How to remove music from ringtones on Android: a complete guide

Have you ever encountered a situation where songs from music applications, audiobooks or random ones appear in the list of ringtones on your Android smartphone sound files? This not only clutters the ringtone selection menu, but can also lead to awkward moments - for example, when an excerpt from a podcast or children's song suddenly starts playing instead of the standard ringtone. Unfortunately, Android scans all audio files by default on the device and adds them to the general pool of ringtones, even if they are not intended for this.

In this article we will examine 5 proven ways remove unnecessary music from the list of ringtones - from simple settings in the phone menu to use specialized applications and manual editing of system folders. We will pay special attention to the nuances for different manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, Google Pixel), and will also tell you how to avoid the reappearance of unwanted melodies. If you want only standard signals and specially added ringtones to remain in your list, read on.

Why music appears in ringtones and how it works

System Android automatically indexes audio files in certain folders of the device, assigning tags to them for use as ringtones, notifications or alarms. This process is controlled media scanner (Media Scanner) - a system service that updates the media database every time files are added or deleted. Here are the key points to understand:

• 📁 Standard folders for ringtones: Android searches for audio files in /Ringtones/, /Notifications/, /Alarms/. Files here automatically fall into the appropriate lists.
• 🎵 Arbitrary audio files: Any files with extensions .mp3, .m4a, .ogg in folders /Music/, /Downloads/ or the root directory can also be displayed as ringtones.
• 🔄 Media cache: Even after deleting a file, its record may remain in the database until the device is rebooted or the media storage is forced to be updated.

Interestingly, this behavior is often modified. For example, smartphone manufacturers often modify this behavior. For example, Samsung in the shell One UI scans files more aggressively, and Xiaomi in MIUI can ignore some folders. This explains why on one device the problem is solved by moving the file, but on another additional action is required.

⚠️ Warning: If you use Google Files or other "memory optimizers", they may automatically move audio files to folders that are scanned as ringtones. Check the settings of such applications.

Method 1: Deleting files from standard ringtone folders

The most obvious method is delete or move unnecessary audio files from folders that Android considers ringtone sources. This works for files that you yourself once added as ringtones, but are no longer needed. Here's how to do it:

1. Open any file application (for example, Google Files, Mi File Manager or Samsung My Files).
2. Go to the root directory of the internal memory (not the SD card!) and find the folders:

   /Ringtones/
   /Notifications/
   /Alarms/

3. Hold your finger on unnecessary file → select “Delete” or “Cut”. To move, cut the file and paste it, for example, into /Music/.
4. Reboot the device or update the media storage (more on this below).

If there are no folders /Ringtones/ etc., they could have been created by third-party applications (for example, Zedge or Ringtone Maker). In this case, deleting files from these folders will also help.

Check backups of important audio files

Close all music players

Turn off cloud synchronization (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)

Reboot your phone after deleting-->

⚠️ Attention: Some system ringtones (for example, standard ringtones Samsung or Pixel) are stored in protected folders /system/media/audio/Deleting them without root access can interfere with their operation. OS.

Method 2: Renaming files to exclude from scanning

If you do not want to delete the file completely (for example, it is an important recording), but it is not needed for ringtones, you can rename its extension. Android ignores files that it does not recognize as audio. Do the following:

1. In the file manager, find the problematic audio file (for example, song.mp3).
2. Rename it, replacing the extension with .bak, .old or .txt. Example: song.mp3 → song.mp3.bak.
3. Update media storage (see Method 4) or restart the phone.

The advantage of this method is that the file remains in place and can be easily returned by simply renaming it back. This is especially convenient for temporarily hiding files.

Original extension	New extension	Effect
.mp3	.mp3.bak	The file will disappear from the ringtones, but will remain in memory
.m4a	.m4a.old	Similarly, suitable for files from iTunes
.ogg	.ogg.disable	Works for open audio formats
.wav	.wav.hidden	Hides even unprocessed audio files

If you later decide to return the file to ringtones, simply remove the added extension (for example song.mp3.bak → song.mp3) and update the media storage.

Method 3: Using the .nomedia file

File .nomedia — this a universal way to hide a folder from the Android media scanner. If you place such a file in a folder, the system will ignore all audio and video files inside it. This is an ideal solution if you have a whole folder with music that you do not need to display in ringtones.

How to create and apply .nomedia:

1. Open a file manager (for example, Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer), which can create hidden files.
2. Go to the folder you want to hide (for example, /Music/Podcasts/).
3. Create a new file named .nomedia (note the dot at the beginning!). The file must be empty.
4. Restart the device or update the media storage (see Method 4).

After this, all audio files in this folder (and its subfolders) will no longer be displayed in ringtones, gallery and other media applications. This method works. on all versions of Android and does not require root access.

⚠️ Attention: The file .nomedia hides all media in a folder, including images and videos. If you need to hide only audio, use Method 2 (renaming).

