How to Change the New Message Notification Sound in Windows 10

To change the Windows 10 sound for a new message, open the classic Sound dialog, select New Text Message Notification under Program Events, choose a different sound, and select Apply. You can use a built-in Windows tone or browse to a WAV file. This changes the sound assigned to that Windows event; an app that plays its own alert may keep using its own sound.

Open the classic Sound dialog

In Windows 10, select Start > Settings > System > Sound, then select More sound settings. Depending on your Windows 10 version, the link may be labeled Sound Control Panel. Either route opens the older Sound dialog that contains event-by-event sound controls. You can also type Change system sounds in the taskbar search box and open the matching Control Panel result.

In the Sound dialog, select the Sounds tab. Under Program Events, expand Windows if needed and look for New Text Message Notification. The list can vary with the Windows sound scheme and version. Select the event once; the current sound appears in the Sounds box below the list.

If that event is not listed, this dialog cannot assign a separate tone to it on your current setup. Check the messaging app’s own notification settings instead. Do not assume that the similarly named Notification event controls every app; the app must use that Windows event for its sound to change.

Choose and save a new message sound

1. Select New Text Message Notification in Program Events.
2. To use a Windows tone, open the Sounds list and choose an option. Select No Sounds if you want this event to be silent.
3. Select Test to preview the selected sound through your current audio output.
4. Select Apply to save the event change, then select OK to close the dialog.

Testing is only a preview; it does not save your choice by itself. If you are changing several events, you can use Save As to save a named sound scheme. Avoid changing the whole Sound Scheme when you only want to change one event, because a scheme can assign sounds to many Windows events.

Use a custom WAV file

In the Sounds tab, select the message event and choose Browse. Select a local .wav file, choose Open, and then use Test before selecting Apply and OK. The Sound dialog’s Browse picker is for WAV sound files; an MP3 or AAC file will not work as the event sound unless you convert it to WAV first. Microsoft gives the same WAV requirement for the related New Mail Notification event in its Outlook sound instructions.

What the setting changes

The Program Events list assigns sounds to Windows events; it does not control whether an app is allowed to send a notification. In Windows 10, open Settings > System > Notifications & actions, select the messaging app, and check that notifications and Play a sound when a notification arrives are enabled. That setting turns app notification sound on or off; it does not provide a separate tone picker for every app. Microsoft’s Windows notification guidance describes these per-app controls.

Some programs use their own notification sound setting, so changing a Windows event may not affect them. Look in the app’s notification or sound preferences if an incoming message still plays the old tone. Email usually has its own event: select New Mail Notification in Program Events to change a Windows mail alert. Outlook also has a separate Play a sound option, as explained in Microsoft’s instructions for changing the new mail sound.

Troubleshoot a sound that does not change

• Check the preview first. If Test plays the new tone, the Sound event is configured. If you cannot hear it, check the selected speaker or headset and Windows volume before changing notification settings.
• Confirm the event and save. Reopen the Sounds tab, select the same event, and verify the Sounds box shows your choice. Select Apply before closing with OK.
• Check the app. If Test plays the right tone but a real message still uses another one, the app may use an internal sound or a different Windows event. Change its own sound setting, or turn off its built-in tone if that option exists.
• Check notification permissions. Make sure the app is allowed to send notifications and play sounds in Notifications & actions. Focus Assist can also silence notifications while it is active.

Microsoft’s guide to changing Windows notification and system sounds follows the same Sound dialog workflow: select an event, choose a sound, test it, then apply the change.

Windows 10 support note

These sound controls remain available on Windows 10, but Microsoft ended free support and security updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Microsoft’s support pages now recommend moving to Windows 11 for continued updates.