How to Set Custom Notification Sound for Specific Contacts on WhatsApp

WhatsApp offers a highly customizable notification system on iOS and Android. Besides system-wide notification settings, you can also set custom notification sounds for specific WhatsApp contacts and groups. Here’s how.

Do you frequently receive irrelevant notifications on WhatsApp? You can always turn off WhatsApp alerts on your phone. But while doing so, you may miss important messages from your friends and family. Instead, you can set a custom notification tone for important contacts on WhatsApp and give them priority attention.

1. Set specific tones for contacts on WhatsApp iOS

First, we are going to show you how to set different notification tones for WhatsApp messages and groups and change the same for specific contacts.

Step 1: Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.

2nd step: Switch to the Settings tab.

Step 3: Select “Notifications”.

Step 4: Open Sound under “Message Notifications” and choose your preferred tone for normal messages.

Step 5: Check “Group notifications” in the same menu and open Sound. Select a relevant tone for WhatsApp groups.

If you find WhatsApp reaction notifications irritating, turn them off from the same menu.

Specific notification tones for WhatsApp contacts

You can set custom notification sound for your loved one or frequently used WhatsApp contacts on iPhone. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone.

2nd step: Open a thread for which you want to set a specific tone.

Step 3: Tap the contact’s name at the top.

Step 4: Select Wallpaper and sound.

Step 5: Tap Alert Tone under “Custom Tone”.

Step 6: Choose a different sound from the next menu.

Unfortunately, you cannot import another tone from your iPhone storage.

WhatsApp groups

You can also set custom notification sound for WhatsApp groups. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open your favorite WhatsApp group.

2nd step: Select the group name at the top to open the info menu.

Step 3: Tap “Wallpaper and sound”.

Step 4: Tap Alert Tone. Choose your favorite WhatsApp group sound from the following menu,

You can mute specific groups from the same info menu and remove clutter from your WhatsApp feed.

2. Set custom sound for contacts and groups on WhatsApp for Android

WhatsApp for Android uses the default notification sound settings for individual contacts and groups. Here’s how you can change them.

Step 1: Long press the WhatsApp app icon and press the “i” button to open the app info menu.

2nd step: Open “Notifications”.

Step 3: It will open all WhatsApp notification channels.

Step 4: Select “Message Notifications” under Chats.

Step 5: Scroll down to Sound and choose another tone from the next menu.

Step 6: Go back to WhatsApp notification channels and open group notifications.

Step 7: Select Sound, and it will open the default sound picker menu on your Android phone.

Step 8: Set a custom tone for all WhatsApp groups.

WhatsApp customization options are elaborate. Here’s how to set custom notification tones for selected contacts and groups in WhatsApp for Android.

Whatsapp contacts

Step 1: Open WhatsApp on your Android.

2nd step: Select your preferred contact and tap the name to open the information menu.

Step 3: Open “Custom notifications”.

Step 4: Check the box next to the “Use custom notifications” option.

Step 5: WhatsApp for Android offers more customization options to choose from. You can change the notification tone, vibration type, and notification light (if your phone supports it) and mark it as priority.

When you set selected notifications as high priority, Android displays notification previews at the top of the screen. The trick ensures that you never miss notifications from important contacts on WhatsApp.

Step 6: You can change the call ringtone and vibrate type for the specific WhatsApp contact from the same menu.

Let’s make the same changes to WhatsApp groups.

WhatsApp groups

Step 1: Head to a WhatsApp group and open the group info menu.

2nd step: Select Custom Notifications and enable them from the next menu.

Step 3: Set a specific notification tone, vibration mode and LED light for a WhatsApp group.

whatsapp for computer

The ability to set a custom notification sound for a specific contact is also available in WhatsApp desktop.

Step 1: Open WhatsApp on your computer.

2nd step: Select a thread and click the contact’s name at the top.

Step 3: Expand the Notification Tone menu and choose a different alert sound.

Manage your WhatsApp notifications like a pro

Based on a notification sound, you can make an educated guess about who is trying to reach you on WhatsApp. You can ignore normal messages or take important messages first and reply.