diff --git a/media/java/android/media/Ringtone.java b/media/java/android/media/Ringtone.java
index 82c3139bb4d33..538e64cf095cb 100644
--- a/media/java/android/media/Ringtone.java
+++ b/media/java/android/media/Ringtone.java
@@ -158,13 +158,15 @@ public class Ringtone {
 
     /**
      * Creates a local media player for the ringtone using currently set attributes.
+     * @return true if media player creation succeeded or is deferred,
+     * false if it did not succeed and can't be tried remotely.
      * @hide
      */
-    public void createLocalMediaPlayer() {
+    public boolean createLocalMediaPlayer() {
         Trace.beginSection("createLocalMediaPlayer");
         if (mUri == null) {
             Log.e(TAG, "Could not create media player as no URI was provided.");
-            return;
+            return mAllowRemote && mRemotePlayer != null;
         }
         destroyLocalPlayer();
         // try opening uri locally before delegating to remote player
@@ -195,6 +197,30 @@ public class Ringtone {
             }
         }
         Trace.endSection();
+        return mLocalPlayer != null || (mAllowRemote && mRemotePlayer != null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Same as AudioManager.hasHapticChannels except it assumes an already created ringtone.
+     * If the ringtone has not been created, it will load based on URI provided at {@link #setUri}
+     * and if not URI has been set, it will assume no haptic channels are present.
+     * @hide
+     */
+    public boolean hasHapticChannels() {
+        // FIXME: support remote player, or internalize haptic channels support and remove entirely.
+        try {
+            android.os.Trace.beginSection("Ringtone.hasHapticChannels");
+            if (mLocalPlayer != null) {
+                for(MediaPlayer.TrackInfo trackInfo : mLocalPlayer.getTrackInfo()) {
+                    if (trackInfo.hasHapticChannels()) {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        } finally {
+            android.os.Trace.endSection();
+        }
+        return false;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -423,7 +449,6 @@ public class Ringtone {
      */
     public void setUri(Uri uri, @Nullable VolumeShaper.Configuration volumeShaperConfig) {
         mVolumeShaperConfig = volumeShaperConfig;
-
         mUri = uri;
         if (mUri == null) {
             destroyLocalPlayer();
@@ -443,10 +468,11 @@ public class Ringtone {
         if (mLocalPlayer != null) {
             // Play ringtones if stream volume is over 0 or if it is a haptic-only ringtone
             // (typically because ringer mode is vibrate).
-            boolean isHapticOnly = AudioManager.hasHapticChannels(mContext, mUri)
-                    && !mAudioAttributes.areHapticChannelsMuted() && mVolume == 0;
-            if (isHapticOnly || mAudioManager.getStreamVolume(
-                    AudioAttributes.toLegacyStreamType(mAudioAttributes)) != 0) {
+            if (mAudioManager.getStreamVolume(AudioAttributes.toLegacyStreamType(mAudioAttributes))
+                    != 0) {
+                startLocalPlayer();
+            } else if (!mAudioAttributes.areHapticChannelsMuted() && hasHapticChannels()) {
+                // is haptic only ringtone
                 startLocalPlayer();
             }
         } else if (mAllowRemote && (mRemotePlayer != null) && (mUri != null)) {
diff --git a/media/java/android/media/RingtoneManager.java b/media/java/android/media/RingtoneManager.java
index 27db41cb9f4e5..f15f4438d671f 100644
--- a/media/java/android/media/RingtoneManager.java
+++ b/media/java/android/media/RingtoneManager.java
@@ -720,11 +720,14 @@ public class RingtoneManager {
             @Nullable VolumeShaper.Configuration volumeShaperConfig,
             AudioAttributes audioAttributes) {
         // Don't set the stream type
-        Ringtone ringtone =
-                getRingtone(context, ringtoneUri, -1 /* streamType */, volumeShaperConfig, false);
+        Ringtone ringtone = getRingtone(context, ringtoneUri, -1 /* streamType */,
+                volumeShaperConfig, false);
         if (ringtone != null) {
             ringtone.setAudioAttributesField(audioAttributes);
-            ringtone.createLocalMediaPlayer();
+            if (!ringtone.createLocalMediaPlayer()) {
+                Log.e(TAG, "Failed to open ringtone " + ringtoneUri);
+                return null;
+            }
         }
         return ringtone;
     }
@@ -750,19 +753,6 @@ public class RingtoneManager {
                 createLocalMediaPlayer);
     }
 
