Answer checked 5 November 2026
Will my alarm go off on silent?
For the Clock app, yes. Silent mode and a turned-off ringer quiet calls and notifications, not alarms. On Samsung, one Clock setting can change that. Check yours below.
Your phone
Guessed from your browser
Your alarm
What's on tonight?
Pick all that apply
It should ring, with a catch.
One setting changes how it rings. Read it below.
Mute or vibrate
Rings, with a catch
Mute and Vibrate don't stop alarms, unless this Clock setting is on. Make sure it's off. Some phones word it as alarms and timers vibrating only.
- Clock
- More options
- Settings
- Silence alarms when system sound is off
Airplane or Flight mode
Rings
Alarms don't need a signal. If your alarm is a Spotify song or a Bixby alarm, pick a ringtone, since Samsung doesn't say what plays offline.
Checked against Samsung's guides for One UI 8.5 on 4 and 5 November 2026.
What happened?
Try these first
Turn off Silence alarms when system sound is off
With it on, Mute or Vibrate silences your alarms too. Some phones word it as alarms and timers vibrating only.
- Clock
- More options
- Settings
Let alarms through Do not disturb
Do not disturb has its own Alarms switch. It's normally on, but check it.
- Settings
- Notifications
- Do not disturb
- Alarms and sounds
- Alarms
Check your Sleep mode
Sleep mode can turn on Do not disturb with its own options. Samsung doesn't say if alarms get through, so check, then test.
- Settings
- Modes and Routines
- Modes
- Sleep
If it rang, your phone did its part.
Not sure it made a sound? Pick Didn't ring or Too quiet for the fixes. Waking up is the hard part, and Bed Quitter keeps ringing until you're out of bed and moving.
- iPhone: rings
- Apple says Clock alarms play in Silent mode, however you turn it on.
- Samsung: rings, with a catch
- Unless Silence alarms when system sound is off is on, in Clock's settings.
- Other Android: rings
- Alarms have their own volume, apart from the ringer.
Sources: Google, Android's code
- Airplane mode: rings
- Alarms don't need a signal. Watch for a song alarm, a time zone you've just changed, and earbuds left connected.
Where to check it
One minute tonight can save a late morning. The names below come from official help pages and phone guides, so yours may differ a little.
iPhone | Nothing to change for the Clock app, however you turn Silent mode on. |
Samsung | Turn off Silence alarms when system sound is off With it on, Mute or Vibrate silences your alarms too. Some phones word it as alarms and timers vibrating only.
Another alarm app Samsung only documents this for its own Clock app. Test a 2-minute alarm from your app with Mute on. Source: Samsung |
Pixel | Nothing to change for silent or vibrate. Alarms have their own volume, so make sure it's up. |
Other Android | Look for an alarm volume of its own, apart from the ringer. Menus differ by maker, so run the 2-minute test too. |
What can still keep it quiet
Pick a sound that isn't None iPhone | |
Give the alarm a sound Pixel | An alarm set to a silent sound only vibrates, and does nothing with vibration off.
Source: Google |
Turn off Mute all sounds Samsung | |
Check Silent mode iPhone alarm apps | 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 |
Will my alarm go off in airplane mode?
For the Clock app, yes. Airplane mode turns off the cellular signal, and usually Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, though either can stay on. Alarms don't need any of them. Watch for three things: an alarm that's a song, a time zone you've just changed, and earbuds that stay connected.
iPhone
Rings
Alarms don't need a signal. If your alarm is a song, keep it downloaded. If you've changed time zones, check the clock first.
iPhone, another alarm app
Not confirmed
Clock alarms don't need a signal, but Apple doesn't say for other apps. Test a 2-minute alarm in Airplane Mode. If you've changed time zones, check the clock first.
Samsung
Rings
Alarms don't need a signal. If your alarm is a Spotify song or a Bixby alarm, pick a ringtone, since Samsung doesn't say what plays offline.
Other Android
Rings
Alarms don't need a signal. Bluetooth can stay on, so earbuds may play it too. If your alarm is a streaming song, pick a built-in sound.
Test it in 2 minutes
Set an alarm for
Pick a time two minutes from now.
- 1Set it in the alarm app you wake up with.
- 2Turn on what you'll have on tonight, like Do Not Disturb or silent.
- 3Lock the phone and put it face down.
Did it ring on time?
It rang with tonight's settings.
A short test can't catch everything, like an overnight restart or a flat battery. Keep the phone charging, and test again after a software update or a new alarm app.
On iPhone, your sleep schedule's alarm has its own volume, and if you wear an Apple Watch to bed it can play only on the watch. This test doesn't cover that alarm.
Then something is holding it back.
Your phone's fixes are next, most likely first.
Questions people ask
Will my alarm go off if my ringer is off?
Yes, from the Clock app. Turning the ringer off quiets calls and notifications, not alarms. On iPhone, Apple says alarms play in Silent mode however you turn it on. On Samsung, make sure one Clock setting is off: Silence alarms when system sound is off.
Will my alarm go off on vibrate?
Yes, on iPhone and Pixel. On Samsung, Mute and Vibrate don't stop alarms unless Silence alarms when system sound is off is on. Some phones word it as alarms and timers vibrating only.
Do alarms work in airplane mode?
Yes, for the Clock app. Alarms don't need a signal, on iPhone, Samsung or other Android phones. If you've changed time zones, check the phone's clock first. If your alarm is a song, keep it downloaded on iPhone, or pick a built-in sound on Android. Bluetooth can stay on, so disconnect earbuds at night. For another alarm app on iPhone, Apple doesn't say, so test a 2-minute alarm from yours in Airplane Mode.
Will an alarm app ring on silent?
It depends on the app. On iPhone, alarm apps you've allowed to set alarms ring in Silent mode, and apps that only send notifications stay quiet. Samsung only documents its own Clock app, so test a 2-minute alarm from your app with Mute on.
Silent and airplane mode
An alarm that keeps ringing until you're up.
On iPhone, Bed Quitter rings through Silent mode like the Clock app. Then it keeps ringing until you get out of bed and move. No photo or video from the camera leaves your phone.
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