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If your default alarm makes you dread the morning, you can swap it in under a minute. Open the Clock app, tap Alarm, tap the alarm you want to edit, tap Sound and pick a new tone or song. That is the whole trick, but there are a few extra options most people never find, such as using your own music, changing your Sleep alarm and fixing an alarm that is too quiet.
Steps to Change the Alarm Sound
- Open the Clock app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Alarms tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Edit in the top-left corner, or tap the plus icon (+) in the top-right corner to create a new alarm. You can also just tap directly on an existing alarm.
- Tap on Sound to see the list of available tones.
- Tap any sound to hear a preview.
- Select your preferred ringtone, classic tone, or choose a song from your music library.
- Tap Back and then tap Save or Done in the upper corner to keep your changes.
That is all it takes. Your alarm now uses the new sound every time it rings. On the latest versions of iOS you can also tap the alarm time directly without pressing Edit first.
Standard Tones and Apple Music Songs
- Open the Clock app and tap the Alarms tab.
- Tap an existing alarm or the + icon to create a new one.
- Tap Sound.
- Choose a built-in ringtone or alert tone.
- To use a song, tap Pick a Song under the Songs section to select any track from your Apple Music library (the song must be downloaded to your device).
Custom Ringtones and Any Audio File (Using GarageBand)
- Save your desired audio file or song to the Files app on your iPhone.
- Open GarageBand (download it free from the App Store if needed) and select the Audio Recorder track.
- Tap the triangle/track icon near the top left to switch to the timeline view, then tap the loop icon in the top right corner.
- Go to the Files tab and select Browse items from the Files app to find and load your audio track.
- Drag and drop your audio file onto the timeline, and trim it to your preferred length (under 30 seconds is best for ringtones).
- Tap the downward arrow in the top left, select My Songs, then long-press your saved project and tap Share > Ringtone.
- Name your ringtone and tap Export.
- Open the Clock app, go to your alarm’s Sound menu, and select your newly exported custom track from the top of the ringtone list.
How to Choose a Sound When You Create a New Alarm
If you are setting up a fresh alarm, you can pick the sound at the same time:
- Open the Clock app and tap Alarm.
- Tap the plus (+) icon at the top right.
- Set the time and choose the days it should repeat.
- Tap Sound and select your tone.
- Tap Save.
Every alarm has its own sound setting, so you can have a calm tone for weekdays and a louder one for early flights or important meetings.
Pro Tip
Set two alarms for the same wake up time with different sounds. Make the first one a soft tone like Slow Rise and the second one, set two minutes later, a sharp tone like Radar. You get a gentle start, and a guaranteed backup if you drift back to sleep. Give each alarm a label so you always know which one is which.
What Alarm Sounds Can You Choose From?
When you tap Sound, the list is split into a few groups, and knowing the difference helps you choose faster.
- Ringtones: Short tones such as Radar (the default), Slow Rise, Waves and Sencha. Slow Rise starts softly and builds up, which suits people who hate being jolted awake.
- Classic tones: Older alert style sounds that are shorter and sharper.
- Songs: Music from your own library, covered in the next section.
- Tone Store: A shop where you can buy extra tones.
- None: The alarm makes no sound and only vibrates. Check this if your alarm ever rings silently.
You will also see a Vibration option on the same screen. If you want a different buzz pattern, or none at all, you can adjust it there, and this guide on how to turn off iPhone vibrate covers the wider vibration settings.
How to Use a Song as Your Alarm Sound
Waking up to your favourite track is easy to set up:
- Open Clock, tap Alarm and choose the alarm.
- Tap Sound.
- Scroll to the Songs section and tap Pick a Song.
- Browse your library, tap the song you want and it will be selected automatically.
- Tap Back and then Save.
There is one catch. The song has to be in your music library, and it works best when it is downloaded to your iPhone. A song that is only streamed can fail to play if your phone has no signal at 6am. Streaming also uses mobile data, and if you are unsure how much you have left, this guide will help you see remaining iPhone data.
Songs from apps such as Spotify cannot be picked inside the Clock app, because only music in your Apple library appears in the list.
