Sound Notifications

Better Messages plays audio cues when a user receives a new message or an incoming call. Each event type (incoming message, sent confirmation, incoming call, outgoing dial tone) has independent volume controls and an optional MP3 upload, so you can match the audio personality of your site or community.

What it adds#

Distinct sounds for incoming messages, sent messages, incoming calls, and outgoing dial tone
Per-event volume control (0–100 %) — keep gentle pings for messages and louder rings for calls
Custom MP3 upload per event from the WordPress Media Library
Optional "Allow Sound Disable" toggle that exposes a Sound on/off control in each user's preferences
Sounds trigger on any tab where the messenger is mounted, so users hear them while browsing other parts of the site

How it works#

Better Messages includes four default sounds bundled with the plugin:

Event	When it plays
Notification sound	A new message arrives and the user is on the site
Sent sound	The user successfully sends a message (confirmation cue)
Call sound	An incoming voice or video call rings — plays in a loop until answered or dismissed
Dialing sound	The user places an outgoing call — plays in a loop until the recipient answers

When the admin uploads a custom MP3 via WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → Notifications, the plugin stores the attachment ID and serves that file in place of the default. Volume is multiplicative — if the admin sets the call sound to 60 % and the user further lowers their browser/system volume, both apply.

Sound playback respects modern browser autoplay policies. The first interaction (any click on the page) unlocks audio. From that point on, all sounds play without further prompting until the page reloads.

When to customize#

Use case	Recommended customization
LMS / serious-study site	Lower message sound volume to ~30 %, keep call volume default — students stay focused
Marketplace customer support	Bump message volume to 80 % so vendors notice replies fast
Public chat rooms	Upload a gentler MP3 and set volume below 40 % — frequent messages shouldn't be jarring
Telemedicine / urgent comms	Loud incoming-call MP3 at 90 %, distinct from message tone

How to enable#

Navigate to WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → Notifications.

Notification Sound — Volume (0–100 %) and optional custom MP3 for new incoming messages
Sent Sound — Volume and optional custom MP3 for the sent-message confirmation tone
Call Sound — Volume and optional custom MP3 for the incoming-call ringtone
Dialing Sound — Volume and optional custom MP3 for the outgoing-call dial tone
Allow Sound Disable — Let users turn off notification sounds from their personal settings

Frequently asked questions#

Can users opt out of sound notifications?#

Yes — when the Allow Sound Disable option is enabled, a "Notification sounds" toggle appears in each user's messenger settings. Their preference persists across devices.

Do sound notifications play on the mobile app?#

The native iOS/Android app uses the operating system's native notification sounds, not the web-uploaded MP3. To customize those, configure your push provider (OneSignal / FCM / APNs) or the iOS/Android app build.

Why doesn't the sound play immediately when the page loads?#

Browsers require a user interaction before allowing audio. After any click on the page, sounds will play normally for the rest of the session.

Can I upload a different sound per chat room?#

No — sounds are configured site-wide. The four sound settings (notification, sent, call, dialing) apply to every conversation and chat room. If you need per-room variation, the maintained path is to override the audio asset via your child theme or a custom plugin.

What file formats are supported?#

MP3 is the recommended format. M4A and OGG also work in modern browsers. Keep files small (under 100 KB) so they cache quickly.