Method 4: Forced update of the media storage

After deleting, renaming files or adding .nomedia the changes may not be applied immediately. This happens because Android caches information about media files. media storage. Here's how to do it:

• 🔄 Restart the device: The easiest way is to simply turn off and turn on the phone. When starting, the system will automatically update the media database.
• 📱 Through settings: On some devices (for example Xiaomi) there is an option "Clear media storage" in Settings → Applications → All applications → Media storage → Clear cache.
• 🤖 Via ADB (for advanced users): Connect the phone to the PC and run the command:

  adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE -d file:///sdcard/

On devices with Android 10+ you can also use the application Rescan Media from Google Play, which sends a signal to the media scanner to re-index the files. convenient if you often work with audio files.

Once a week

Once a month

Very rarely

Never noticed a problem -->

If after all the manipulations the files are still displayed in ringtones, check if they are synchronized from the cloud storage (for example Google Drive or Mi CloudIn this case, you need to delete them from the cloud too.

Method 5: Using third-party applications

If manual methods do not help or you need more flexible ringtone management, you can use specialized applications. They allow you not only to delete unnecessary ringtones, but also to create your own categories, set priorities and even block scanning of certain folders.

Top 3 applications for managing ringtones:

• 🎛️ Ringtone Maker (Ice Cold Apps): Allows you to trim audio files and assign them as ringtones, notifications or alarms. There is a function for hiding unnecessary files from the list.
• 🔍 Ringtone Picker Fix (jarsilio): Fixes problems with displaying ringtones on custom firmware and blocks scanning of certain folders.
• 📂 File Manager + (Smart File Manager): Includes a tool for creating .nomedia and managing system audio files (requires permissions).

Example of working with Ringtone Maker:

1. Install the application from Google Play.
2. Open it and go to the "My ringtones" section.
3. Find an unnecessary file → click on the three dots → select "Remove from ringtones" (the file will remain on the device, but will disappear from the list selection).

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (for example, Zedge) themselves add their ringtones to the system list. After deleting them, you may need to clear the cache of the Media Storage application in the Android settings.

How to prevent the reappearance of unnecessary ringtones

To prevent the problem from returning, follow these recommendations:

• 📥 Control downloads: Set up your browser and instant messengers (for example, Telegram or WhatsApp) to save audio files in a separate folder (for example, /Downloads/Audio/), and not in the root directory.
• 🎵 Use specialized folders: Store music in /Music/, podcasts - in /Podcasts/, and ringtones - only in /Ringtones/. Add .nomedia to folders that should not be scanned.
• ⚙️ Set up cloud synchronization: In Google Drive, Dropbox or Mi Cloud disable automatic downloading of audio files or configure exceptions for specific folders.

On devices with Android 12+ there is a hidden setting that allows you to disable scanning of audio files in certain folders via ADB. To do this, run the command:

adb shell settings put global media_scanner_behavior_exclusions "Music,Downloads"

This command will exclude folders Music i Downloads from media scanning. To return to standard behavior, use:

adb shell settings delete global media_scanner_behavior_exclusions

If you often work with audio files, consider using advanced file files managers (for example, Mixplorer or FX File Explorer), which allow you to configure file hiding rules without creating .nomedia.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about deleting music from ringtones

Is it possible to delete standard Android ringtones (for example, "Over the Horizon" on Samsung)?

Without root access, it is impossible to delete built-in ringtones, since they are stored in the system folder /system/media/audio/, which is protected from changes. However, you can hide themby installing a third-party application for managing ringtones (for example, Ringtone Picker Fix) and disabling the display of system ringtones in its settings.

After deleting the files, they reappear in the ringtones. What should I do?

This happens due to synchronization with the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) or automatic recovery files by some applications (for example, Google Photos can recover deleted audio files from the recycle bin). Solution:

1. Check the trash in the file manager and cloud services.
2. Disable automatic synchronization for audio files in cloud settings.
3. Use .nomedia in the folders from which files are restored.

How to delete ringtones added by the Zedge application?

The application Zedge creates its own folder with ringtones (usually /Zedge/ or /Ringtones/Zedge/). To remove them:

1. Delete the application itself Zedge via Settings → Applications.
2. In the file manager, find and delete the folder /Zedge/.
3. Clear the application cache "Multimedia storage" (see Method 4).

If the ringtones remain, check the folder /Ringtones/ for files with the prefix zedge_.

Is it possible to return a deleted ringtone if needed?

Yes, if you:

• Deleted a file within the last 30 days - check the trash in the file manager or cloud storage.
• Renamed the extension - just return the original extension (for example, song.mp3.bak → song.mp3) and update the media storage.
• Used .nomedia —delete this file from the folder.

If the file is permanently deleted, try restoring it using applications like DiskDigger or Recuva (this will require root or a connection to a PC).

Why don't methods with .nomedia work on Xiaomi?

On devices Xiaomi with a shell MIUI the media scanner sometimes ignores the file .nomedia due to manufacturer optimizations. Alternative solutions:

1. Move audio files to a folder /MIUI/sound_recorder/ —it is excluded from scanning by default.
2. Use the application MIUI Hidden Settings (requires permissions) to manually add the folder to the media scanner blacklist.
3. Disable the "Music Recommendations" function in Settings → Sound and vibration.