iPhone "Default" Ring Tone for People NOT in my Address Book?

[Mork]

I can't seem to find how to do this and I find it hard to believe something so basic isn't in iOS, but I would like to have a "default ring tone" for anyone who calls who is not in my iPhone's address book.

The only "solution" I've seen (not) is to manually assign ring tones to the hundreds of people in my address book (one at a time....seriously?).

Am I the only one who would like to know based on the ring tone if it's someone who is in my address book? Seems like a simple thing.

I would upgrade to a new iPhone for just this feature (but not a huge new display).

A "default" ring tone for people not in my address book. Simple, right?

Thanks in advance,

- m

 

[rorschach]

In addition to this, I'd also like to have the ability to set ringtones for contact groups as well as for the Favorites list.

 

[Armen]

I can't seem to find how to do this and I find it hard to believe something so basic isn't in iOS, but I would like to have a "default ring tone" for anyone who calls who is not in my iPhone's address book.

The only "solution" I've seen (not) is to manually assign ring tones to the hundreds of people in my address book (one at a time....seriously?).

Am I the only one who would like to know based on the ring tone if it's someone who is in my address book? Seems like a simple thing.

I would upgrade to a new iPhone for just this feature (but not a huge new display).

A "default" ring tone for people not in my address book. Simple, right?

Thanks in advance,

- m

I understand what you are asking but if a contact is NOT in your address book where exactly is iOS supposed to store that Ringtone? Ringtones are stored as data for a contact when you assign one.

 

[rorschach]

I understand what you are asking but if a contact is NOT in your address book where exactly is iOS supposed to store that Ringtone? Ringtones are stored as data for a contact when you assign one.

It wouldn't be attached to a contact. It would be a ringtone that plays if the caller is not in your Contacts.

 

[Armen]

It wouldn't be attached to a contact. It would be a ringtone that plays if the caller is not in your Contacts.

That's what I'm saying. Where do you store a custom ringtone for someone who doesn't exist?

The way it works now iOS cross checks a caller's number with your contacts and will play a custom ringtone if that contact record has one assigned. There is no "no contact" contact record so not sure how that would be implemented.

 

[Paco II]

Odds are there are very few who feel the same way. Apple's approach is that you will give important people a custom ring tone. If everyone in your address book is important, give them all custom ringtones.

Am I the only one who would like to know based on the ring tone if it's someone who is in my address book? Seems like a simple thing.

 

[Mork]

Odds are there are very few who feel the same way. Apple's approach is that you will give important people a custom ring tone. If everyone in your address book is important, give them all custom ringtones.

Maybe a use-case would help here. I doubt I'm in the minority.

Say you're working on an important project, in the car, or wherever. Your phone rings. Do you need to get up and answer it? Or, do you need to even worry about it if you're working on something else?

Unfortunately, you have my posting exactly backwards. I don't care about spending hours or days assigning ringtones (that I'd then have to .. remember) to my hundreds of contacts. Just the opposite. I want to assign a ring tone for all the hundreds of people who call me I might not need to talk to right now (not in my address book).

Thinking of the address book as a "database", which it is, this type of query could be done like this (simply, but pseudo code here):

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM CONTACTS WHERE CONTACT_PHONE WHERE != <PHONE_NUMBER_CURRENTLY_CALLING>

If this returns zero, viola, the caller is not in the contact list and then please play a custom ring tone.

Had Apple thought of this, I'm sure everyone would think it's great.

Why this obvious use-case is not handled remains a mystery.

Appreciate your reply.

- m

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Why would going into Settings, Sounds and assigning a ringtone you want anyone NOT assigned a custom ringtone to have not work for you?

I have a certain tone assigned to all family members, another for coworkers and a few individuals that have their own and everybody else gets the set in settings ringtone.

 

[Alrescha]

Why this obvious use-case is not handled remains a mystery.

It's always obvious to the person who wants it.

My solution is somewhat different. My default ringtone is an mp3 of silence. For the handful of people that I truly care about, I have assigned custom ringtones. Everyone else just vibrates. Life is peaceful

A.

