iOS 17 adds new iPhone ringtones for the first time in years

(Image credit: Apple)

iPHONE 15: What you need to know

Teaser image for Apple Wonderlust event — (Image credit: Apple)

- Apple Event - LIVE reaction
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro /iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2
- iOS 17
- watchOS 10

Apple's iOS 17 update is almost here and the months-long beta program is nearly done and dusted. The Release Candidate beta is now in the hands of testers, and while there isn't an awful lot new in this release Apple has surprised everyone with a big new addition.

More specifically, there are more than 20 new additions after Apple added new ringtones to the iPhone for the first time in years. In fact, it's a decade since any real changes to Apple's ringtone options with iOS 7.

With Apple launching the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro families of devices owners of older models will be pleased to know that they won't have to buy the best iPhones just to get new ringtones — they'll be available for all models capable of running iOS 17 as of September 18.

New ringtones, refreshed old ones

The new additions include such names as Canopy, Chalet, Chirp, Shelter, Unfold, and Valley but you won't have to choose one of them to benefit from something fresh. Alongside the more than 20 new ringtones Apple has also refreshed some of the old ones as well, making them sound better than ever.

iOS 17 RC add some new ringtones finally pic.twitter.com/0XnErpBKUCSeptember 12, 2023

The new ringtones join a slew of other improvements in iOS 17 including StandBy mode, NameDrop, and more. The update will be available for the iPhone XR and newer and will be preinstalled on the new iPhones when they go on sale on September 22.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event news and reactions now that Wonderlust is over. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.