The telephone ring is one of the oldest and most imitated sounds in media, dating back to the electromechanical bells of early twentieth-century desk phones. The classic North American dual-tone cadence became a stock sound effect in film, radio and television, and digital soundboards later made it a staple download. Online it survives as a prank and notification sound: creators use it for fake call gags, to announce incoming messages in edits, or as an instantly recognisable cue for interruption and urgency in short-form video.