 

[Mork]

Why would going into Settings, Sounds and assigning a ringtone you want anyone NOT assigned a custom ringtone to have not work for you?

I have a certain tone assigned to all family members, another for coworkers and a few individuals that have their own and everybody else gets the set in settings ringtone.

View attachment 608446

In my case, I have a couple hundred entries of people I know at least somewhat - who are in my address book. I get a lot of junk calls, but never from people in my address book. So, by your idea, which i see works for you fine, I would have to assign, manually, a ring tone to all 200 or so entries in my address book. Yikes! I don't want to have to decide which of each of the 200 deserves his own ring tone or whether I would just ignore the call.

Having a definable ring tone for someone not in the address book solves this automatically. Then, you don't have to do anything, but of course you could still assign another ring tone manually to anyone if you want.

Also, someone else mentioned being able to assign a ring tone to groups and such. I hadn't thought of that, but that sounds like a great idea too.

As it is now, I would have to manage my address book and remember to assign a ring tone for every entry I add, that is, after I spend a several hours or more assigning ring tones initially to all the entries in the book. Yuck.

All I'm wishing were there, granted it's not, is that there were more default behavior options.

Thanks for your reply.

- m

 

[Mork]

It wouldn't be attached to a contact. It would be a ringtone that plays if the caller is not in your Contacts.

Agreed.

We're talking about programmatic capability behind the scenes where all is possible, not in the phone book interface in iOS that the user sees. Apple programmers could easily determine whether the phone number calling is in the phone book...it's just a quick programmatic, behind the scenes, database lookup.

Then, via the new phone book setting ("ringtone for entries not in address book", or whatever), that ring tone would sound.

- m

 

[Paco II]

Your use case makes sense. But it's so atypical that Apple did not implement it. If Apple implemented every setting and feature people wanted, it would be a mess.

 

[Alrescha]

All I'm wishing were there, granted it's not, is that there were more default behavior options.

Actually, Do Not Disturb has an exception for "All Contacts", so you could implement this yourself. Of course you may not want to leave DND enabled all the time, but it's a start.

A.

 

[rorschach]

That's what I'm saying. Where do you store a custom ringtone for someone who doesn't exist?

The way it works now iOS cross checks a caller's number with your contacts and will play a custom ringtone if that contact record has one assigned. There is no "no contact" contact record so not sure how that would be implemented.

I'm not sure what you're saying here.

This would be new functionality programmed into iOS. It has nothing to do with assigning a ringtone to a contact. A call comes in, iOS checks if the number is attached to a contact. If it isn't, it plays the ringtone you've set in Sounds settings to play in that case.

It would be implemented by adding a new setting under "Sounds" in the Settings app.

 

[rorschach]

Your use case makes sense. But it's so atypical that Apple did not implement it. If Apple implemented every setting and feature people wanted, it would be a mess.

I don't think it's that atypical. You can change the sounds played for Tweets and Facebook Posts; how many people actually change those?

 

[Paco II]

The inclusion of settings for Facebook and Twitter don't change the fact that the OP's use case is atypical. Their data probably showed that custom ringtones for contacts are what most people need/want so that's what they built out.

I don't think it's that atypical. You can change the sounds played for Tweets and Facebook Posts; how many people actually change those?

 

[Yptcn]

I actually think it would be a great feature !

Have a silent tone for spam calls but it's not very useful as those calls are rarely from a same number .

 

[dk001]

Your use case makes sense. But it's so atypical that Apple did not implement it. If Apple implemented every setting and feature people wanted, it would be a mess.

This request has been around for a few years. Usually it is "Silent" unless in Contacts.
I have a default ringtone and assign ringtones to any Contact ... I used to. It has unfortunately been a crap shoot over the years hoping that an iOS upgrade/update won't bork the settings .. has happened all too frequently.
Anyway, I for one would like to see that. It would alleviate the work I do to keep my Contacts set.

Love to see it for Groups too.

 

[DomC]

Actually, Do Not Disturb has an exception for "All Contacts", so you could implement this yourself. Of course you may not want to leave DND enabled all the time, but it's a start.

