Open Settings and find the Clock app alarms

To change an alarm sound on your iPhone, open the Settings app, then tap Sounds & Haptics. Scroll down and tap Alarm. This controls the default sound that plays when any alarm goes off — the one you hear if you don't customize individual alarms.

If you want to change the sound for a specific alarm instead of all alarms, you can do that directly in the Clock app. Open Clock, tap the Alarm tab at the bottom, find the alarm you want to change, and tap Edit. Then tap the alarm name or the sound line to pick a different sound.

Key Takeaways

  • The fastest way to change your default alarm sound is Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarm, where you can pick from built-in tones.
  • To change just one alarm, open the Clock app, tap Alarm, select Edit on that alarm, and tap the sound line to choose a different tone.
  • You can use songs from your Music library as alarm sounds by selecting them from the sound picker in the Clock app.
  • If an alarm is not making sound, check that your iPhone is not in Silent mode and that the volume is turned up in Settings > Sounds & Haptics.

Choosing from built-in alarm tones

When you tap Alarm in Sounds & Haptics or tap the sound line in a Clock app alarm, you see a list of built-in tones. These include names like Radar, Bells, Chimes, Alarm, and Digital. Tap any one to hear a preview, then tap it again to set it as your alarm sound.

Built-in tones are designed to wake you up — they are louder and more insistent than notification sounds. If you find one too harsh, try a different one. The tone you pick here becomes the default for all new alarms you create, though you can override it for any single alarm.

Using a song from your Music library

You can set any song in your Music library as an alarm sound. In the Clock app, tap Alarm, tap Edit on the alarm you want to change, then tap the sound line. Scroll to the bottom of the tone list and tap Pick a song. Your Music library opens — select any song you own or have downloaded.

The song will start playing from the beginning when the alarm goes off. If you choose a very quiet song, you may sleep through it, so pick something with volume. Songs you have added to your library but not downloaded to your phone will not work as alarms.

Why your alarm might not be making sound

If your alarm goes off silently, check two things first. Look at the side of your iPhone — if the Silent switch (the small toggle above the volume buttons) is flipped toward the back of the phone, your alarm will be muted. Flip it forward to turn sound back on.

Second, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics and check the volume slider under Ringer and Alerts. If it is all the way to the left, your alarm will be quiet or silent. Drag it to the right to raise the volume. Alarms ignore the volume you set for music or videos — they use only the ringer volume.

Setting different alarms for different times

You can create multiple alarms, each with its own sound. Open the Clock app, tap Alarm, then tap the + button in the top right. Set the time, choose which days it repeats, give it a label if you want, then tap the sound line to pick a tone or song. Tap Save.

Each alarm you create can have a different sound. This is useful if you want a gentle tone for a 6 a.m. wake-up and a louder one for a 7 a.m. backup alarm. You can also turn alarms on and off by tapping the toggle next to them in the Alarm list without deleting them.

Resetting to the default alarm sound

If you want to go back to the original alarm sound, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarm and tap Radar, which is Apple's default. For a single alarm in the Clock app, tap Edit, tap the sound line, and select Radar again.

You can also reset all your sound settings at once by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. This will not erase your data or alarms themselves — only the sounds and other preferences you have changed. You will need to enter your passcode to confirm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a voice memo as an alarm sound?

No, voice memos do not show up in the alarm sound picker. You can only use songs from your Music library or the built-in tones that come with iOS. If you want to record a custom sound, you would need to add it to your Music library through a computer or a third-party app first.

Why does my alarm sound different than what I picked?

If your iPhone is in Silent mode, the alarm will play at a lower volume or not at all, even though the tone itself is correct. Also, if you set a very quiet song as your alarm, it may sound different than when you play it normally because alarms always use your ringer volume, not your music volume.

Do I have to pick the same sound for all my alarms?

No. Each alarm can have its own sound. The default sound you set in Settings applies only to new alarms you create — existing alarms keep their current sounds unless you edit them individually in the Clock app.

What happens to my alarm sound if I update iOS?

Your custom alarm sounds and the tones you have chosen stay the same after an iOS update. Built-in tones may change or new ones may be added, but your selections will not be affected.