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Home › Pay › Common problems › Wallpaper and ringtone apps
Apps

Wallpaper and ringtone apps

Changing your phone's background or ringtone is free. You can use any of your own photos as wallpaper and pick from the tones that came with your phone. Some wallpaper and ringtone apps still lock most of their content behind a weekly or monthly plan, sometimes right after a short free trial. Here is what to watch for, how to customize your phone for free, and how to cancel.

Common problems to watch for

  • A 'free' app where nearly every wallpaper or tone needs a paid plan
  • A free trial that starts with one tap and renews weekly
  • Ads that look like download buttons and lead to a subscription screen
  • Asking for access to all your photos, contacts or files when it does not need them
  • Promising 'live' or '4K' wallpapers that your phone can already create from your own videos or photos

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Free and low-cost alternatives

Use your own photos as wallpaperBoth iPhone and Android let you set any photo from your gallery as your lock screen or home screen background, right from the settings or Photos app, at no cost.
Built-in ringtones and text tonesEvery phone comes with a set of ringtones and alert sounds. You can pick different tones for different contacts in your phone's settings or contacts app.
GarageBand on iPhoneApple's own GarageBand app, a free download from the App Store, can turn an audio file you have into a custom ringtone, according to Apple's support instructions.
Your own sound files on AndroidMany Android phones let you choose an audio file saved on your phone as a ringtone from the sound settings, with no extra app needed.

Availability depends on your device and model. AblePro has no relationship with any company named here.

What fair pricing looks like

Setting a wallpaper or ringtone is a free phone feature. If you pay at all, a one-time purchase for a specific design or tone is usually more sensible than a recurring weekly charge.

Before you pay

  • Try setting one of your own photos as wallpaper first.
  • Look through the ringtones already on your phone.
  • Check whether the price is one-time or recurring, and how often it renews.
  • Read what permissions the app asks for. A wallpaper app rarely needs your contacts.
  • Search reviews for words like 'charged' or 'can't cancel'.

How to cancel

  1. On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, pick the app and tap Cancel Subscription.
  2. On Android, open Google Play, tap your profile icon, choose Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions, and cancel there.
  3. Deleting or uninstalling the app does not cancel the subscription. You must cancel in the store settings.
  4. Wallpapers you already set usually stay on your phone after you cancel, so you lose little by stopping.

Step-by-step cancel guide for iPhone, Android and PayPal →

Common questions

Can I make a custom ringtone without paying?

Often, yes. On iPhone, Apple's support site explains how to make a custom ringtone with GarageBand, which is a free download from the App Store. On many Android phones, you can pick an audio file saved on the phone as your ringtone in the sound settings. Only use audio you have the right to use.

Why does a wallpaper app want access to my contacts?

A wallpaper or ringtone app generally does not need your contacts, location or messages to work. When an app asks for more than it needs, it may be collecting data. You can say no, or change permissions later in your phone's settings. If the app will not work without unrelated access, consider skipping it.

Will I lose my wallpaper if I cancel?

Usually not. A wallpaper you have already set is normally saved on your phone and stays until you change it. You may lose access to the app's other content after the paid period ends. Cancel in your App Store or Google Play subscription settings, since deleting the app alone does not stop billing.

General consumer information, not legal or financial advice. Reports reflect the experiences and opinions of their writers, not AblePro, Inc. We check reports against our posting rules but do not verify them.