Open Settings and find the Sounds & Haptics menu

To change your alarm sound, start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone — the gray icon with gears. Scroll down and tap Sounds & Haptics (on older iPhones, it may say just "Sounds").

Once you're in Sounds & Haptics, scroll down past the volume sliders until you see Alarm listed among the sound options. This is separate from ringtone, text tone, and other notification sounds, so make sure you're tapping on Alarm specifically.

Key Takeaways

  • Alarm sounds are changed in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarm, not in the Clock app itself.
  • Apple includes about 30 built-in alarm tones, and you can preview each one before selecting it.
  • If you want to use a song from your music library as an alarm, you'll need to set it up through the Clock app instead of Settings.
  • Your chosen alarm sound applies to all alarms unless you customize individual alarms in the Clock app.
  • If your alarm is silent, check that the Ring/Silent switch on the side of your phone is set to ring mode, not silent.

Tap Alarm and browse the built-in sounds

Tap on Alarm and you'll see a list of built-in alarm tones. Each one has a name like "Radar," "Bells," "Chimes," or "Alarm Clock." The current alarm sound will have a checkmark next to it.

Tap any sound to hear a preview of it. The preview plays for a few seconds so you can decide if it's loud enough and annoying enough to actually wake you up. This matters more than you might think — a pleasant sound won't do you any good if you sleep through it.

Select your new alarm sound

Once you've found a sound you want to use, tap it again to confirm your choice. The checkmark moves to that sound, and it becomes your default alarm tone. You can go back to Settings at any time to change it again.

This change applies to all your alarms unless you've customized individual ones. If you set a specific alarm in the Clock app to use a different sound, that alarm will keep using its own sound even after you change the default here.

Use a song from your library as an alarm

If you want to wake up to a specific song instead of a built-in tone, you'll need to set that up in the Clock app, not in Settings. Open the Clock app, tap the Alarm tab at the bottom, then tap the + button to create a new alarm or edit an existing one.

Scroll down to the Sound section and tap it. At the top of the sound list, you'll see Pick a song. Tap that, and you can choose any song from your Music library. The song will start playing from the beginning when the alarm goes off.

Keep in mind that songs you've purchased or added to your library work best. Streaming songs from Apple Music may not play if you don't have an internet connection when the alarm goes off.

Check the Ring/Silent switch if your alarm is silent

If you've set an alarm sound but your phone is silent when the alarm goes off, the problem is usually the Ring/Silent switch on the left side of your iPhone. This physical switch controls whether your phone rings or stays silent.

Push the switch toward the back of the phone so you see red. This puts your phone in ring mode, and alarms will play at full volume. If the switch is pushed forward (no red showing), your phone is in silent mode, and alarms won't make any sound — even though they'll still vibrate.

Alarms are designed to bypass silent mode on purpose, but only if the Ring/Silent switch is set to ring. This is different from Do Not Disturb mode, which also silences alarms if it's turned on.

Turn off Do Not Disturb if alarms aren't sounding

If your Ring/Silent switch is in the correct position but alarms still aren't making noise, check whether Do Not Disturb is turned on. Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and make sure it's toggled off, or set it to allow alarms through.

Do Not Disturb silences all sounds and notifications, including alarms, if it's active. You can also schedule Do Not Disturb to turn on and off automatically at certain times, so if you've set that up, check whether it's currently active.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different alarm sounds for different alarms?

Yes. In the Clock app, tap the alarm you want to change, then tap Sound and pick a different tone or song. That specific alarm will use the sound you chose, while your other alarms use the default sound from Settings.

Why doesn't my alarm sound work with songs from Apple Music?

Streaming songs may not play if your phone doesn't have an internet connection when the alarm goes off. Downloaded songs or songs you own work more reliably. To use a streaming song, make sure your phone stays connected to Wi-Fi or cellular overnight.

Will my alarm go off if my phone is turned off?

No. Your phone must be powered on for an alarm to work. If your battery is too low, the phone may shut down automatically and your alarm won't sound. Keep your phone plugged in or charged before bed if you rely on alarms.

Can I make my alarm gradually get louder?

The built-in alarm app doesn't have a gradual volume increase feature. Some third-party alarm apps offer this, but the standard Clock app alarm will play at whatever volume level you've set from the start.