iPhone · iOS 26 and iOS 27

iPhone alarm not going off?

Thirteen fixes, most likely first. Tick each one as you check it, then test your alarm in 2 minutes.

Checked against Apple's guides for iOS 26 and iOS 27 on 4 and 5 November 2026. Menu names can differ a little on older iOS versions.

Clock and phone settings

Start here. Fixes that open Clock are for the iPhone's own Clock app.

  1. Check the alarm is on, and AM or PM

    An alarm set for 7:00 PM stays quiet at 7 in the morning, and a one-time alarm switches off after it rings. Apple says changing the time by hand can affect alarms too.

    1. Clock
    2. Alarms

    Sources: Apple (1, 2)

  2. Turn on Always Play on iPhone

    With an Apple Watch on in bed, the sleep alarm can play only on the watch. iOS 26.4 and later can play it on the phone too.

    1. Clock
    2. Alarms
    3. Change
    4. Always Play on iPhone

    Sources: Apple, 9to5Mac

  3. Test again, and check your Apple Watch

    Since iOS 26, many people say alarms showed on screen but made no sound. On iOS 27, some fixed it by updating or unpairing an older Apple Watch. Apple hasn't confirmed this, so test an alarm before bed.

    Sources: Apple Community (1, 2)

  4. Pick a sound that isn't None

    With Sound set to None, the alarm only vibrates. It's silent if its Haptics is None, Vibration is off in Accessibility, or iPhone is in StandBy.

    1. Clock
    2. Alarms
    3. Edit
    4. your alarm
    5. Sound

    Sources: Apple (1, 2, 3)

  5. Turn up the alarm volume

    On iOS 27, turn off Match Ringtone Volume under Alarms and Timers, then drag that slider up. On iOS 26, drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider. To stop stray button presses lowering it, turn off Change with Buttons.

    1. Settings
    2. Sounds & Haptics

    Sources: Apple (1, 2, 3)

  6. Turn off Attention Aware Features

    On Face ID iPhones it lowers alert volume when you look at the phone. Some people say it quiets alarms too.

    1. Settings
    2. Face ID & Passcode
    3. Attention Aware Features

    Sources: Apple, Apple Community

  7. Check the sleep alarm's own volume

    Your sleep schedule's alarm has its own sound and volume, under Alarm Options. On iOS 27, the alarm slider in Sounds & Haptics doesn't change it.

    1. Clock
    2. Alarms
    3. Change

    Sources: Apple, 9to5Mac

  8. Use a built-in tone, not a song

    Some people found song alarms played only in their earbuds.

    1. Clock
    2. Alarms
    3. Edit
    4. your alarm
    5. Sound

    Sources: Apple Community (1, 2)

Alarm apps

Alarmy, Sleep Cycle, Bed Quitter and others

  1. Let the app set alarms

    Some alarm apps ask for your OK to set alarms. Without it, their alarms never go off.

    1. Settings
    2. Apps
    3. your alarm app

    Source: Apple's developer docs

  2. Check Silent mode

    Alarm apps that ring through a notification stay quiet in Silent mode. Turn it off at night, or use an alarm app you've allowed to set alarms.

    Sources: Apple, Apple's developer docs

  3. Let its notifications through your Focus

    Older alarm apps ring through a notification, and a Focus can hide it. This won't help in Silent mode.

    1. Settings
    2. Focus
    3. your Focus
    4. Apps

    Sources: Apple, MacRumors

  4. Don't swipe the app away

    Some alarm apps only ring if they're still open, and older ones can fail after a restart or an app update. Leave yours open at night, and test it after an update.

    Sources: iDownloadBlog, MacRumors

  5. Check the app's own sound

    Alarm apps have their own sound and volume settings. Open the app and check the alarm you set.

    Source: Apple's developer docs

4 fixes are for other problems.

Test it in 2 minutes

Set an alarm for

2minutes from now

Pick a time two minutes from now.

  1. 1Set it in the alarm app you wake up with.
  2. 2Turn on what you'll have on tonight, like Do Not Disturb or silent.
  3. 3Lock the phone and put it face down.

Known bugs right now

Bugs that stop or quiet the phone's own alarm, whether they're fixed, and what to do. A lone forum post never makes this list.

  • Alarms show on screen but make no sound

    Not fixed

    Since iOS 26 came out in September 2025, many iPhone owners have reported alarms that appear on screen with no sound. Some say the lowest volume step went silent, or that the alarm played only in their earbuds.

