Custom Ringtones on Alcatel GoFlip V

On 12-31-19, Verizon is sundowning their 3G network to make room for 4G LTE and 5G. For those of us with ancient or trusty flip phones that were not LTE-capable, this means getting a new phone. (If this applies to you, ask nicely and they may give you the phone free and cut the upgrade fee in half.)

The most popular and highly-rated Verizon flip phone right now is the Alcatel GoFlip V. It’s a reasonably capable little phone, but the ringtones and notification sounds that come built-in are generic and rather wimpy. Can you use a custom ringtone on this very basic phone? Yes, you can!

There are some answers online about how to load a custom ringtone on this phone, but none about custom notification sounds (i.e. text alerts). I even found one official corporate answer saying is that it couldn’t be done, sorry, we’ll add it to the features wish list for the future.

Fortunately, “it can’t be done” is one of the single most motivating phrases in the English language. In under an hour of digging and experimenting, I worked it out. Now I want to share it with all of you in case it helps.

Custom Ringtone on Alcatel GoFlip V

This assumes you have an MP3 file you want to use as a ringtone. You can use built-in free programs on a Mac or free downloads on a PC to edit any song or sound effect down to about 30 seconds long in an MP3 format. Google it. This only works with regular MP3 files, not purchased/rights-managed official “Ringtones” you may have purchased through the app on your old flip phone.

But how do you actually get that MP3 onto the phone without a data plan? You text it to yourself! It sounds silly, but it works, trust me.

Email the MP3 to Your Phone

  1. Open up a new email on your computer or tablet, wherever the MP3 is located. Send it to your full ten-digit flip phone number, including the area code and no dashes or spaces, at vzwpix.com. Like this: 1112223333@vzwpix.com.
  2. The email can come from your regular email address. That doesn’t matter.
  3. Leave the subject line and email body content blank. Those don’t matter either.
  4. Attach the MP3 file, just like you would any other attachment to a regular email.
  5. Send it.
  6. Your phone will alert that you have a new text/media message.

Save the MP3 Attachment

  1. Open the text/media message from yourself.
  2. Scroll up so the message bubble with the audio file is highlighted blue.
  3. Click the right “soft key” (the upper-right key on your keypad, above the u-turn arrow) to bring up the Options menu.
  4. Scroll down to #4, Save attachment. This will automatically save it as a ringtone.
  5. Click the red call-end button to get back to the home screen.

Set that MP3 as Your Ringtone

  1. Click the center OK button to open the menu.
  2. Choose Media Center.
  3. Scroll down to #3, Ringtones.
  4. You will see the name of the new MP3 file you just sent yourself listed as the first choice, right above “Airwaves.” Scroll up or down to highlight that new choice.
    Note: For some reason, it strips the first letter off the file name. (Quirky basic phones!) If that bugs you, it’s fixable later, don’t worry. We’ll get to that.
  5. Click the center OK button to select that ringtone.
  6. Tada! You’re done. Call yourself from another phone to test it out.

Fixing the File Name

If it bugs you that the phone changed your MP3’s file name, that’s fixable. (For example, it changed mine from “PoohBear.mp3” to “oohBear.mp3.”) Here’s the fix:

  1. From the home screen, click the center OK button to bring up the menu.
  2. Choose Tools.
  3. Scroll down to #6, File manager.
  4. Scroll down to Ringtones.
  5. Scroll to highlight the ringtone you want to fix.
  6. Click the right soft key to bring up the Options menu.
  7. Scroll way down to #8, Rename.
  8. Fix the name by typing like you would a text message.
  9. Click the center OK button to save the changes.
  10. Click the back arrow key (the little u-turn arrow above the red call-end key) to get back out of the Ringtones folder to the regular File manager menu.
  11. Click the red call-end key to get back to the home screen. You’re done!

Custom Notification Sound on Alcatel GoFlip V

This is the one they said couldn’t be done, but it certainly can if you get creative. This lets you use a different custom ringtone sound for your text/media messages. Here are your steps:

  1. Email yourself the MP3 file, just like you did for the ringtone above. I recommend using an MP3 that’s only about 2–4 seconds long for a text message notification.
  2. Save the attachment, just like you did for the ringtone above.

Move the New MP3 from Ringtones to Notifications

Now this short little song is in your Ringtones folder on your phone, but Notifications can’t use regular ringtones for some reason. They have a separate storage spot, so we have to move the new file into the correct folder so the phone can find it. Here’s how:

  1. From the home screen, click the center OK button to bring up the menu.
  2. Choose Tools.
  3. Scroll down to #6, File manager.
  4. Scroll down to Ringtones.
  5. Scroll down to highlight the one you just added, which you want to use for Notifications. (Its name may have dropped the first letter, but don’t worry, we’ll get to that.)
  6. Click the right soft key to bring up the Options menu.
  7. Scroll down to #5, Copy.
  8. Click the back arrow (the little u-turn arrow above the red call-end key) to get back out of the Ringtones folder to the regular File manager menu.
  9. Scroll up to Notifications.
  10. Click the center OK button to open the Notifications folder.
  11. Click the right soft key to paste the file into that folder.
  12. Click the back arrow (the little u-turn arrow above the red call-end key) to get back out of the Ringtones folder to the regular File manager menu. (Trust me, your future self will thank you for this step.)
  13. Click the red call-end key to get back to the home screen. Yay! Now you’re ready to set it as your new Notifications sound.

Set that MP3 as Your Notifications Sound

  1. Click the center OK button to open the menu.
  2. Choose Media Center.
  3. Scroll down to #4, Notification Sounds.
  4. You will see the name of the new MP3 file you just pasted listed as the first choice, right above “Arcade.” Scroll up or down to highlight that new choice.
    Note: For some reason, it strips the first letter off the file name. If that bugs you, it’s fixable later, don’t worry. See “Fixing the File Name” above.)
  5. Click the center OK button to select that sound.
  6. Click the red call-end key to get back to the home screen.
  7. Tada! You’re done. Text yourself from another phone to test it out.

It feels like more hoops than should be necessary, but it works, and that’s what counts. Besides, don’t you love proving them wrong? It reminds me of the proverb on a birthday card my dad sent me once:

“Those who say it cannot be done
should not interrupt the person doing it.”