Open Settings and find the Sounds & Haptics menu

To change your alarm sound, start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap the gear icon on your home screen or in your app library. Once Settings opens, scroll down and tap Sounds & Haptics (on newer iPhones) or Sounds (on older models running iOS 14 or earlier).

The Sounds & Haptics menu controls all the audio your phone produces — ringtones, notifications, and alarms. This is where iPhone stores the list of available alarm sounds and lets you pick which one plays when your alarm goes off. The menu is the same whether you are changing the default alarm sound or setting a sound for a specific alarm in the Clock app.

Navigate to the Alarm section

Inside Sounds & Haptics, scroll down until you see Alarm. This is separate from your ringtone or notification sounds. Tap on Alarm to open the list of sounds you can choose from.

Your current alarm sound will have a checkmark next to it. The list includes built-in sounds like Alarm, Beacon, Bells, Chime, Digital, Radar, Sci-Fi, and others. Each sound plays for a few seconds when you tap it so you can hear what it sounds like before you commit to the change. The preview plays at your current volume level.

Select a new alarm sound

Tap any sound in the list to preview it. The sound will play at your current volume level. If you like it, that sound is now set as your alarm — no separate save button is needed. If you want to hear another option, just tap a different sound.

Once you tap a sound, a checkmark appears next to it automatically. You can change your alarm sound as many times as you want by returning to this same menu and picking a different option. The change takes effect immediately for any new alarms you create or for your default alarm sound.

Use sounds from your music library

If you want to use a song from your iPhone's music library as your alarm, you can do that too. In the Alarm sound menu, scroll to the very top and tap Pick a song. This opens your Music app so you can browse your library and select from songs you own or have downloaded.

Select any song you own or have downloaded to your device. The song will start playing from the beginning when your alarm goes off. Keep in mind that custom songs may not fade in the way built-in alarm sounds do — they may start at full volume. Songs that are only streamed (not downloaded) will not work as alarms.

Adjust volume separately from your alarm sound

Your alarm volume is controlled by the physical volume buttons on the side of your iPhone, not by the alarm sound itself. Press the up or down button to set how loud you want your alarm to be. The volume you set applies to all alarms until you change it again.

If you have Do Not Disturb or Silent mode turned on, your alarm will still play — alarms bypass these settings. However, if your iPhone is in Silent mode, the alarm will vibrate and play at whatever volume you set, so make sure the volume is high enough that you will hear it when you are sleeping.

Set different sounds for different alarms

If you use multiple alarms, you can give each one its own sound. Open the Clock app and tap the Alarm tab at the bottom. Find the alarm you want to change and tap Edit (or swipe left on the alarm and tap Edit).

Tap Sound in the alarm details screen. This opens the same Sounds & Haptics menu, and you can pick a different sound just for this alarm. Each alarm remembers its own sound, so your 6 a.m. alarm can use Chime while your 7 a.m. alarm uses Radar. This is useful if you want to distinguish between different alarms by sound alone.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, scroll down to Alarm, and tap any sound to preview and select it.
  • Built-in alarm sounds include Alarm, Beacon, Bells, Chime, Digital, Radar, and Sci-Fi, and a checkmark shows which one is currently active.
  • You can use any song from your music library as an alarm by tapping Pick a song at the top of the Alarm sound menu, but only songs downloaded to your device will work.
  • Alarm volume is controlled by the physical volume buttons on your iPhone, and alarms will play even if your phone is in Silent mode.
  • Each individual alarm can have its own sound — edit the alarm in the Clock app and tap Sound to set a different tone for that specific alarm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my alarm not making any sound?

Check that your iPhone volume is turned up using the physical buttons on the side. Alarms bypass Silent mode, but they still respect your volume setting. If the volume is high and you still hear nothing, restart your iPhone and check that an alarm is actually set in the Clock app with the correct time.

Can I use a song that I downloaded from Apple Music as my alarm?

Yes, but only if you downloaded it to your device for offline listening. Songs that are only streamed will not work as alarms. To download a song, open Music, find the song, tap the three dots, and select Download.

What happens if I delete a song I used as an alarm?

If you delete a song that was set as your alarm sound, your alarm will switch back to the default Alarm sound automatically. You can then pick a different song or built-in sound if you want.

Do I need to restart my iPhone for the alarm sound change to take effect?

No. The change happens immediately when you tap the new sound. Your next alarm will use the sound you selected without any delay.