iPhone alarm not going off? 8 things to check

What changed: added what to check when the alarm went off but made no sound.

Step-by-step guide

Follow these steps in order. After each step, check if it works.

1. 1

   Check the alarm is on and set for today

   Open Clock, Alarms. In the list, the alarm's switch must be green (the list is not in this picture). Tap the alarm and look at Repeat: an alarm set for weekdays stays silent at the weekend. On our iPhone 17e with iOS 27.0.1 the days are buttons, M T W T F S S, right under Repeat on the alarm page itself (shown here on Add Alarm, which has the same layout).

   Done
   
2. 2

   Check AM and PM

   On a 12-hour clock, 7:00 PM instead of 7:00 AM is the classic mistake. On our iPhone 17e, with 24-Hour Time switched off under Settings, General, Date & Time, the Add Alarm wheel has an AM/PM column.

   Done
   
3. 3

   Check the alarm sound

   Tap the alarm, then Sound. If None is selected, the alarm only vibrates. Pick a ringtone. On our iPhone 17e, None is at the very bottom of the list, below Classic.

   Done
   
4. 4

   Raise the alarm volume

   Open Settings, Sounds & Haptics and drag the Ringtone slider to the right. Clock alarms use this slider, not the media volume. Turn off Change with Buttons so you cannot lower it by accident. On iOS 27.0.1 the page also has an Alarms and Timers section with a Match Ringtone Volume switch. Its note says it does not affect wake-up alarms and other alarms that have their own volume control.

   Done
   
5. 5

   Turn off Attention Aware Features for a test

   On Face ID iPhones, the alarm gets quieter when the phone sees you looking at it. If it seems too quiet, switch this off under Settings, Accessibility, Face ID & Attention. Our picture shows that row in Accessibility. The switch is also under Settings, Face ID & