Thread: How to make custom Ringtones and delay Voicemail on iPhones

I did not figure these out by myself, I simply Googled it.


How to make custom Ring-Tones for the iPhone

1. Open iTunes (library) and select your favourite MP3 audio file.
2. Right-click (Cmd-click for Macs) on this file in your library to bring up the context menu.
3. Select Get Info
   
   This will open a new dialogue box showing various details about the audio file. Select the Options tab.
4. Check the boxes next to both Start Time and Stop Time and enter the times you want your new ringtone to start and stop (the maximum length is 40 seconds - however I recommend 30 seconds as this is the longest delay allowed before diverting to Voicemail) then click OK. This will return you to your music library.
5. Right-click (Cmd-click) on the same music file again and this time select Convert Selection to AAC.
   iTunes will process this briefly and insert the new ringtone-sized file under the original file in your library.
6. Right-click (Cmd-click) on the newly created file and select: "Show in Windows Explorer (or Finder on a Mac)"

A new dialogue box will open showing you the location of this file. Select the file and rename it, changing the file extension * from ".m4a" to ".m4r". Windows will warn you that this change may make the file unstable, but continue anyway.

Back in iTunes, delete the ringtone file you've created from your library, then import the renamed ".m4r" file into your library. Connect your iPhone and sync your playlist. You may have to manually drag the .m4r file into the Ringtones section on your iPhone. With your iPhone synced this file is now ready to be used as a ringtone.

* If you cannot see the file extension open up Windows Explorer and press the Alt key, and click on Folder Options via the Tools Menu .





Now click on View tab and remove the check from Hide extensions for known file types, and then press OK. (This way you’d be able to see the extensions of the files).



How to delay your iPhone from diverting calls to Voicemail

So you've made yourself a custom ringtone but it keeps diverting to voicemail after a few rings? Here is how to fix it.

Step 1

First, you’ll want to get the number to which your calls are transferred when they are transferred to voicemail. Just dial *#61# and dial it. Your iPhone screen will darken and then some text will appear that says something to the effect of “Service Interrogation Complete”. The voicemail number will be listed there after the "Voice Call Forwarding When Unanswered Forwards to +12345678900. Write the 11 digits down.

Step 2
Next, you’ll dial another sequence to tell the iPhone to wait 30 seconds (the maximum delay that can be set) before transferring unanswered calls to voicemail. Dial *61*12345678900*11*30#, replacing the 11 digits between*61*and*11*30# with the voicemail number you wrote down in the previous step. When you dial this number, the iPhone screen will darken again and tell you that the setting was complete. Note that it won’t tell you the delay that was set.

Now you are all set up with your custom ringtone and 30 seconds to annoy other people on public transport and at the cinema!


** Credit to Joseph Hanlon @ CNet , Scott Lowe @ blog.scotlowe.org and of course Google.