If you’re growing tired of the current ringtones, alarms, and notification sounds on your phone, Google has a treat for you. The only caveat is that you need to own a Pixel phone.
Google Releases New Ringtones Based on the Natural World
Google has released a set of new ringtones, alarms, and notification sounds based on the natural world. TheSound Matterscollection is built around birdsong; sounds that “indicate a vibrant ecosystem”.
There are a total of six new ringtones, six new alarms, and four new notification sounds. They’re all based on birdsong captured during the dawn chorus in Botswana and Zimbabwe during South Africa’s rainy season.
The new ringtones have names such as “Limpopo Riverbed at Dawn” and “Botswana Bushveld at Dawn”. The alarms include “Zimbabwe Hills at Dawn” and “Limpopo Savannah at Dawn”. The notification sounds include “Meyer’s Parrot at Dawn” and “African Fish Eagle at Dawn”.
How to Get Google’s Sound Matters Ringtones on Your Phone
Anyone with a Pixel phone from the Pixel 4 right up tothe new Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro(and including the Pixel Fold) can grab the Sound Matters ringtones. All you need to do is make sure the Sounds app on your phone is updated to version 3.1 or newer.
Once the Sounds app has been updated, open your phone’sSettingsmenu, scroll down toSound and Vibration, and then findPhone Ringtone,Default Notification Sound, orDefault Alarm Sound.
Once you click into any of these menus, find theSound Mattersselection, and click on it. You’ll then find the new birdsong-inspired sounds, and can select each one in turn to preview it and (if you like it) save it.
If I’m honest, I don’t think any of these would be strong enough to make me answer my phone, clear a notification, or wake up in the morning. I tend to need a louder, brasher sound to rouse me from whatever I’m doing, so I tend touse custom ringtones and soundsinstead. But you may prefer softer, more natural sounds.
Why Google Wants You to Know That “Sound Matters”
While users should enjoy trying out these new ringtones and notification sounds, Google has higher ideals in mind here. These sounds are designed to be “different to what most people hear every day, whether living in urban areas or less nature-rich ecosystems.”
In theGoogle Sustainability blog postannouncing the new sounds, Google states that birdsong provides “valuable insights into the health of our environment and the impact of our actions on the natural world.” The company is therefore hoping to “inspire users to connect with nature, appreciate its beauty, and take action to protect it.”
As an aside, Google also links to research suggesting that “listening to the sounds and songs of birds can significantly benefit our mental and emotional wellbeing” and “aid in reducing stress, lowering anxiety, and improving mood”. Which, if true, makes me want to at least try these new sounds.
