# Phonal Tonal > Generates historical phone phreaking tones for nostalgia and education. (iPhone/iPad app by Kelvin Sherlock.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonal-tonal/id344326827 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Kelvin Sherlock](https://appshunter.io/developer/293876735) - Category: Utilities, Entertainment - Price: $0.99 - Rating: 4.80/5 from 23 App Store ratings · 18 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 14.0 · 3 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2009-12-15 - Data updated: 2026-08-24 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonal-tonal/id344326827/reviews.md ## What is Phonal Tonal? Back in the day, phreaks had phun on the phone, using colored boxes to get free phone calls. Of course, none of those tricks work anymore. Phonal Tonal generates a variety of phone tones for nostalgia, fun, and educational purposes. Blue Box, Red Box, Green Box, Special Information Tones, DTMF, and more. ## Key features - Generates historical phone tones - Includes Blue Box, Red Box, Green Box tones - Supports Special Information Tones - DTMF tone generation - Nostalgic and educational purposes ## Recent user reviews (10 of 18) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonal-tonal/id344326827/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Can you add MF decode to the decode section ? *2023-08-27* Love the product - have had this app for many many years. As a telecom technician and later engineer, I can decode/identify DTMF by sound, but I have not mastered MF. Would you consider adding MF decode? I would gladly buy the app over again to get this feature? I want to be able to decode MF streams as well as DTMF using the microphone. Thank you! Gratefully, Livermore Telephone Company See our channel on YouTube! ### 3/5 — Sound Delay *2023-07-28* Wow, this app is GREAT!!! However along with an update came the delay in dialing quickly. Prior to my upgrade I could tap out a 13 digit number in a few seconds, now it takes Much more time. Also on my older iPhone it has now stopped working altogether and I know the update will not be happening on the old phone. Please make a few changes to allow older iPhones to continue using this app without have to also buy a new phone. Thank you!!! ### 3/5 — Sound Delay *2023-02-24, version 1.2.4* Wow, this app is GREAT!!! However along with an update came the delay in dialing quickly. Prior to my upgrade I could tap out a 13 digit number in a few seconds, now it takes almost 1 second per tap. ### 5/5 — Awesome Little Utility *2021-05-01* I regularly troubleshoot PSTN interfaces for digital PBX systems, and this is exactly what I wanted and more! ### 5/5 — This app is solid *2021-01-15* I’m a telephony / collaboration engineer. been doing this stuff since before tone dialing was prevalent. This app is Solid. Simple. Does what I need PLUS more. Takes me back to the 90’s! Love it. Worth it. ### 5/5 — More than expected! *2020-06-21* I just wanted a DTMF keypad with the ABCD keys, and got so much more. This has miscellaneous standard signaling, international tones, and even the various hacker box tones like the famed blue box! Yes I know those don’t work anymore but it is fascinating to play around with. For $0.99, this is a bargain. Hope the price stays the same because it will undercut the competition with an arguably better app. ### 5/5 — Perfect.. for the most part *2020-01-12* I’ve used this app for a little bit on Project MF and it works just like it should! Any of the MF tones I play, Project MF perfectly recognizes them. Now, the only issue I have is that on the iPad version, under miscellaneous, the Dial Tone (special) actually plays the busy signal instead. Something very VERY minor, but I just thought I’d bring it up. ### 5/5 — FANTASTIC! (1 suggestion) *2019-11-13* Absolutely fantastic! I purchased the app sight unseen based solely on the reviews. The only thing extra I would like to see is an information page that shows the frequency components for all the app is capable of making. For example: 1 - 1209Hz & 697Hz 2 - 1336Hz & 697Hz * - 1209Hz & 941Hz # - 1477Hz & 941Hz (and so on...) Thanks again!! ### 5/5 — Thank you 🙏 *2019-06-04* I hardly ever write reviews but you absolutely rock!! I’ve had this app ever since it first showed up...long longtime ago... in another univ....... Tonight, I was culling apps off the phone when I noticed you didn’t have that little 64bit/death next to the icon... tapped the app and my happiness resulted in my five star, two thumbs up review 👍👍 Thanks for staying relevant when many have given up 🖖 ### 3/5 — Nice app *2018-07-26* I like this app. But what the is it white e ui ## Frequently asked questions about Phonal Tonal ### What is Phonal Tonal? Phonal Tonal is a utility app that generates various historical phone tones, such as Blue Box, Red Box, and DTMF tones. It's designed for nostalgia, fun, and educational purposes related to phone phreaking history. ### What kind of tones does Phonal Tonal generate? Phonal Tonal generates a variety of tones including Blue Box, Red Box, Green Box, Special Information Tones, and DTMF tones. These are historical sounds associated with phone phreaking. ### Is Phonal Tonal free to use? No, Phonal Tonal is a paid application. It costs $0.99 to purchase and download from the app store. ### What devices is Phonal Tonal compatible with? Phonal Tonal is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. It is suitable for users aged 4 and above. ### How often is Phonal Tonal updated? The app was last updated on June 27, 2025, to version 1.2.5. This indicates ongoing support and potential for future updates. ### What do users like about Phonal Tonal? Users appreciate the app's functionality and historical accuracy, contributing to its high rating of 4.8 stars from 23 ratings. ### Does Phonal Tonal have ads? No, Phonal Tonal does not contain advertisements. As a paid app, it provides an ad-free experience for users. ### When was Phonal Tonal first released? Phonal Tonal was first released on December 15, 2009. It has a long history of availability on the App Store. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.5 — 2025-06-27 Bug fixes, minor UI updates. ### 1.2.4 — 2022-10-02 Updates to work better with iOS 16 and beyond! ### 1.2.3 — 2016-03-30 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. @3x artwork so Phonal Tonal looks even nicer on larger iPhones. ### 1.2.2 — 2014-01-18 updates for iOS 7. ### 1.2.1 — 2012-09-26 - iOS 6 compatibility - iPhone 5 compatibility - bug fixes for iPod touch ## Apps similar to Phonal Tonal | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Energy Spark Tone Generator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/energy-spark-tone-generator/id6450197369) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Utilities | | [Tuning Fork Pro 20 - 20000Hz](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tuning-fork-pro-20-20000hz/id6529535310) | — | Free | Utilities | | [Color Call - Wallpaper 4K HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-call-wallpaper-4k-hd/id1465360419) | 4.7 (298) | Free | Utilities | | [Guitar Tuner Chromatic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-tuner-chromatic/id370414624) | — | $0.99 | Utilities | | [Tuned Hearing](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tuned-hearing/id1641745067) | 3.5 (2) | Free | Utilities | | [Text Message Sounds +](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-message-sounds-plus/id981241998) | 3.9 (275) | Free | Utilities | ## More apps by Kelvin Sherlock - [iShisen](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ishisen/id293876732) - [Stacked Deck](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stacked-deck/id321808520) - [Colouroku](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colouroku/id351189555) - [PreMorse](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/premorse/id6744581811) All apps by Kelvin Sherlock: https://appshunter.io/developer/293876735 ## Related topics [tonal](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tonal) · [dtmf](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dtmf) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*