Open Settings and find the Clock app alarms

To change an alarm tone on your iPhone, open the Settings app, then tap Sounds & Haptics (or Sounds on older models). Scroll down and tap Alarm. The tone you select here becomes the default for all new alarms you create. If you want to change the tone for an alarm you've already set, you'll do that directly in the Clock app instead — this method only works for future alarms.

If you're changing a tone that's already assigned to an active alarm, the Clock app is faster. Open Clock, tap the Alarms tab at the bottom, find the alarm you want to change, tap Edit, then tap the alarm name or time to open its details. Tap Sound and pick a new tone from the list.

Key Takeaways

  • The default alarm tone for all future alarms is set in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarm, not in the Clock app.
  • To change the tone on an alarm you've already created, open the Clock app, tap Alarms, select Edit on that alarm, then tap Sound.
  • iPhone comes with built-in tones like Alarm, Beacon, and Chime, but you can also use any song from your Music library as an alarm.
  • If you pick a song from your library, the alarm will play only the first 30 seconds of that song.

Using songs from your Music library as alarm tones

You're not limited to the built-in alarm sounds. When you tap Sound in the Clock app alarm details, scroll to the bottom and tap Pick a song. This opens your Music library. Select any song you own or have downloaded to your phone, and it will play as your alarm.

Keep in mind that custom songs will only play their first 30 seconds as an alarm. If you choose a song with a quiet intro, the alarm may not wake you as effectively as a built-in tone designed to start loud. Test it the night before if you're relying on a custom song to wake you for something important.

Built-in alarm tones and what they sound like

iPhone includes several pre-loaded alarm tones. Alarm is the classic beeping sound most people recognize. Beacon is a steady, rising tone. Chime sounds like a bell. Digital is a rapid beeping pattern. Harp plays a soft musical note. Marimba is a wooden percussion sound. Mechanical is a loud clicking noise. Prism is a high-pitched electronic tone.

The exact list varies slightly depending on your iPhone model and iOS version, but these core tones are available on all recent models. If you don't see a tone you remember from an older phone, it may have been removed in a recent iOS update, but the ones listed above have remained standard for several years.

Why your alarm might not be using the tone you selected

If you set a custom tone but your alarm is still playing the default sound, check whether Mute is turned on. When your iPhone is in silent mode (the physical switch on the side of the phone), alarms still sound, but some custom tones may not play at full volume or may be replaced by the system default. Try toggling the mute switch to the opposite position and test the alarm again.

Another common issue: if you selected a song from your Music library and later deleted that song from your phone, the alarm will fall back to the default tone. Re-add the song to your library or pick a different one to fix this.

Setting different tones for different alarms

Each alarm can have its own tone. In the Clock app, tap Alarms, then Edit on the alarm you want to change. Tap Sound and choose a different tone. You can set your 6 a.m. work alarm to Alarm, your 7 a.m. gym alarm to Beacon, and your 8 a.m. snooze to a song from your library — they'll all play independently.

This is useful if you want a gentler tone for weekend alarms or a louder, more jarring sound for alarms you absolutely cannot sleep through. The tone you pick in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarm only affects new alarms you create after that change; existing alarms keep their current tones.

Troubleshooting: alarm tone won't change

If you've selected a new tone but the alarm still plays the old one, force-close the Clock app and reopen it. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top-right on newer models) to open the app switcher, find Clock, and swipe it away. Then tap the Clock app icon to relaunch it.

If the problem persists, restart your iPhone. Hold the power button until you see the power-off slider, drag it to turn off the phone, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. After restart, open Clock and check whether the tone has updated. This resolves most cases where the app hasn't registered your selection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a voice memo as an alarm tone?

No, the Clock app only lets you pick from built-in tones or songs in your Music library. Voice memos stored in the Voice Memos app cannot be selected as alarms. If you want a custom sound, record it as an audio file, add it to your Music library through iTunes or Apple Music, and then select it in the Clock app.

Will my alarm play if my phone is on silent?

Yes, alarms always sound even when the mute switch is on. However, some custom tones may play more quietly or not at all in silent mode. Built-in alarm tones are designed to override silent mode, so they'll always play at full volume. If you're using a song from your library and it's not sounding in silent mode, switch the mute toggle off.

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

The alarm will revert to the default tone. If you want to keep using that song, don't remove it from your Music library. If you've already deleted it, re-read it or pick a different song and reassign it to the alarm in the Clock app.

Can I change the alarm tone for all alarms at once?

No, you have to change each alarm individually in the Clock app. However, you can change the default tone for all new alarms you create by going to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarm and selecting a new default. Existing alarms won't change unless you edit them one by one.