Dual-SIM is strictly an Android phone feature. Apple does not have an iPhone that supports dual-SIM and it doesn’t seem like it ever will. To some, dual-SIMs might seem like a crazy requirement but for a lot of people this is a make-or-break feature. Imagine owning one phone but having two different numbers, a personal one and a work assigned one. You’re either going to have to carry two phones, or get a phone that supports two SIMS. If you own a dual-SIM phone you might need to know which SIM/number you’re receiving a call on and the easiest way to differentiate that is to set a different ringtone for each SIM.
Android has a built-in feature that lets you set a different ringtone for each SIM on your phone. On some phones, depending on which version of Android you’re running, you might have to search for the setting a bit but generally, you can find it under the Sounds setting.
Different Ringtone For Each SIM
Open the Settings app and go to Sound. If you have a ‘Sound & Vibration’ section in your Settings app, go to that instead. Here, look for an option to ‘Set ringtone for each SIM card’. Again, because there are so many different Android phones and they don’t all run the same version of Android, you may not see this particular setting. Instead, you will simply see an option to set a ringtone for SIM1 and one for SIM2.
The screenshot below shows what the sound preference looks like for a Nokia 3 running Android 8. You can simply select a different ringtone for each SIM without having to enable any options.
In some rare cases, this setting may not exist under Sound. Instead, look for a SIM section or go through the options for the Phone settings. Android phone manufacturers often modify Android a bit, add in their own bloatware, and then sell a phone. In doing so, some setting are moved around. If you have trouble finding the option, use the search feature in the Settings app.
Carrier Locked Devices
A carrier locked device that has two SIM slots might restrict you from inserting a second SIM provided by a different carrier. If you do, it may allow you to make calls but not make any other modifications such as this one. Make sure you’ve inserted both SIMs in your phone and that they’re working before you attempt to set a different ringtone for each SIM.
There are some apps in the Google Play Store that claim they can set a different ringtone for each SIM on your phone but you don’t really need them, nor do you need to root your phone. This is a built-in Android feature so avoid using unnecessary third-party apps to enable or customize it.
