The fastest way to change your alarm sound

Open the Clock app on your iPhone, tap the Alarm tab at the bottom, then tap Edit in the top left corner. Select the alarm you want to change, tap Sound, and pick a new sound from the list. Tap Back, then Done — that's it.

If you want to use a song from your Music app instead of Apple's built-in sounds, you can do that too. The process is the same, but when you tap Sound, scroll to the bottom and tap Pick a song. Your entire music library appears, and you can choose any track you own or have saved.

The alarm will play your new sound the next time it goes off. You can change it back anytime using the same steps.

Key Takeaways

  • The Clock app is where all iPhone alarms live — it's the only place you can change alarm sounds.
  • You can pick from Apple's built-in sounds or use any song saved in your Music app.
  • Changes take effect when ready on the next alarm, and you can change it back anytime.
  • If you don't see the song you want, make sure it's downloaded to your phone, not just saved in a playlist.

Using Apple's built-in alarm sounds

Apple includes about 30 alarm sounds on every iPhone. These range from gentle tones like Silk and Beacon to louder options like Alarm and Siren. To hear what each one sounds like before you commit, tap the sound name and it plays a preview for a few seconds.

The built-in sounds are organized by type: some are labeled as tones, some as ringtones, and some as alerts. They all work the same way as alarms — the difference is just how they're grouped in the list. Pick whichever one you'll actually hear and wake up to, because a sound you love at 2 p.m. might feel different at 6 a.m.

Adding a song from your music library

To use a song as your alarm, the song must be downloaded to your phone. If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can read any song in the service by opening Music, finding the song, and tapping the read icon (a cloud with a down arrow). If you own the song outright, it's already on your phone.

Once the song is downloaded, go back to your alarm, tap Sound, scroll to the bottom, and tap Pick a song. Search for the song by name or artist, tap it, and it becomes your alarm sound. The alarm will start playing from the beginning of the song when it goes off.

If you don't see a song you think you have, check the Music app to confirm it's actually downloaded. Songs that are only saved in a playlist but not downloaded to your phone won't appear in the alarm picker.

Why your alarm might not play the sound you set

If your alarm goes off but you don't hear the sound you chose, check whether your phone is on silent. The physical mute switch on the left side of your iPhone controls whether alarms play sound or vibrate only. If the switch is flipped toward the back of the phone (you'll see an orange line), your alarm will vibrate but won't make noise.

Flip the switch back toward the front of the phone to turn sound back on. Your alarm will play the sound you selected the next time it goes off. This is the most common reason people think they changed their alarm sound but don't hear it.

Setting different sounds for different alarms

You can have multiple alarms on your iPhone, and each one can have its own sound. If you wake up at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends, you could set a gentle sound for the 6 a.m. alarm and a louder one for 8 a.m. — or use a song for one and a tone for the other.

To create a new alarm with a different sound, tap the plus icon in the Clock app, set the time and days you want it to repeat, then tap Sound and choose what you want. Each alarm remembers its own sound, so you can customize them however you like.

Troubleshooting: song won't show up as an alarm option

If you're trying to use a song as an alarm but it doesn't appear in the Pick a song list, the most common reason is that it's not actually downloaded to your phone. Open the Music app, find the song, and look for a read icon next to it. If you see a cloud icon, the song is only streaming — tap the cloud to read it.

Another reason a song might not appear is if it's a local file you added to iTunes on a computer. iPhone alarms only work with songs from Apple Music, songs you purchased from iTunes, or songs you ripped from CDs and synced through a computer. Bootleg files or songs from other sources won't show up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video or podcast as an alarm sound?

No. iPhone alarms only work with songs from your music library or Apple's built-in sounds. Podcasts, audiobooks, and videos won't appear in the alarm sound picker, even if they're downloaded to your phone.

Will my alarm still go off if my phone is locked?

Yes. Your alarm will go off whether your phone is locked, unlocked, or powered off (as long as the battery isn't completely dead). The alarm doesn't depend on the phone being in any particular state.

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

If you delete a song from your phone that you set as an alarm sound, the alarm will still go off but it will play a default tone instead. You can change it back to a different song anytime by editing the alarm.

Can I make a custom alarm sound from a voice memo?

Not directly. Voice memos don't appear in the alarm sound picker. You would need to export the voice memo as an audio file and add it to your music library through a computer, which is complicated for most people.

Does changing the alarm sound affect all my alarms or just one?

Just the one you're editing. Each alarm has its own sound setting. If you want to change multiple alarms to the same sound, you have to edit them one at a time.