iOS 5 to sell text alert tones through iTunes

OneMoreThing... · Jun 8, 2011

iOS 5 to sell text alert tones through iTunes

The beta version of iOS 5 includes a new feature that lets you buy ringtones for alert messages, and is just one of the 200 new features that are to debut in the new operating system.

The ringtone option is found in the settings menu under the sounds. Users select any of the available alerts like Text Tone, New Voicemail, or New Mail to see a list of available sounds. You can choose from any of the default sounds as well as "Buy More Tones." Clicking on the "Buy More Tones" button in iOS 5 launches the Ringtones Store within iTunes.

This feature and others like it were apparently too small for Jobs and other Apple luminaries to mention in the Monday WWDC keynote. Expect to see more of these little gems surface over the next weeks as developers begin diving into the beta release of iOS 5.

iOS 5 to sell text alert tones through iTunes originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shikarnov · Jun 8, 2011

It's about time. I love Apple products, but sometimes they miss the boat. And custom SMS tones was a mighty big boat to miss.

Leukeh · Jun 8, 2011

Shikarnov said:
It's about time. I love Apple products, but sometimes they miss the boat. And custom SMS tones was a mighty big boat to miss.

Indeed. They've been customisable since they days of the Nokia 3310! I was pretty shocked when I first got my iPhone and realised I couldn't do it without jailbreaking...

a.j.c. · Jun 8, 2011

I messed around with my friends iPhone 4 running iOS 5 for about a half hour

I must have missed this

Chris H. · Jun 9, 2011

I edited a few of my contacts on my iPod touch today...changed their ringtone (I believe this affects what the ringtone sounds like in FaceTime when they call you) and saw the Buy More Ringtones. I was like "whoa! Where'd this come from?"

a.j.c. · Jun 9, 2011

Chris H. said:
I edited a few of my contacts on my iPod touch today...changed their ringtone (I believe this affects what the ringtone sounds like in FaceTime when they call you) and saw the Buy More Ringtones. I was like "whoa! Where'd this come from?"

But was the feature active for purchase?

We say that as well but couldn't make any purchases

Chris H. · Jun 9, 2011

a.j.c. said:
But was the feature active for purchase?

We say that as well but couldn't make any purchases

I wasn't near a Wifi hotspot so I didn't try it out.

However, today I went into Settings>Sounds>Ringtones>Buy More Ringtones and it gave me a list of ringtones in the iTunes Store. I'm tempted to buy one, though I don't have anymore store credit or a credit card on file. $1.29 isn't too bad, is it?

baggss · Jun 9, 2011

Chris H. said:
I edited a few of my contacts on my iPod touch today...changed their ringtone (I believe this affects what the ringtone sounds like in FaceTime when they call you) and saw the Buy More Ringtones. I was like "whoa! Where'd this come from?"

The whole individual contacts ringtones has been around for a while on iOS 4. The kink to "Buy More Tones" has been in the sounds Ringtone menu as well.

I do like the SMS and Mail sounds getting this though.

Stretch · Jun 9, 2011

I think it's ridiculous that for a quick short text ringtone, its ¢99 or whatever. I can add custom ringtones through iTunes, why not text ringtones too?

baggss · Jun 9, 2011

Stretch said:
I think it's ridiculous that for a quick short text ringtone, its ¢99 or whatever. I can add custom ringtones through iTunes, why not text ringtones too?

How do you know you won't be able to?

Stretch · Jun 9, 2011

You can't as of right now.