Where are the standard sounds stored in Android: paths to system ringtones and ways to extract them

Android system sounds are an integral part of the user experience, from alarms and notifications to charging tones and screen locks. But what if you need to extract the original melody, replace it, or simply find out where it is stored? Unlike user files, standard sounds are hidden deep in system folders, and access to them depends on the OS version, device manufacturer, and even the presence of root access.

Many users encounter a problem: files are not displayed in the standard Explorer, and attempts to copy them through ADB end with permission errors. In this article we will look at system sounds (including hidden directories), methods for extracting them without root and with root, as well as the nuances of working with proprietary sound packages from manufacturers. We will pay special attention to the differences between all possible paths to system sounds (including hidden directories Samsung, Xiaomi, Google Pixel), ways to extract them without root and with root, as well as the nuances of working with proprietary sound packages from manufacturers. We will pay special attention to the differences between Android 10-14 and older versions, where the folder structure is fundamentally different.

If you are looking for a specific sound (for example, a standard ringtone Nokia on Samsung Galaxy or melody alarm clock Pixel), at the end of the article there is FAQ with direct paths for popular brands. And for those who want to better understand the mechanics of how system sounds work, we have added technical details - from the file format (.ogg, .mp3) to the priority of downloading melodies.

1. Standard paths to system sounds in Android

In "pure" Android (for example, on devices Google Pixel or Android One), system sounds are stored in protected sections that are inaccessible without special rights. Main directories:

• 📁 /system/media/audio/ — main folder with all categories of sounds. Here are subfolders for ringtonesnotifications, alarms and system signals.
• 🔊 /system/product/media/audio/ - an alternative path on devices with separation of system and vendor files (starting from Android 10).
• 📱 /vendor/overlay/ - here manufacturers (for example, Samsung or OnePlus) can override standard sounds with their own proprietary ones.

Inside these folders you will find a standard structure:

/system/media/audio/
├── alarms/ # Alarms
├── notifications/ # Notifications
├── ringtones/ # Ringtones
├── ui/ # System sounds (unlocking, charging, etc.)
└── ...

Important: On devices with with custom shells (for example, MIUI, One UI, ColorOS), the paths may differ. For example, in Xiaomi sounds are often duplicated in /miui/overlay/, and in Samsung - in /system/priv-app/SecSettings/.

2. How to access system sounds without root

Even without rights. superuser, there are several ways to extract standard ringtones. Let's consider them in order of effectiveness:

Method 1: Through ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

This is the most reliable method for devices without root. You will need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Platform Tools (or a terminal on Android itself with support ADB).
• 📱 Enabled USB debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About phone → Build number - tap 7 times).

Steps to extract sounds:

1. Connect the device to the PC and run the command:

   adb pull /system/media/audio/ ~/Desktop/android_sounds/

   This will copy all system sounds to a folder android_sounds on the desktop.

2. If the path is not found, try alternative directories:

   adb pull /system/product/media/audio/

3. For a specific category (for example, only ringtones):

   adb pull /system/media/audio/ringtones/ ~/Desktop/ringtones/

Install Platform Tools on the PC|Enable USB debugging on the phone|Connect the phone to the PC via cable|Check the connection with the command adb devices|Create a folder to save sounds-->

Method 2: Via file manager with support for root access

Applications like FX File Explorer, Solid Explorer or Root Browser can show system files if you have root. But even without it, some managers (for example, MiXplorer) can work with ADB directly:

• 📂 Open the manager, go to ADB or Root mode.
• 🔍 Enter the path /system/media/audio/ manually.
• 📋 Copy the necessary files to the user folder (for example, /sdcard/Download/).

Method 3: Through backup (TWRP)

If custom recovery is installed on your device TWRP, you can create a backup partition /system and extract sounds from the image:

1. Boot into TWRP (usually Power + Volume Up).
2. Select Backup → System and create a backup.
3. Connect your phone to the PC and copy the file backup (usually in the format .tar or .img).
4. Unzip the image and find the folder /system/media/audio/.

adb shell
su
chmod 755 /system/media/audio/

3. Features of sounds on devices of different brands

Manufacturers often modify standard Android sounds by adding their own ringtones or changing file paths Below are the key differences for popular ones. brands:

On Samsung devices, sounds in the format .qmg are not reproduced by standard players. To extract them, you will need to convert them through tools like Samsung QMG Converter or manual extraction from APK.

