Open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, then choose a new alarm tone
To change your iPhone alarm sound, you need to go into the Sounds & Haptics menu in Settings. This is where your phone stores all the audio settings for alerts, notifications, and alarms. The process takes about one minute and works the same way on all recent iPhone models.
Start by opening the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Sounds & Haptics. On older iPhones running iOS 14 or earlier, this section may be labeled just Sounds. Once you're in that menu, look for the Alarm option — it sits below the ringtone and text tone settings.
Tap Alarm and you'll see a list of built-in tones. Each one plays a short preview when you tap it, so you can hear what it sounds like before you commit. Once you find one you like, it becomes your default alarm sound when ready. You don't need to tap a save button.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings, scroll to Sounds & Haptics, then tap Alarm to see all available tones.
- Tap any tone in the list to hear a preview, and your choice saves automatically.
- You can use songs from your music library as alarm sounds by creating a custom alarm in the Clock app instead of using the Settings menu.
- If you set different alarms for different times of day, each one can have its own sound — change them individually in the Clock app.
Using a Song from Your Music Library as an Alarm
The built-in alarm tones are limited, and you may want to wake up to a song you actually like. The Settings menu only shows Apple's default sounds, but you can use any song in your music library as an alarm by creating the alarm in the Clock app instead.
Open the Clock app and tap the Alarm tab at the bottom. Tap the plus sign to create a new alarm, or tap an existing alarm to edit it. Set the time you want, then scroll down and tap Sound. At the top of the sound list, you'll see Pick a song. Tap that, and your entire music library appears. Choose any song, and it will play when that alarm goes off.
The song starts playing from the beginning, not from wherever you last stopped it. If the song is shorter than a few seconds, your phone may not recognize it as a valid alarm sound — stick to full-length tracks.
Why Your New Alarm Sound Might Not Be Working
If you changed the alarm sound but it's still playing the old one, check whether your phone is in silent mode. When the physical mute switch on the side of your iPhone is flipped to silent (you'll see an orange line), alarms still sound, but all other notification sounds are muted. This won't affect your alarm.
If the alarm isn't making any sound at all, open Settings, go to Sounds & Haptics, and check the Alarm Volume slider. If it's all the way to the left, your alarm is set to silent. Drag it to the right to restore volume. You can also test the sound by tapping any alarm tone in the Sounds & Haptics menu — if you hear nothing, the volume slider is the problem.
Another common issue: you changed the sound in Settings, but you have a recurring alarm in the Clock app that was set up before the change. Recurring alarms keep their original sound unless you edit them individually. Open the Clock app, tap the alarm, tap Edit, then tap Sound and choose a new one.
Setting Different Sounds for Different Alarms
If you have multiple alarms — one for weekdays, one for weekends, one for a specific appointment — you can give each one a different sound. This is only possible through the Clock app, not through Settings.
Open the Clock app and tap Alarm. Tap the alarm you want to change, then tap Edit in the top left. Scroll down to Sound and tap it. Choose from the built-in tones or tap Pick a song to use something from your music library. When you're done, tap Save in the top right. Repeat this process for each alarm you want to customize.
This approach is useful if you want a gentle tone for a 6 a.m. alarm and a louder, more jarring one for an afternoon reminder. Each alarm remembers its own sound even if you change your default alarm sound in Settings later.
Understanding the Difference Between Settings and Clock App Alarms
Your iPhone has two places where alarms live, and they work slightly differently. The Sounds & Haptics menu in Settings controls the default alarm sound — the one that plays if you create a quick alarm by asking Siri or if you set an alarm through a third-party app.
The Clock app is where you create and manage individual alarms with full control. When you set an alarm in the Clock app, you can choose its sound, label, repeat pattern, and snooze behavior all in one place. If you want to use a song as your alarm, you must use the Clock app — the Settings menu doesn't offer that option.
For most people, the Clock app is the better place to set alarms because it gives you more control. The Settings menu is mainly useful if you want to change the default sound that plays when you ask Siri to set a quick alarm without specifying a sound.
Troubleshooting: Alarm Sounds That Won't Play
If you've chosen a song from your music library and it won't play when the alarm goes off, the song may not be downloaded to your phone. Songs you stream from Apple Music or another service need to be saved for offline listening before they can work as alarms. Open the Music app, find the song, tap the three dots next to it, and tap Add to Library or read depending on your subscription.
If a built-in alarm tone suddenly stops working, restart your phone. Hold down the side button and one of the volume buttons until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off your phone. Wait a few seconds, then press the side button again to turn it back on. This fixes most audio glitches.
If you're using a custom song and it plays but sounds distorted or too quiet, the problem is usually the song's original audio quality, not your phone. Try a different song to confirm. If built-in tones sound normal but your custom songs don't, the issue is with the file itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a voice memo or recording as an alarm sound?
Yes. Save your voice memo to your music library or voice memos app, then open the Clock app, create or edit an alarm, tap Sound, and tap Pick a song. Your voice memos appear in the list. Select the one you want and save the alarm.
What happens to my alarm sound if I update my iPhone?
Alarms you created in the Clock app keep their custom sounds through updates. If you set a default alarm sound in Settings, it may reset to the system default after a major iOS update, so you may need to change it again.
Why does my alarm sound different on my iPhone than it does in the preview?
The preview plays through your phone's speaker at full volume. When the alarm actually goes off, it respects your Alarm Volume setting in Sounds & Haptics, which may be lower than the preview volume. Check that slider if the alarm sounds quieter than expected.
Can I set an alarm sound that only plays on weekdays?
You can't assign a sound to a repeat pattern directly. Instead, create two separate alarms in the Clock app — one for weekdays with your preferred sound, and one for weekends with a different sound. Set the repeat pattern on each one independently.
Will my alarm still work if my phone is connected to Bluetooth speakers?
Yes, but the alarm will play through the Bluetooth device, not your phone's speaker. If you want the alarm to always play through your phone speaker, disconnect from Bluetooth before bed, or go into Settings and disable Bluetooth.