All sorts of ringtones are available for cell phones these days. The only limit on what ringtones you can use is the type of cell phone you have. Cell phones come with a preprogrammed collection of ringtones from which you can select. Many cell phones will also allow you to download new ringtones whenever you like.

Some phones allow you to set different ringtones for different people. You can choose one of the ringtones for friends, one of the ringtones for family, one of the ringtones for business associates, and one of the ringtones for unknown callers. With some cell phones, you can set different ringtones for every person in your cell phone's memory. This, in effect, becomes a kind of caller ID for your cell phone; with different ringtones, you don't even have to look at the cell phone's display screen to know who is calling.

One drawback to using too many ringtones is that you need to be the kind of person who will recognize each tone and what it means. When you're home alone, it's not a problem, but when you're in public, it can be embarrassing if you don't recognize that it's your own cell phone that is ringing!

One trick for using and remembering personalized ringtones to identify different callers is to let them choose their own identifying ringtone. You are more likely to remember that your best friend is calling if you remember her choosing her favorite song.

When selecting the ringtones to identify different people, make sure that you don't choose one as a private joke that could turn into a public embarrassment. "Fat-Bottomed Girls" may help you recognize a call from a chubby friend, but don't use it if you're not sure she'll get the joke.