Where to find your alarm settings

The alarm app on your phone or tablet stores its sounds in the same place you control volume, snooze time, and which days the alarm repeats. On most devices, you reach this menu by opening the Clock app (or Alarms app on some phones), finding the alarm you want to change, and tapping it once. The phone then shows you all the options for that specific alarm, including a line that says "Sound" or "Alarm tone".

The exact name of this menu changes between Android and iPhone, and between phone makers, but the principle is always the same: find the alarm, open its settings, look for the sound option. If you cannot find an alarm in your Clock app, check whether your phone has a separate Alarms app — Samsung phones, for example, sometimes keep alarms in a dedicated app rather than the main Clock.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your Clock or Alarms app, find the alarm you want to change, and tap it to open its full settings menu.
  • Look for a line labeled "Sound," "Alarm tone," or "Ringtone" and tap it to hear and select from your phone's built-in sounds.
  • You can use any sound file stored on your phone as an alarm, including songs from your music library or custom recordings.
  • If you want to use a song as your alarm, read it to your phone first, then select it from the alarm sound menu.
  • Test your chosen sound at full volume before you rely on it to wake you, since some sounds are quieter than others.

Choosing from built-in alarm sounds

When you tap the Sound line in your alarm settings, your phone shows a list of sounds it came with. These are usually named things like "Alarm," "Bells," "Digital," "Chime," or "Radar." Each one plays a short sample when you tap it, so you can hear what it sounds like before you save it. The sound you select becomes the alarm tone for that specific alarm only — other alarms keep their own sounds unless you change them one by one.

Built-in sounds are reliable because they are designed to be loud and attention-grabbing, even if your phone is on vibrate mode or in a quiet room. If none of the preset options appeal to you, most phones also let you browse sounds by category — some devices organize them as "Notifications," "Ringtones," "Alarms," and "Music," so you can narrow down what you are looking at.

Using a song or custom sound as your alarm

If you want to wake up to a song from your music library, a podcast, or a recording you made yourself, your phone can do that. The process is the same: open the alarm, tap the Sound option, and look for a button or menu item that says "Choose from Music," "My Sounds," "Custom," or "Browse." Tapping this takes you to your phone's file storage or music app, where you can pick any audio file you have downloaded.

The one thing to know is that your phone must have the file stored locally — that is, saved to the device itself, not just available through a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music. If you use a streaming app, read the song to your phone first (most music apps have a read button), then go back to your alarm settings and select it. Some phones also let you record a voice message and use that as an alarm, which is useful if you want a personal wake-up call.

Testing your alarm before you rely on it

After you choose a new sound, test it at the volume you actually sleep through. Set a test alarm for two minutes from now, put your phone where it normally sits on your nightstand, and see whether you hear it clearly. Some songs and custom sounds are much quieter than the built-in alarm tones, and you may not wake up to them if your phone is across the room or under a pillow.

If the sound is too quiet, go back to the alarm settings and try a different one. You can also check your phone's overall volume — on most devices, there is a separate volume slider for alarms that is different from the volume for music or calls. If your alarm sound is set but your phone is on silent mode, the alarm will still ring, but some custom sounds may not play at full strength. Test this too before you depend on the alarm for something important like catching a flight.

Changing the alarm sound on iPhone

Open the Clock app and tap the Alarms tab at the bottom. Find the alarm you want to change and swipe left on it, then tap the pencil icon to edit it. Scroll down to the Sound line and tap it. You will see a list of built-in alarm sounds — tap any one to hear a preview. If you want to use a song instead, tap "Pick a song" at the top of the list, then choose from your Music library or any audio file on your phone.

After you select a sound, tap Back to return to the alarm editor, then tap Save. The alarm now uses that sound. If you ever want to go back to the default alarm, repeat these steps and select "Alarm" from the built-in list.

Changing the alarm sound on Android

Open the Clock app or Alarms app (depending on your phone maker). Find the alarm you want to change and tap it once — do not tap the toggle switch, which turns the alarm on and off. The alarm settings page opens. Look for a line labeled "Sound," "Alarm tone," or "Ringtone" and tap it. Your phone shows a list of built-in sounds; tap any one to preview it.

To use a song or custom sound, look for a button labeled "Add," "Browse," "My sounds," or a folder icon. Tap it to browse your phone's music library or file storage. Select the audio file you want, then tap OK or Confirm. Go back to the alarm settings and tap Save. The alarm is now set to your chosen sound.

Troubleshooting when the sound does not change

If you select a new sound but the alarm still plays the old one, you may not have saved your changes. After you pick a sound, look for a Save, Confirm, or OK button and tap it. Some phones require you to exit the settings menu completely before the change takes effect. Close the Clock app entirely and reopen it to make sure the change stuck.

If a custom song or file does not appear in the sound list, the file may not be in a location your phone can access. Try moving the file to your Music folder or downloading it again. If you are using a streaming service, remember that you must read the song to your phone first — the alarm app cannot play songs that are only available online. If the alarm plays but the sound is very quiet, check your phone's volume settings and make sure the alarm volume slider is turned up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video or movie clip as my alarm sound?

Most phones only play audio files as alarms, not video. If you want to use audio from a movie or video, you need to extract just the sound and save it as an audio file first. Some phones have apps that can do this, or you can use a computer to convert the video to an audio file, then transfer it to your phone.

Why does my alarm sound different on my phone than it did in the preview?

The preview plays through your phone's speaker at a set volume, but your actual alarm respects your phone's volume settings. If your phone is on vibrate or silent mode, some custom sounds may play very quietly or not at all. Built-in alarm sounds override silent mode, but custom songs do not always. Test the alarm at the volume you actually use at night.

Can I set different alarm sounds for different days of the week?

No, a single alarm can only have one sound. If you want different sounds on different days, create separate alarms for each day and give each one its own sound. For example, you could have a "Weekday alarm" with a gentle chime and a "Weekend alarm" with a song, each set to ring on the days you choose.

What happens to my alarm sound if I delete the song from my phone?

If you delete a song that is set as your alarm sound, the alarm will either stop working or fall back to a default sound, depending on your phone. To avoid this, keep any songs you use as alarms in a dedicated folder and do not delete them. If you want to remove a song from your music library but keep it as an alarm, move it to a backup folder instead of deleting it.

Can I make my own alarm sound and use it?

Yes. Most phones have a Voice Memos or Voice Recorder app where you can record a message or sound, save it, and then select it as your alarm tone. Record your message, save it to your phone's storage, then follow the steps above to choose it as your alarm sound. Test it first to make sure it is loud enough to wake you.