-    //FIXME bypass the notion of stream types within the class
-    /**
-     * Returns a {@link Ringtone} with {@link VolumeShaper} if required for a given sound URI on
-     * the given stream type. Normally, if you change the stream type on the returned
-     * {@link Ringtone}, it will re-create the {@link MediaPlayer}. This is just
-     * an optimized route to avoid that.
-     *
-     * @param streamType The stream type for the ringtone, or -1 if it should
-     *            not be set (and the default used instead).
-     * @param volumeShaperConfig config for volume shaper of the ringtone if applied.
-     * @see #getRingtone(Context, Uri)
-     */
-    @UnsupportedAppUsage(maxTargetSdk = Build.VERSION_CODES.R, trackingBug = 170729553)
     private static Ringtone getRingtone(final Context context, Uri ringtoneUri, int streamType,
             @Nullable VolumeShaper.Configuration volumeShaperConfig,
             boolean createLocalMediaPlayer) {
@@ -776,7 +766,10 @@ public class RingtoneManager {
             r.setVolumeShaperConfig(volumeShaperConfig);
             r.setUri(ringtoneUri, volumeShaperConfig);
             if (createLocalMediaPlayer) {
-                r.createLocalMediaPlayer();
+                if (!r.createLocalMediaPlayer()) {
+                    Log.e(TAG, "Failed to open ringtone " + ringtoneUri);
+                    return null;
+                }
             }
             return r;
         } catch (Exception ex) {
@@ -1158,24 +1151,38 @@ public class RingtoneManager {
             }
 
             // Try finding the scanned ringtone
-            final String filename = getDefaultRingtoneFilename(type);
-            final String whichAudio = getQueryStringForType(type);
-            final String where = MediaColumns.DISPLAY_NAME + "=? AND " + whichAudio + "=?";
-            final Uri baseUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
-            try (Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(baseUri,
-                    new String[] { MediaColumns._ID },
-                    where,
-                    new String[] { filename, "1" }, null)) {
-                if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {
-                    final Uri ringtoneUri = context.getContentResolver().canonicalizeOrElse(
-                            ContentUris.withAppendedId(baseUri, cursor.getLong(0)));
-                    RingtoneManager.setActualDefaultRingtoneUri(context, type, ringtoneUri);
-                    Settings.System.putInt(context.getContentResolver(), setting, 1);
-                }
+            Uri ringtoneUri = computeDefaultRingtoneUri(context, type);
+            if (ringtoneUri != null) {
+                RingtoneManager.setActualDefaultRingtoneUri(context, type, ringtoneUri);
+                Settings.System.putInt(context.getContentResolver(), setting, 1);
             }
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param type the type of ringtone (e.g {@link #TYPE_RINGTONE})
+     * @return the system default URI if found, null otherwise.
+     */
+    private static Uri computeDefaultRingtoneUri(@NonNull Context context, int type) {
+        // Try finding the scanned ringtone
+        final String filename = getDefaultRingtoneFilename(type);
+        final String whichAudio = getQueryStringForType(type);
+        final String where = MediaColumns.DISPLAY_NAME + "=? AND " + whichAudio + "=?";
+        final Uri baseUri = MediaStore.Audio.Media.INTERNAL_CONTENT_URI;
+        try (Cursor cursor = context.getContentResolver().query(baseUri,
+                new String[] { MediaColumns._ID },
+                where,
+                new String[] { filename, "1" }, null)) {
+            if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {
+                final Uri ringtoneUri = context.getContentResolver().canonicalizeOrElse(
+                        ContentUris.withAppendedId(baseUri, cursor.getLong(0)));
+                return ringtoneUri;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
     private static String getDefaultRingtoneSetting(int type) {
         switch (type) {
             case TYPE_RINGTONE: return "ringtone_set";