '10 at 16:56

Valentin Klinghammer

1,319
1
13
19

score 1 · Answer 12 · answered Jun 09 '21 at 07:29

You can use the below code;

val ringtoneUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_RINGTONE)
// for alarm
// val ringtoneUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_ALARM)
val ringtoneSound: Ringtone = RingtoneManager.getRingtone(requireContext(), ringtoneUri)
    ringtoneSound.play()

for stop;

ringtoneSound.stop()

score -3 · Answer 13 · edited Oct 22 '14 at 18:00

-3

Here's some sample code:

Uri notification = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION);
MediaPlayer mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer.create(getApplicationContext(), notification);
mediaPlayer.start();

edited Oct 22 '14 at 18:00

lilott8

1,116
2
17
41

answered Jul 16 '14 at 09:12

Nishant

13

Explain the code with a little explanatin, Code only answers are not appreciated. – Sulthan Allaudeen Jul 16 '14 at 09:29
Come on man, you never read the answers above probably. stackoverflow.com/a/20177743/3332634 – yshahak Jul 05 '15 at 08:29
1

This is basically identical with [this answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/20177743), but with the variable name `mediaPlayer` instead of `mp`. – Makyen Jun 30 '18 at 08:04

How to play ringtone/alarm sound in Android

13 Answers13

Linked

Related