Can you change Instagram’s notification sound?

A number of users are frustrated about the new Instagram notifications sound, wondering if there’s a way to change it.

In February 2025, Instagram’s new notification sound on iOS sparked a wave of frustration among users, with many taking to platforms like Reddit, X, and TikTok to vent their annoyance.

The updated sound has been compared to everything from a Teams meeting ping to a checkout counter alert or even an Android default sound. If you’re wondering whether there’s a way to change it, here’s everything you need to know.

Can we change the Instagram notification sound?

Unfortunately, Instagram does not currently allow users to change the notification sound within the app. This means you’re stuck with the default notification tone provided by Instagram after the latest update.

While some users have suggested changing the notification tone via the iPhone’s settings, this only affects general system notifications and not app-specific sounds like those from Instagram.

For instance, going to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone on iOS will allow you to set a new sound for text messages, but it won’t alter the sound Instagram uses for DMs or other alerts.

Unsplash: Souvik Banerjee

How to mute Instagram notifications

If the new sound is bothering you, you can mute Instagram notifications instead. Just do as follows:

1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
2. Tap the More menu (three lines in the top-right corner).
3. Select Settings and then click on Notifications.
4. From the left-hand menu, choose Push Notifications.
5. Turn off specific notifications, like direct messages, or disable all notifications entirely.

By muting notifications, you won’t hear the new sound, but you’ll need to check the app manually to stay updated.

Until Instagram introduces an option for customizing notification sounds, users will have to either adapt to the new tone or silence notifications altogether.

For more tips on using Instagram, you can check out our other guides, including how to add more than 10 photos to an Instagram post and how to make money on Instagram.