How to Change the Alarm Sound on iPhone

The Clock app contains all the alarm sounds

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Published on June 27, 2022

What to Know

  • Open the clock app, and then tap the alarm icon to access your alarms. 
  • Tap Edit, then select the alarm you want to change. 
  • Tap Sound, and set a new alarm sound. 

This article explains how to change the alarm sound on your iPhone.

How to Change Your Alarm Sound on iPhone

The default iPhone alarm works well enough, but it’s easy to tune out if you’ve been using it long enough. You can set a new sound when you make an alarm, and that new sound will remain the default sound until you choose a new one.

Here’s how to change the alarm sound on an iPhone:

  1. Open the clock app on your phone, and tap the alarm icon.

  2. Tap Edit.

  3. Locate the alarm you want to change, and tap >.

    Alarm tab, Edit and the > icon highlighted next to an alarm in the iPhone Clock app.

  4. Tap Sound.

  5. Select a new alarm tone, then tap Back.

    If you scroll to the bottom of the list, you can tap Classic to access additional options.

  6. Tap Save.

    Sound, a selection of sounds with one chosen, and Save in iPhone Clock app

  7. When the alarm goes off, it will play the new sound that you just chose.

    Until you set an alarm with a different sound, your iPhone will use this as the default alarm sound. For example, if you ask Siri to set an alarm, it will use this tone.

How to Get New Alarm Sounds on iPhone

Your iPhone includes an assortment of ringtones you can use as alarm sounds, but you can also purchase different tones from Apple. Once you’ve purchased one from Apple, you can set it as your ringtone or alarm sound.

Here’s how to get new alarm sounds on your iPhone:

  1. Open the clock app, and tap the alarm icon if the Alarm section isn't already open.

  2. Tap Edit.

  3. Tap one of your alarms.

  4. Tap Sound.

    Edit, an alarm, and Sound highlighted in the iPhone Clock app

  5. Tap Tone Store.

    If you’ve already purchased tones in the past but don’t see them in the list, tap Download All Purchased Tones.

  6. Tap Tones.

  7. Locate a tone you want, and purchase it.

    Path to the Tone Store in the Clock app on iPhone

  8. You can now set that tone as your alarm sound.

Can You Set a Song as an Alarm Sound on iPhone?

You can set a song as your iPhone alarm sound as long as the song is in the music library on your iPhone. It works a lot like changing the alarm sound to a ringtone, but you need to select the pick a song option instead of a ringtone and then choose from the library of songs on your device.

Have you bought music from iTunes in the past, but you don't currently have any songs on your phone? You can redownload iTunes songs to your iPhone at any time.

FAQ
  • Why is my iPhone alarm not going off?

    There may be a problem with your volume settings. To fix an iPhone alarm that isn't working, turn up the volume, check your alarm's time settings, and disable the Bedtime feature. Also, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics, and ensure the Ringer and Alerts slider is at a reasonable volume. Disable Change with Buttons, so the alarm volume never changes if you change system volume.

  • How do I make the alarm louder on an iPhone?

    Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and move the Ringer and Alerts slider to increase your alarm volume. The sound will change as you drag the slider. You should also turn up the volume on your iPhone.

  • How do I change the snooze time on my iPhone alarm?

    There's no official way to change the snooze time on an iPhone. However, there are some workarounds. You can try a third-party alarm clock app with more snooze time flexibility. Or, you can set multiple alarms with your iPhone alarm clock, so alarms go off at your desired intervals.

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