    Which versions
    iOS 26, from the first release. Reports were still coming in September 2026.
    Fixed yet?
    Apple hasn't said anything about it, and none of its iOS 26 updates, up to iOS 26.7.2, lists an alarm fix.
    What to do
    Owners say these helped: turn the volume up a step, use a built-in tone instead of a song, delete the alarm and set it again, and turn off Attention Aware Features. Then test a 2-minute alarm before bed.
    On the fix list: Test again, and check your Apple Watch, Turn up the alarm volume, Use a built-in tone, not a song, Turn off Attention Aware Features

    Sources: Apple: About iOS 26 Updates, Apple Community · Checked 5 November 2026

  • Alarms stopped by accident, so they seemed not to ring

    Fixed

    iOS 26.0 made the Stop and Snooze buttons the same size, and some people stopped their alarm without meaning to.

    Which versions
    iOS 26.0.
    Fixed yet?
    Fixed in iOS 26.1, which swapped the Stop button for Slide to stop. A tap still snoozes.
    What to do
    Update to iOS 26.1 or later. To get a Stop button back, turn on Prefer Single-Touch Actions in Settings, Accessibility, Touch.

    Sources: MacRumors (June 2025), MacRumors (October 2025), 9to5Mac · Checked 5 November 2026

  • The sleep alarm plays only on your Apple Watch

    By design

    If you wear an Apple Watch to bed, your sleep schedule's alarm plays on the watch, not the phone. In Silent mode the watch only taps your wrist.

    Which versions
    Sleep schedule alarms, with an Apple Watch worn in bed.
    Fixed yet?
    This is how Apple made it. iOS 26.4 added Always Play on iPhone, which stays off until you turn it on.
    What to do
    On iOS 26.4 or later, edit your sleep alarm in Clock or Health and turn on Always Play on iPhone.
    On the fix list: Turn on Always Play on iPhone

    Source: 9to5Mac · Checked 5 November 2026

Apple's notes for iOS 27, 27.0.1 and 27.2 list no alarm fix either.

Known bugs on other phones

Every fix and its sources, as open data

iPhone fixes

An alarm that keeps ringing until you're up.

Bed Quitter rings through Silent mode and Focus like the Clock app, then keeps ringing until you get out of bed and move. No photo or video from the camera leaves your phone.

Out December 1 on Android and iPhone. One email at launch, nothing else. Privacy

A woman stretching her arms overhead beside a sunny window, up and out of bed.

Why iPhone alarms go quiet

The Clock app's alarms ring in Silent mode, in Do Not Disturb and in every Focus. When one stays quiet, check the alarm first: its sound, its volume, and whether a sleep alarm went to an Apple Watch. Since iOS 26, many people have also reported alarms that make no sound.

iOS 27 added a separate alarm volume. Under Alarms and Timers in Sounds & Haptics, alarms follow your ringtone until you turn off Match Ringtone Volume, which gives them their own slider. On iOS 26, the Ringtone and Alerts slider sets alarms too.

Other alarm apps play by different rules. Apps you've allowed to set alarms ring like Clock. Older ones ring through a notification, so Silent mode or a Focus can keep them quiet.

Questions people ask

Why is my iPhone alarm not making a sound?

Check that the alarm's Sound isn't None, then check the volume: on iOS 27 it's under Alarms and Timers in Sounds & Haptics, and on iOS 26 it's the Ringtone and Alerts slider. If you wear an Apple Watch to bed, your sleep alarm may play only on the watch. Since iOS 26, many people have also reported alarms that show on screen with no sound, so test one before bed.

Will my iPhone alarm go off on silent?

Yes, from the Clock app. Apple says alarms sound in Silent mode, however you turn it on, and in Do Not Disturb or any Focus. Alarm apps that ring through a notification stay quiet in Silent mode.

Why is my iPhone alarm so quiet?

On iOS 26, alarms use the Ringtone and Alerts slider in Sounds & Haptics. On iOS 27, they follow your ringtone volume until you turn off Match Ringtone Volume, which gives them their own slider. On Face ID iPhones, Attention Aware Features lowers alert volume when you look at the phone, and some people say it quiets alarms too. Your sleep schedule's alarm has its own volume as well.

Do I need to do this again after an update?

Run the 2-minute test after each iOS update. Updates add and move settings, like iOS 27's new alarm volume, so a quick test is the surest check.

Other phones