# Set Distinctive Ringtones for Internal Calls

A dedicated ringtone for internal calls lets an extension user tell, just by the sound, that an incoming call is coming from a colleague on the same phone system rather than from outside. This page explains how to give users' desk phones (IP phones, meaning phones that connect over your data network) a distinct ringtone for internal calls.

:::note
Extension users can also choose their own incoming-call ringtones directly in the Cloud Voice App (web, desktop, and mobile), independent of the phone-level setting described here.
:::

The setup has two parts:

1. [Define alert info for internal calls on the PBX](#define-alert-info-for-internal-calls).
2. [Assign a ringtone to a user's phone](#assign-a-ringtone-to-a-users-phone).

## Define alert info for internal calls

The PBX (Private Branch Exchange, the phone system that routes your calls) tags every internal call with a small text label called *alert info*. It carries that label inside the call's SIP signaling (SIP, or Session Initiation Protocol, is the standard that sets up and ends calls). When a desk phone receives a call carrying that label, it plays the ringtone you mapped to it.

1. Sign in to the PBX web portal and go to **PBX Settings > SIP Settings > Advanced**.
2. In the **SIP Request Header** section, type a label in the **Internal Alert Info** field.

   This label is what triggers the phone to play the internal-call ringtone. For this example, enter `Internal`.

   ![Internal Alert Info field set to Internal under SIP Request Header](/images/pbx/distinctive-ringtone-internal-call.png)

   :::tip
   Note the exact label you type here. It is the same value you will pick from the **Alert Info** dropdown when you assign the ringtone in the next part, so the two halves stay linked.
   :::

## Assign a ringtone to a user's phone

For each user who should hear a distinct internal ringtone, map the alert info to a ringtone through [auto provisioning](/pbx/administrator-guide/auto-provisioning-overview/). Auto provisioning is what pushes the configuration from the PBX down to the physical phone.

:::note
Users can also open the phone's own web interface and set a distinctive ringtone by hand. For those steps, refer to the phone manufacturer's documentation.
:::

### Prerequisites

The user's extension must already be bound to a phone. For guidance, see:

- [Auto Provision IP Phones Remotely via RPS Method](/pbx/administrator-guide/auto-provision-ip-phones-remotely-rps-method/)
- [Auto Provision IP Phones Remotely with Proxy](/pbx/administrator-guide/auto-provision-ip-phones-remotely-with-proxy/)

### Procedure

1. Set the internal ringtone on the user's phone.

   1. Sign in to the PBX web portal, go to **Extension and Trunk > Extension**, and open the user's extension for editing.
   2. Select the **Phone** tab to edit the phone tied to that extension.
   3. In the **Distinctive Ringtone** section, click **Add**.
   4. In the **Alert Info** field, choose the label you defined earlier for internal calls. In this example, select `Internal`.
   5. In the **Ringtone** field, pick the ringtone to play for internal calls. In this example, select `Ring1.wav`.

      :::note
      The ringtones available depend on the phone model.
      :::

      ![Distinctive Ringtone entry mapping the Internal alert info to Ring1.wav](/images/pbx/distinctive-ringtone-internal-call-autop.png)
   6. Click **Save**.

2. Reprovision the phone so the change takes effect.

   1. Go to **Auto Provisioning > Phones**.
   2. Click the reprovision icon ![Reprovision](/images/pbx/refresh.png) next to the phone assigned to the user's extension.

   :::caution
   The ringtone change does not reach the phone until you reprovision it, so this step is required, not optional. Reprovisioning re-pushes the phone's configuration and usually reboots it, which briefly takes the phone offline. Avoid reprovisioning while the user is on an active call.
   :::

## Result

When the user's phone receives an internal call, it now rings with *Ring1.wav*.