Open Settings and find your alarm sound options
To change the sound your iPhone alarm makes, open the Clock app — the one with a clock face icon on your home screen. Tap the Alarm tab at the bottom of the screen. Find the alarm you want to change and swipe left on it, then tap the Edit button (pencil icon). Scroll down to the Sound row and tap it.
When you tap Sound, a list of built-in alarm tones appears. Each one plays a preview when you tap it, so you can hear what it sounds like before you save. The tones have names like Radar, Bells, Alarm Clock, and Chime. Pick the one you want and tap Back at the top left to return to your alarm settings.
Key Takeaways
- Open the Clock app, tap Alarm, swipe left on your alarm, and tap Edit to reach the Sound menu.
- iPhone comes with about 30 built-in alarm tones you can preview by tapping each one.
- You can also set a song from your Music library as an alarm sound by tapping the Music note icon at the top of the Sound list.
- Changes save automatically when you tap Back — you do not need to press a separate Save button.
- Each alarm can have its own sound, so you can set different tones for different times of day.
Use a song from your Music library instead
If you want to wake up to a song instead of a standard alarm tone, the Clock app lets you pick from your Music library. In the Sound menu, look for the Music note icon at the very top of the list. Tap it and you will see all the songs stored on your iPhone.
Scroll through and tap the song you want. The app will preview the first few seconds so you can hear how it sounds as an alarm. Keep in mind that songs start from the beginning — you cannot set them to start at a specific point in the track. Once you pick your song and tap Back, that alarm will use that music instead of a tone.
Understand what happens when you save your choice
When you finish editing your alarm and tap Back, your changes save right away. You do not see a Save button or a confirmation message — the Clock app just remembers what you chose. If you go back into that alarm's settings later, you will see your new sound listed in the Sound row.
If you change your mind, you can edit the alarm again at any time. Swipe left on it, tap Edit, tap Sound, and pick a different tone or song. The old sound is replaced as soon as you tap Back.
Set different sounds for different alarms
Each alarm on your iPhone can have its own unique sound. If you have a 6 a.m. alarm for work and a 9 a.m. alarm for weekends, you can make them sound completely different. This is useful if you want a gentler tone for the weekend alarm or a louder, more urgent sound for your weekday wake-up.
To do this, edit each alarm separately. Swipe left on the first alarm, tap Edit, change its Sound, and tap Back. Then swipe left on the second alarm, tap Edit, change its Sound to something else, and tap Back. The Clock app keeps track of which sound goes with which alarm.
Troubleshoot if your new sound does not play
If you set a new alarm sound but it does not play when the alarm goes off, check your iPhone's volume. Press the volume up button on the side of your phone to make sure the ringer volume is turned up — not the media volume. You can also go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and look at the Ringer and Alerts slider to confirm it is not muted.
If your phone is in Silent mode (the mute switch on the left side is flipped down), the alarm will still ring, but it will use the vibration instead of sound. Flip the switch back up so the orange stripe is not visible, and your alarm sound will play normally. If you chose a song from your Music library and it is not playing, make sure that song is actually stored on your iPhone — songs that are only in iCloud might not work as alarms.
Know the limits of custom alarm sounds
iPhone alarm sounds have a few built-in limits. You cannot record your own sound and use it as an alarm — you can only pick from the built-in tones or songs in your Music library. You also cannot trim a song to start at a specific moment; the alarm always plays from the beginning of the track.
If you use a song that is longer than a few minutes, the alarm will keep playing that song until you turn it off by tapping the Dismiss or Snooze button. For most people, the built-in tones work better because they are designed to wake you up quickly and then stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a song I downloaded from a streaming service like Spotify?
No. iPhone alarms only work with songs in the Music app — the one that comes built into iOS. If you want to use a song as an alarm, you need to own it through Apple Music, iTunes, or another service that stores songs directly on your phone. Streaming-only songs from Spotify or other apps cannot be set as alarms.
What if I want the alarm to vibrate silently instead of making a sound?
Put your iPhone in Silent mode by flipping the mute switch on the left side of the phone down. The alarm will still go off at the right time, but it will vibrate instead of playing sound. You can still see the alarm notification on your screen and tap Dismiss or Snooze.
Do I have to change the sound for every alarm, or can I set a default?
Each alarm keeps its own sound setting. If you create a new alarm, it will use the last sound you picked, so you do not have to change it every time. But if you want all your alarms to use the same sound, you will need to edit each one individually and pick the same tone.
Can I use a ringtone I created as an alarm sound?
Custom ringtones you made in GarageBand or other apps do not show up in the Clock app's Sound menu. You can only use the built-in alarm tones or songs from your Music library. If you want a custom sound, the easiest option is to add a song to your Music library and use that instead.