Example for Samsung:

To get a branded ringtone Over the Horizon, do:

1. Download APK SecSettings.apk from firmware of your model (for example, from the site SamMobile).
2. Rename the file to SecSettings.zip and unpack.
3. The sounds will be in the folder res/raw/.

4. Extracting sounds from the firmware (for advanced)

If you do not have physical access to the device or ADB does not work, you can extract sounds directly from the firmware file (.zip or .img). This method is suitable for creating custom firmware or restoring deleted files.

Step 1: Download the firmware

Firmware for most devices can be found on official websites:

• 🌐 Google Pixel: Google Factory Images
• 🌐 Samsung: SamMobile
• 🌐 Xiaomi: MIUI Downloads

Step 2: Unpack the firmware

Firmware is usually an archive with files system.img, vendor.img and others. You will need:

• 📦 Tool 7-Zip or WinRAR for extraction .zip.
• 🛠️ Utility simg2img for conversion system.img to system.ext4 (if the image is in sparse format).
• 🗄️ app DiskInternals Linux Reader or Ext4 Explorer to mount the image.

Example commands for conversion:

simg2img system.img system.ext4
mkdir /mnt/system
sudo mount -o loop system.ext4 /mnt/system

After this you can copy sounds from /mnt/system/media/audio/.

Step 3: Alternative - extract from OTA updates

If you have an OTA update file (.zip), you can unzip it and find the sounds in the folder system/new.dat.br (this will require a tool payload_dumper).

brotli -d system.new.dat.br -o system.new.dat

sdat2img.py system.transfer.list system.new.dat system.img

5. Replacing standard sounds (with and without root)

If you want to replace the system sound with your own file, there are several ways - from simple (without root) to complex (with firmware modification).

Without root:

• 🎵 Use apps like Zedge or Ringtone Makerto set a custom ringtone as a notification/ringtone. This will not replace system files, but will bypass them.
• 📲 On some devices (for example, Samsung) you can replace sounds. via Settings → Sounds and vibration → Device sounds.

With root:

1. Copy your sound file (in format .ogg or .mp3) to the appropriate folder (for example /system/media/audio/ringtones/).
2. Set the correct permissions:

   adb shell
   su
   chmod 644 /system/media/audio/ringtones/my_ringtone.ogg
   chown root:root /system/media/audio/ringtones/my_ringtone.ogg

3. Reboot your device.

Via Magisk (without full root):

If you have Magiskinstalled, you can use replacement modules sounds:

• 📦 Download a module like Audio Modification Library from the repository Magisk.
• 🔧 Place your sound files in the module folder (usually /sdcard/Download/AudioMod/).
• 🔄 Reboot - the module will automatically replace the system sounds.

6. Problems and solutions when working with sounds

When extracting or replacing system sounds, users often encounter typical errors:

Problem 1: Files are not copied via ADB ("Permission denied")

Solutions:

• 🔓 Try to temporarily get root via Magisk or SuperSU.
• 📥 Extract sounds from the firmware (see. section 4).
• 🔄 On some devices, remounting /system into recording mode helps:

  adb shell
  su
  mount -o rw,remount /system

Problem 2: Sounds in the format .qmg (Samsung) are not played.

Format .qmg is a proprietary format Samsungused to compress sounds. To convert it:

1. Download the utility Samsung QMG Converter (available on GitHub).
2. Start the conversion:

   qmg_converter input.qmg output.mp3

Problem 3: After replacing the sound, it is not applied

Possible reasons:

• 🔄 The device was not rebooted (required after replacing the system files!).
• 📛 Incorrect file permissions (must be 644 and owner root:root).
• 🔒 The shell reset sounds (for example, MIUI after an update).

Problem 4: There is no folder in the firmware /system/media/audio/

On new devices (Android 10+) sounds can be: data-i="246">u

• 📁 B /product/media/audio/.
• 📁 B /apex/com.android.media/ (for example, on Pixel 6).
• 📁 Inside the APK (for example, SecSettings.apk at Samsung).

7. FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Android system sounds

/system/media/audio/ringtones/Basic_tone.ogg

/system/priv-app/SecSettings/res/raw/basic_tone.ogg

/miui/overlay/media/audio/alarms/Morning_Flower.ogg

/system/media/audio/miui/alarms/