Open Settings, tap Sounds, and pick a new alarm tone from the list

To change an alarm sound on your iPhone, you need to go into the Sounds & Haptics settings, find the Alarm section, and select a different tone. The process takes less than a minute and works the same way on all iPhone models running iOS 16 or later. You do not need to delete the alarm itself — you are just swapping out the sound it makes.

The alarm sound you choose will explore to all alarms you have set unless you change it again. If you want different alarms to use different sounds, you will need to set them one at a time and pick a new tone for each one before saving.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, scroll to Sounds & Haptics, and tap Alarm to see all available tones.
  • Tap any tone to hear a preview before you confirm your choice.
  • The new sound applies to all future alarms you set, not just the one you are currently editing.
  • iPhone comes with about 25 built-in alarm tones, and you can also use songs from your Music app if you have added them to your library.

Step-by-step: changing your alarm sound

Start by opening the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down until you see Sounds & Haptics and tap it. On older iPhones, this section may be labeled just Sounds.

Once you are in Sounds & Haptics, look for the Alarm row near the bottom of the screen. Tap it to open the alarm tone picker. You will see a list of built-in tones with names like Alarm, Beacon, Bells, and Chime. Tap any tone to hear a short preview of what it sounds like.

When you find one you want to use, tap it once more to confirm. A checkmark will appear next to your choice. Close Settings by swiping up from the bottom or tapping the home button, and you are done. The next alarm you set will use the new sound.

Using songs from your Music library as alarm sounds

If you want to use a song you own instead of a built-in tone, you can do that through the Clock app itself rather than through Settings. Open the Clock app, tap the Alarm tab at the bottom, and either create a new alarm or tap Edit and select an existing one.

Tap the sound row (it will show the current alarm tone). At the top of the tone picker, you will see a section called Pick a Song. Tap it and choose any song from your Music library. The song will start playing from the beginning when the alarm goes off. This method lets you set a different song for each individual alarm without changing the default tone in Settings.

Keep in mind that if you delete a song from your Music library after setting it as an alarm, the alarm will fall back to the default tone. Also, songs you have only added to a playlist (rather than downloaded or purchased) may not work as alarm sounds.

Why your alarm sound might not be changing

If you change the tone in Settings but your alarm still uses the old sound, check whether you set that specific alarm with a custom song through the Clock app. Custom songs override the Settings default, so you will need to edit that individual alarm and change its sound through the Clock app instead.

Another reason the change might not stick: make sure you are tapping the tone to confirm it, not just scrolling past it. The checkmark next to your choice is what saves it. If you close Settings without seeing a checkmark, the old tone is still active.

Built-in alarm tones and what they sound like

iPhone includes about 25 alarm tones. The most common ones are Alarm (a steady beeping sound), Beacon (a pulsing tone that gets louder), Bells (a ringing bell sound), and Chime (a gentle musical note). Others include Radar, Sci-Fi, Sonar, and Xylophone — each with a distinct character.

The best alarm tone for you depends on how heavy a sleeper you are and what environment you wake up in. If you share a bed or bedroom, a gentler tone like Chime or Bells may be less jarring to others. If you sleep through most sounds, Beacon or Radar — which build in volume — tend to work better.

Changing the volume of your alarm separately from other sounds

Your alarm volume is controlled by the physical volume buttons on the side of your iPhone, not by the tone you choose. Press the up button to raise the volume and the down button to lower it. The volume you set applies to all alarms unless you change it again.

If you want your alarm to be loud but your notification sounds to be quiet (or vice versa), you will need to adjust the volume buttons each time you switch between them. There is no separate volume slider just for alarms in Settings — the physical buttons control all sound output except for music and videos, which have their own volume control.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a ringtone as an alarm sound?

No. Ringtones and alarm tones are stored in different places on your iPhone, and alarm sounds can only come from the built-in alarm tones or songs in your Music library. If you want a particular ringtone as an alarm, you would need to add that audio file to your Music library first, then select it through the Clock app.

What happens to my alarm sound if I update iOS?

Your choice stays the same. iOS updates do not reset your alarm sound to the default. If you set your alarm to Beacon, it will still be Beacon after you update. However, new iOS versions sometimes add new alarm tones to the list, so you may see additional options after an update.

Can I set different alarm sounds for weekdays and weekends?

Not directly through one alarm. You would need to create two separate alarms — one for weekdays and one for weekends — and set each one to a different sound through the Clock app. Then turn off the weekend alarm on weekdays and the weekday alarm on weekends as needed.

Why does my alarm sound like a phone ringing instead of the tone I picked?

This usually means your iPhone is in Do Not Disturb mode, which can override your alarm tone choice. Check Control Center (swipe down from the top right) and make sure Do Not Disturb is off. Alarms should always sound even in Do Not Disturb, but a glitch occasionally causes the default ringtone to play instead.