Open the Clock app and tap the alarm you want to change

The fastest way to change an existing alarm is through the Clock app, which comes built into every iPhone. Tap the Clock icon on your home screen — it shows a clock face. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see four tabs: World Clock, Alarm, Timer, and Stopwatch. Tap Alarm.

You'll see a list of all your alarms. Each one shows the time it's set for and which days it repeats. Tap the alarm you want to change. The alarm details screen opens, showing the time, repeat pattern, label, sound, and snooze setting. From here, you can modify any part of the alarm.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Clock app, go to the Alarm tab, and tap any alarm to change its time, sound, or repeat pattern.
  • To change the alarm time, tap the time field at the top and use the scroll wheels to set hours and minutes.
  • You can change the sound by tapping Sound and choosing from ringtones, alerts, or songs in your library.
  • Turn off an alarm by toggling the switch next to it, or delete it by swiping left and tapping Delete.
  • Changes save automatically when you tap Back — you don't need to hit a separate Save button.

Change the alarm time using the scroll wheels

At the top of the alarm details screen, you'll see the time displayed in large numbers. Tap directly on the time to edit it. Two scroll wheels appear — one for hours and one for minutes. Scroll up or down on each wheel to set the new time. The hours wheel shows numbers 1 through 12, and the minutes wheel shows 00 through 59 in five-minute increments.

If your alarm is set for 6:30 AM and you want to move it to 7:15 AM, scroll the hours wheel down one notch and the minutes wheel down three notches. Once the time looks right, tap outside the wheels or tap Back to close the time picker. The new time is saved when ready — you don't need to confirm the change.

Set which days the alarm repeats

Below the time, you'll see a Repeat field. Tap it to choose which days the alarm should go off. A list appears with options: Never, Every Day, Weekdays, Weekends, or a custom selection. If you tap Never, the alarm will sound only once on the date you set. If you tap Every Day, it repeats at that time every single day.

For more control, scroll down and tap the days of the week individually — Sunday through Saturday. A checkmark appears next to each day you select. This is useful if you want an alarm only on workdays, or only on certain days of the week. Once you've chosen your days, tap Back to return to the alarm details and your selection is saved.

Change the alarm sound and label

Tap the Sound field to hear and choose a different alarm tone. A list of built-in sounds appears, organized by category: Ringtones, Alerts, and Downloaded Sounds. Tap any sound to preview it — you'll hear a sample right away. If you have songs in your Music library, scroll to the bottom and tap Pick a Song to use one of your own tracks as the alarm.

Above the Sound field, you'll see a Label field showing the alarm's name — often "Alarm" by default. Tap it to type a custom name like "Gym" or "Work" or "Dentist." A descriptive label makes it easier to recognize which alarm is which when multiple alarms go off on the same day. Type your label and tap Back when you're done, and the label updates when ready.

Turn off snooze or adjust other settings

Near the bottom of the alarm details screen, you'll see a toggle for Snooze. This switch controls whether the snooze button appears when your alarm goes off. If the toggle is green, snooze is on — you can tap Snooze to silence the alarm for nine minutes. If the toggle is gray, snooze is off and you must dismiss the alarm completely.

Some iPhones also show a Vibration option. Tap it to choose whether the phone vibrates when the alarm sounds, or to pick a custom vibration pattern. Once all your settings are the way you want them, tap Back at the top left. Your changes save automatically — there's no Save button to press.

Delete an alarm you no longer need

If you want to remove an alarm entirely, go to the Alarm tab in the Clock app and find the alarm in the list. Swipe left on it with your finger. A red Delete button appears on the right side. Tap Delete to remove the alarm. It's gone when ready and won't sound again.

Alternatively, you can tap Edit in the top left corner of the Alarm tab. Red minus signs appear next to each alarm. Tap the minus sign next to the alarm you want to remove, then tap Delete. This method is useful if you want to delete multiple alarms at once. Tap Done when you're finished deleting.

Create a new alarm if you need one

To add a brand new alarm instead of changing an existing one, go to the Alarm tab and tap the plus sign (+) in the top right corner. A new alarm screen opens with default settings: 9:00 AM, no repeat, a standard alert sound, and snooze on. Follow the same steps above to set the time, repeat days, sound, and label.

Tap Save at the top right when you're done, and the new alarm appears in your list. The alarm will go off at the time and on the days you specified. You can change it anytime by tapping it again in the Alarm tab.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change an alarm without opening the Clock app?

You can turn an alarm on or off from the lock screen or home screen without opening the Clock app — just ask Siri "Turn off my 6 AM alarm" or "Set an alarm for 7 AM." However, to change the time, sound, or repeat pattern, you must open the Clock app and tap the alarm.

What happens if I change an alarm while it's going off?

If an alarm is currently sounding, dismiss it first by tapping Dismiss or Snooze on the alert. Then open the Clock app and make your changes. The next time the alarm is scheduled to go off, it will use the new settings you just saved.

Do I lose my alarm if I restart my iPhone?

No. All alarms you've set are saved on your iPhone and will remain even after you restart, turn off the phone, or update iOS. As long as you don't delete the alarm, it will continue to go off at the scheduled time and days.

Can I use a song from Apple Music as an alarm?

Yes. Tap the Sound field, scroll to the bottom, and tap Pick a Song. You can choose any song from your Music library, including songs you've added from Apple Music. The alarm will play that song when it goes off.

Why isn't my alarm going off at the new time I set?

Make sure the alarm toggle next to it in the Alarm list is green (turned on). Also check that your iPhone is not in Do Not Disturb mode, which silences alarms on some settings. Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and make sure Allow Alarms is toggled on.