I thought this might be a good idea but I was surprised to find that although ringtones work for Contacts, text tones do not. I wonder why. Almost seems like maybe a bug fro one to work but not the other.

 

[C DM]

I thought this might be a good idea but I was surprised to find that although ringtones work for Contacts, text tones do not. I wonder why. Almost seems like maybe a bug fro one to work but not the other.

Do not disturb is set up to basically disable all sounds/vinrations from notifications with calls being the only exception for those that want/choose that.

 

[NoBoMac]

What C DM and others have said re: do not disturb.

I mentioned in a different thread how I DnD 24/7 during election season to filter out political calls. I maintain a contacts group that is just friends and family and the odd other contact or two of import. Up in the morning, turn on DnD and set the allow to this special group. Nights, change to favorites (family only and a couple of VIP friends).

Yeah, not as easy as having a dedicated option for "not in contacts tone", but it is what it is. But as Paco II said, adding every feature, no matter how obvious to a user, would become a mess. In this example, say I don't want a tone for ignoreable calls, just mute it, and don't make me download/make a silent tone. Oh and: in this case, don't stop playing my music/streaming audio/podcast when no contact calling. But if call coming from a list of acceptable area codes, treat as important, since friends/family in those area codes might be important call. Etc. The UI to implement all the variations gets darn ugly (see: Google Voice and trying to configure their plethora of options regarding how/when to ring, screen, outgoing vm message).

ADD: link to feedback to Apple. Suggest your option/idea.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

 

[dk001]

What C DM and others have said re: do not disturb.

I mentioned in a different thread how I DnD 24/7 during election season to filter out political calls. I maintain a contacts group that is just friends and family and the odd other contact or two of import. Up in the morning, turn on DnD and set the allow to this special group. Nights, change to favorites (family only and a couple of VIP friends).

Yeah, not as easy as having a dedicated option for "not in contacts tone", but it is what it is. But as Paco II said, adding every feature, no matter how obvious to a user, would become a mess. In this example, say I don't want a tone for ignoreable calls, just mute it, and don't make me download/make a silent tone. Oh and: in this case, don't stop playing my music/streaming audio/podcast when no contact calling. But if call coming from a list of acceptable area codes, treat as important, since friends/family in those area codes might be important call. Etc. The UI to implement all the variations gets darn ugly (see: Google Voice and trying to configure their plethora of options regarding how/when to ring, screen, outgoing vm message).

ADD: link to feedback to Apple. Suggest your option/idea.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Have reached back to Apple. When you have a significant sized Contacts file this issue becomes more problematic. iOS doesn't even handle Groups well.

 

[Stood_Slar]

...I get a lot of junk calls, but never from people in my address book.

- m

I too get WAY too many spam calls. I'm in Canada. The bulk of them are spoofed USA numbers from all over.

I would greatly appreciate exactly what More (?$ asked for - a distinct call for all number s NOT in my address book. My address book has revolved over almost 20 years from early Mac days and contains a couple thousand contacts. There is no practice way to assign ringtones to all of them.

I figure if iPhone knows when a call is from contact, it could also assign a ring when it knows the number is NOT in there.

 

[danfl75]

I too get WAY too many spam calls.
...
I figure if iPhone knows when a call is from contact, it could also assign a ring when it knows the number is NOT in there.

Me too, and it's happening to everyone I know, SPAM has become really, really bad very quickly this year due to VoIP. Apple needs to help it's customers and soon!

The other programmatic way to handle this would be to assign a distinctive ring to All contacts at once. Then you can reset the special ones. But I like the options requested above better: set all not in address book and also set distinctive rings on contact groups. What I want is to set all calls from non-contacts to not ring at all, just vibrate, but others may want nothing but vmail notification.

 

[Paco II]

Slightly OT, but related to this piece of the posting, I am glad carriers are starting to take initiative. The Call Protect app that AT&T offers is fantastic in both preventing spam calls, as well as making me aware of potentially spam and telemarketer calls.

Me too, and it's happening to everyone I know, SPAM has become really, really bad very quickly this year due to VoIP. Apple needs to help it's customers and soon!...