How To Customize Charging Sound on iPhone (iOS 17/18)

How to Change Your Charging Notification Sound on iPhone and iPad

Had a moment where I just wanted a different sound for when my iPhone or iPad starts charging. The default alert is pretty basic—just a quick ding in the corner. It works fine, but honestly, it gets kinda boring if you’re used to more personalized notifications. So, I started digging around, and here’s what I found: Apple doesn’t really let you change that sound directly through Settings. At least not officially. That said, there are some sneaky ways using Shortcuts automation to get close, even if it’s not perfect.

Why Apple keeps that charging sound locked down

I think Apple wants to keep things simple. They don’t want users accidentally messing with system sounds, which makes sense in theory. But for people like us who want to customize a bit, it’s a real pain. The charging notification is kinda hidden and not editable in Settings > Sounds & Haptics, so it’s not straightforward. It’s frustrating because, on my older ASUS, this was buried somewhere in Advanced options, and even then, it was a hassle. Here, it’s basically a fixed, unchangeable alert.

How I finally got it to work — a workaround with Shortcuts

Here’s where I got stuck for a while—no obvious way to swap the sound. So, I turned to the Shortcuts app. If you don’t have it, it’s a free download from the App Store, but sometimes it’s not visible for no good reason. Just install it. Basically, the idea is to create an automation that triggers when you connect or disconnect from power, then make it play a sound or speak a message.

Step 1: Prepare everything first

Make sure you have your custom sound files ready — like an MP3 or WAV — stored locally on your iPhone or iPad, in the Files app, preferably in On My iPhone or in your iCloud Drive. Also, double-check your internet connection. Some automation actions rely on online verification or downloads, and VPNs can sometimes interfere with this stuff. I also recommend disabling Focus modes temporarily, as they can block automations from running smoothly.

Step 2: Fire up Shortcuts and create an automation

In the Shortcuts app, go to the Automation tab, hit +, then Create Personal Automation. Scroll down and find Charger—this is your trigger. You want the automation to run whenever your device is plugged in or unplugged, so set it to trigger on both Connected and Disconnected.

Step 3: Tell it what to do—play a sound or speak

Once your trigger is set, tap Add Action. Here, you have options: either find Speak Text to deliver a spoken phrase, or Play Sound if you want a specific file playing. To do that, use Get File to fetch your custom sound, making sure it’s stored locally. Then, chain that with Play Sound. In the Speak Text action, you can write something like “Device charging now—time to get stuff done, ” or whatever you like as a notification. If you want to use your custom sound instead, add Get File, select your sound, then link it to Play Sound.

Step 4: Configure the automation to run automatically

Tap Next. Here’s the important part—disable Ask Before Running. Otherwise, every time you connect or disconnect, it’ll ask if you want to run. Not what you want in a charging alert. If possible, create two separate automations—one for plugging in, one for unplugging—so you can assign different sounds or messages for each.

Step 5: Test it out and troubleshoot

Plug in your device to see if it speaks your custom phrase or plays your sound. If nothing happens, double-check if automations are enabled and active. Sometimes, automations might trigger twice or not at all if your cable is flaky or if iOS acts goofy after updates. I had that issue, and re-adding the actions or rebooting helped a bit. Patience is key here.

Extra tips and pitfalls to watch out for

False triggers can happen: if your cable disconnects and reconnects for whatever reason, your automation might fire unexpectedly. Keep an eye on that.
Updates may break stuff: iOS updates sometimes cause automations to go haywire or stop working properly. Expect to tinker every now and then.
Limited native options: remember, this isn’t replacing the native charging sound—it’s a workaround that overlays a spoken message or sound, not actually changing the default alert sound.
Security warning: configuring automations that play sounds or speak messages is generally safe, but if you’re loading custom sounds from untrusted sources, just be cautious about malware or weird files.

Why bother?

Honestly, it’s kinda a pain, but if the default ding feels too boring and you’re tired of it, this workaround is the best shot right now. It’s not perfect, it’s kinda finicky, but it works with some patience. And, it’s better than static silence or ignoring your charger status altogether.

Anyway, hope this helps — it took me way longer than I’d like to admit to finally get it working without glitches. Double-check your automations, test thoroughly, and don’t forget to save your sound files securely. Good luck fiddling, and I hope this saves someone else a weekend of frustration — it sure did for me.