Will my alarm ring in silent mode, airplane mode or with the phone off?
“Can I sleep with silent mode on?” “Will it ring in airplane mode?” Here is whether a phone alarm rings, case by case.
Quick table
This is how alarms in the built-in Clock app behave.
| Situation | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Silent mode | Rings | Rings (unless alarm volume is at zero) |
| Focus / Do Not Disturb | Rings | Rings (unless you set it to silence alarms) |
| Airplane mode | Rings | Rings |
| Powered off | Does not ring | Does not ring (some models do) |
| Battery dead | Does not ring | Does not ring |
| Headphones or speaker connected | Also plays from the phone | Also plays from the phone on most models |
| Alarm volume at the lowest | Barely audible | Silent (vibration only) |
Behavior can differ by model and OS version. Before an important day, test it once.
Check two things first: sound and power
In short, there are two main reasons an alarm does not ring.
- The sound is set so that nothing plays: the alarm volume is too low, the sound is set to “None”, and so on.
- The phone is not running: the power is off or the battery is dead.
Silent mode and airplane mode are neither of these. You can sleep with them on and the alarm still rings. The sections below go through each case.
Rings in silent mode. YOBIOKO, the alarm you stop by typingSee the app
It rings in silent mode
On both iPhone and Android, Clock alarms ring in silent mode. Silent mode stops ringtones and notification sounds. Apple also says that Silent mode and the switch on the side do not affect the alarm sound.
Two things are separate, though.
- Alarm volume too low: on iPhone check the “Ringtone and Alerts” volume, on Android check the “Alarm” volume.
- Alarm sound set to “None”: the alarm only vibrates.
On Android, if the alarm sound is silent and vibration is off, nothing happens. Google's help also says an alarm may be too quiet to hear when the alarm volume is under 30%.
Where to check the volume
| Device | Where to look |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Settings → Sounds & Haptics → the “Ringtone and Alerts” slider |
| Android | Settings → Sound & vibration → “Alarm volume” |
On Android, alarm volume is separate from media volume and ring volume. You can also change it from the menu on the panel that appears when you press a volume button.
It rings in Focus and Do Not Disturb
Even in modes that hold back notifications, Clock alarms ring. Do Not Disturb on iPhone does not affect the alarm sound.
Android's Do Not Disturb has a setting that can silence alarms too, so check that “Alarms” are allowed. On newer Android versions, open it like this.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Modes, then Do Not Disturb.
- Under “Notification filters”, open “Alarms & other interruptions”.
- Check that alarms are allowed.
On older phones up to Android 8.1, you pick a type of Do Not Disturb. With “Total silence”, alarms do not ring either. With “Alarms only”, alarms ring.
Menu names and places can differ by model and OS version.
It rings in airplane mode
Alarms do not use the network. They ring in airplane mode and with no signal.
The thing to watch is the time. The setting that sets the time and time zone for you can use the network or your location. When you travel, check before bed that the phone shows the local time.
It does not ring with the power off
When the power is off, an iPhone alarm does not ring. Android is basically the same, though some makers' models can ring while powered off. With a dead battery, no phone rings. Charge before bed.
Here is what to check about the battery.
- On a night when the battery is low, keep the power on and sleep with the charger plugged in.
- On Android, Battery Saver can stop alarms. Google's help says to turn off Battery Saver or add Clock as an essential app.
With headphones connected
An iPhone plays the alarm from its own speaker even with headphones connected. Apple says the alarm plays at a set volume through both the built-in speakers and wired or wireless headphones.
Most Android phones do the same. The headphones may be loud too, so take care if you sleep with them in. The phone also rings out loud on a train or bus, so with people around you, think about using vibration in place of sound.
What about other alarm apps?
Alarm apps other than Clock behave differently depending on how they are built. On iPhone, many used notifications and were silent in silent mode. From iOS 26, there is a system that lets apps ring in silent mode too. See What is AlarmKit?.
When you install a new alarm app, turn on silent mode and set an alarm for one minute later. You will know how it rings before the morning that counts.
Common questions
Can I use vibration only, with no sound?
Yes. Set the alarm sound to “None” and turn vibration on. Apple says that while you use StandBy on iPhone, alarm vibration is turned off. If you charge your phone on its side at night, add a sound too.
If I turn the volume down with the buttons, does the alarm get quieter?
On iPhone, the volume buttons change the alarm volume when “Change with Buttons” is on in Settings → Sounds & Haptics. On Android, alarm volume is set apart from the other volumes. This can differ by model, so look at the volume screen once before bed.
If it does not ring
Summary
- Clock alarms ring in silent mode, Focus and airplane mode.
- They do not ring with the power off or a dead battery. Charge before bed.
- Check the alarm volume, and that the sound is not set to “None”.
- On Android, also check “Alarms” in Do Not Disturb and Battery Saver.