How to use alarms on iPhone: set, snooze, sound, label and delete
On iPhone you make alarms in the Clock app. This goes from the basics to settings that are handy to know.
Create an alarm
- Open the Clock app and tap Alarms at the bottom.
- Tap “+” at the top right.
- Choose a time.
- If you need to, set Repeat, Label and the other options.
- Tap the Done button at the top right. On some iOS versions it says Save.
The new alarm shows in the list with its time and label. If the switch on the right is on, it rings at that time.
What you can set
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Repeat | Choose the weekdays. With none chosen, it rings once |
| Label | Name the alarm. The name shows when it rings |
| Sound | Choose the sound or song. Vibration is changed here too |
| Snooze | When on, a Snooze button appears when the alarm rings |
Labels help once you have many alarms. Write what to do when it rings, such as “Trash day”, “Medicine” or “Leave home”. Then you can look at the screen and act right away.
Pick by what you want to do
| What you want | Setting |
|---|---|
| Ring on weekdays only | In Repeat, choose Monday to Friday |
| Ring tomorrow morning only | Create it with no Repeat days |
| Know what the alarm is for | Write the task in Label |
| Skip it on days off | Turn off the switch in the list. You do not need to delete it |
| Not ring a second time | Turn off Snooze |
Rings in silent mode. YOBIOKO, the alarm you stop by typingSee the app
Change the snooze duration
For years, snooze on iPhone was fixed at 9 minutes. From iOS 26, you can choose a snooze duration from 1 to 15 minutes for each alarm.
- In the alarm list, tap the alarm you want to change.
- Check that Snooze is on.
- Choose a length under Snooze Duration.
- Tap the Done button.
You set it for each alarm, so you can use 5 minutes on weekdays and 10 minutes on days off. For what snooze means and how to use it, see What is snooze?.
Change the volume
Alarm volume follows the “Ringtone and Alerts” slider in Settings → Sounds & Haptics. The side volume buttons may not change it. Turn on “Change with Buttons” to use them.
- Open Settings and tap Sounds & Haptics.
- Drag the “Ringtone and Alerts” slider left or right.
- A sound plays as you drag, so you can hear how loud it is.
With “Change with Buttons” on, you may press a volume button to turn down a video and make the alarm quieter too. Look at the slider before bed to be sure.
Silent mode and Do Not Disturb do not affect the alarm sound.
Use a song you like
Under Sound, you can pick a song from your Music library. See How to use a song as your alarm sound.
If you set Sound to “None”, no sound plays and the alarm only vibrates. If your alarm vibrates with no sound, check here.
Edit and delete
- Edit: tap the alarm in the list. You can also tap Edit at the top left and then choose the alarm.
- Delete: swipe the alarm left and tap Delete.
- Pause it: turn off the switch on the right.
When old alarms pile up in the list, it gets easy to mix up which are on and off. Open the list now and then and delete the ones you do not need. For alarms you use every week, keep them and turn the switch off, so you do not have to make them again.
Create one with Siri
Say “Set an alarm for 7” to create an alarm. “Delete all my alarms” works too.
After you make one by voice, open the list in the Clock app and check the time and AM or PM. You can fix the label and sound in the list later.
The Sleep alarm is separate
“Sleep | Wake Up” at the top of the alarm list is the wake-up alarm from your Sleep schedule in Health. It has its own sound and volume, apart from normal alarms.
Tap Change to change the time of the next wake-up alarm. The daily schedule itself is edited on the Sleep screen in Health. Its settings are separate from normal alarms, so if this alarm feels too quiet, open its own settings. Screen names can differ by iOS version.
Headphones and modes
| Situation | What the alarm does |
|---|---|
| Silent mode | Rings |
| Do Not Disturb | Rings |
| Headphones connected | Plays from both the phone's speaker and the headphones |
| Using StandBy | Alarm vibration is turned off. Sound is separate |
With the power off, it does not ring. For each case, see Will my alarm ring in silent mode, airplane mode or with the phone off?.
Common slips
- AM and PM: in 12-hour time, check which one is set.
- No repeat days: without repeat days, it rings only the next time.
- Switch left off: when you reuse an alarm you made before, check in the list that its switch is on.
- Vibrates with no sound: check that Sound is not set to “None”.
- Too quiet: see iPhone alarm not going off or too quiet? A checklist.
Common questions
Is the snooze length the same for all alarms?
No. On iOS 26 or later, you set it for each alarm. To change the length for another alarm, open that alarm and choose it there.
Can I set a different volume for each alarm?
Normal alarms share the “Ringtone and Alerts” volume. If you want alarms to sound different in loudness, change the sound and pick ones that stand out in different ways.
My alarm rang once and never again
That alarm has no Repeat days. To ring every day, open the alarm and choose the days in Repeat.
Summary
- Make alarms under Alarms in the Clock app.
- Use Repeat for daily alarms, and Label to tell them apart.
- From iOS 26, choose a snooze length from 1 to 15 minutes for each alarm.
- Volume follows “Ringtone and Alerts” in Settings → Sounds & Haptics.
- The “Sleep | Wake Up” alarm has its own settings, apart from normal alarms.