The quickest way to change your alarm sound

Open the Clock app on your home screen, tap the Alarm tab at the bottom, then tap Edit in the top left corner. Find the alarm you want to change and tap it. Tap the Sound row — it shows the current alarm sound name — and choose a different one from the list. Tap Back, then Done. Your alarm will now play the new sound the next time it goes off.

That's the entire process. The Clock app comes built into every iPhone, so you don't need to read anything or hunt through Settings. If you have multiple alarms set, you can give each one a different sound by repeating these steps for each alarm.

Key Takeaways

  • The Clock app is where you change alarm sounds — not Settings, not Sounds & Haptics, just the Clock app.
  • You must tap Edit first, then tap the specific alarm, then tap the Sound row to see your choices.
  • iPhone comes with about 30 built-in alarm sounds, and you can also use any song from your Music library.
  • Each alarm can have its own sound, so your 6 a.m. alarm can sound different from your 8 a.m. alarm.

Where to find the sound options

When you tap the Sound row in an alarm, iPhone shows you a list of built-in sounds organized by category. At the top are the classic alarm tones like Alarm, Beacon, and Bells. Below those are nature sounds like Birds, Rain, and Ocean. Further down are musical tones with names like Chime, Ding, and Harp.

Scroll to the bottom of this list and you'll see a section called Music. Tap that section to use any song stored in your iPhone's Music app as an alarm sound. This means you can wake up to a favorite song instead of a standard alarm tone. When you select a song, iPhone will play the first 30 seconds of it as your alarm.

Using a song from your music library as an alarm

If you want to use a song you own, first make sure it's in your Music app. You can add songs by purchasing them from iTunes, subscribing to Apple Music, or syncing songs from your computer. Once the song is in your Music library, open the Clock app, tap Alarm, tap Edit, tap your alarm, and tap Sound.

Scroll down and tap Music. You'll see a list of all your songs. Tap the one you want to use. The alarm will play the first 30 seconds of that song when it goes off. If you change your mind later, you can always come back and pick a different song or return to a standard alarm tone.

Why some alarms sound louder than others

The volume of your alarm depends on two things: which sound you picked, and your iPhone's volume setting. Some built-in alarm sounds are naturally louder than others — Alarm and Beacon are designed to be very loud, while Chime and Ding are quieter. If you pick a song from your Music library, it will play at whatever volume level you set in the Volume Control.

To adjust how loud your alarm is, use the physical volume buttons on the side of your iPhone before the alarm goes off. You can also go to Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, and adjust the Ringer and Alerts slider. Note that if you have your iPhone set to silent mode (using the mute switch on the side), your alarm will still sound — alarms override silent mode on purpose.

What happens if you delete an alarm sound

You cannot delete the built-in alarm sounds that come with iPhone — they're permanent. However, if you set an alarm to use a song from your Music library and then delete that song from your phone, the alarm will revert to the default Alarm sound the next time it goes off.

If this happens, straightforward open the Clock app, tap Edit, tap the alarm, tap Sound, and pick a different song or built-in tone. There's no way to recover the original song choice once it's been deleted, so if you want to keep using a particular song as an alarm, make sure you keep that song in your Music library.

Changing the alarm sound on a recurring alarm

If you have an alarm set to repeat every weekday, every day, or on specific days, you change its sound the same way as a one-time alarm. Open Clock, tap Alarm, tap Edit, tap the recurring alarm, tap Sound, and pick a new sound. The new sound will explore to all instances of that alarm — you can't make Monday's alarm sound different from Tuesday's alarm using the built-in tools.

If you need different sounds for different days, you would have to create separate alarms for each day. For example, you could create one alarm for weekdays and another for weekends, each with its own sound. This takes a bit more setup but gives you full control over which sound plays when.

Troubleshooting when your alarm doesn't make sound

If your alarm goes off but you don't hear anything, check three things. First, make sure your iPhone isn't in silent mode — flip the mute switch on the side of the phone to the off position. Second, check that your volume is turned up by pressing the volume up button on the side. Third, open the Clock app and verify that the alarm is actually turned on — the toggle switch next to each alarm should be green.

If your alarm is on, your phone isn't in silent mode, and your volume is up but you still hear nothing, try picking a different alarm sound. Occasionally a song or sound file can become corrupted. Switch to a built-in alarm tone like Alarm or Beacon, which are less likely to have problems. If the built-in sounds work but your custom song doesn't, delete that song from your Music library and pick a different one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a ringtone as an alarm sound?

No. Ringtones and alarm sounds are stored in different places on your iPhone. You can only use built-in alarm tones or songs from your Music library. If you want a specific ringtone to be your alarm, you would need to add that audio file to your Music library first, then select it as an alarm sound.

Will my alarm still work if I turn off all sounds in Settings?

Yes. Alarms are designed to sound even when your phone is set to silent or Do Not Disturb mode. The only way to stop an alarm from sounding is to turn off the alarm itself in the Clock app or to sleep through it and let it time out after 15 minutes.

Can I set different alarm sounds for different times of day?

Yes, but you need to create separate alarms for each time. You can't assign different sounds to the same alarm. Create one alarm for 6 a.m. with one sound, another for 8 a.m. with a different sound, and so on. Each alarm can have its own unique sound.

What if I can't find a song I want to use as an alarm?

The song must be in your Music app to appear in the alarm sound list. If you purchased it from iTunes or added it from Apple Music, make sure it's downloaded to your phone. If it's a song you own but haven't added to your Music library, you'll need to sync it from your computer or purchase it first.