How to Set a Custom Sound or Ringtone as Your Alarm
If none of the tones suit you, you have two good options.
Option 1:
Buy a tone. Tap Sound, then tap Tone Store at the top of the list. Search for a tone, buy it and it will appear in your list straight away.
Option 2:
Create your own in GarageBand. GarageBand is a free Apple app. Record a sound or import an audio file, then tap the share option and choose Ringtone. Name it, export it and choose to use it as a Standard Ringtone. Your custom sound now appears at the top of the Ringtones list inside the alarm Sound screen. Ringtones are limited to around 30 seconds, which is plenty for an alarm.
How to Change the Sound of Your Sleep Schedule Alarm
Some alarms do not live in the Clock app at all. If you set up a bedtime routine, the wake up alarm sits in the Health app:
- Open the Health app and tap Browse.
- Tap Sleep, then open your schedule.
- Tap Edit and find Sound and Haptics.
- Choose your new tone and save.
If you have changed a Clock alarm but still hear the old sound, this hidden Sleep alarm is often the reason.
How to Make Your iPhone Alarm Louder
Picking a great tone is pointless if you cannot hear it. Try these fixes:
- Raise the alert volume. Go to Settings, tap Sounds and Haptics and drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider up. Your alarm volume follows this slider, not the media volume.
- Turn on Change with Buttons. On the same screen, this lets the volume buttons on the side control the alarm volume.
- Turn off Attention Aware Features. Go to Settings, then Face ID and Passcode and switch off Attention Aware Features. When it is on, your iPhone can lower the alarm volume if it sees you looking at the screen.
Your alarm will still ring when the Silent switch is on, so you do not need to worry about the ringer setting.
Why Is My New Alarm Sound Not Working?
If your alarm does not play the tone you picked, run through this checklist:
- The sound is set to None. Open the alarm, tap Sound and check that a tone is ticked.
- The song is not downloaded. Download it to your iPhone, or choose a standard ringtone instead.
- You changed the wrong alarm. Look for duplicates in the Clock app and in your Sleep schedule.
- The volume is too low. Raise the Ringtone and Alerts slider.
- The software has a glitch. Restart your iPhone and install any pending iOS update.
Alarms also keep ringing when Focus modes are on, but calls and messages stay quiet. If your phone seems silent for everything else, check your Do Not Disturb settings. And do not confuse your alarm with the loud siren that comes from government warnings, which has its own controls. Here is how to turn off emergency alerts if they ever disturb you at night.
Need iPhones for Your Team or Event? Rent Them
Setting the right alarm tone matters even more when a whole team depends on it. Event staff, field crews and pop up shop teams often need reliable phones with alarms, reminders and shift timers set up before day one. Buying a fleet of handsets for a short project rarely makes sense, and renting keeps the cost tied to the days you actually need them.
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Frequently Asked Questions About iPhone Alarm Sounds
How do I change the alarm sound on my iPhone?
Open the Clock app, tap Alarm, tap Edit, select your alarm, tap Sound and choose a tone or song. Tap Back, then Save. The new sound plays the next time that alarm goes off.
What is the default alarm sound on an iPhone?
The default alarm sound on the iPhone is Radar. You can replace it with any other ringtone, song or custom sound from the Sound menu inside each alarm.
Can I use Spotify songs as an iPhone alarm?
Not directly. The Clock app only lists music from your Apple library, so Spotify tracks do not appear. You would need to buy or download the song through Apple Music or the Tone Store.
Can I set a different sound for each alarm?
Yes. Every alarm has its own Sound setting, so you can give each alarm a different tone, song and vibration pattern.
Why is my iPhone alarm so quiet?
Your alarm volume follows the Ringtone and Alerts slider in Settings. Raise it, and switch off Attention Aware Features in Face ID and Passcode so the volume is not lowered when you look at the screen.
Can I rent iPhones for a short event?
Yes. Rental suits short events, training days and seasonal projects, because you use the devices only for the period you need and return them afterwards. Contact the rental team with your dates and the number of iPhones you need.
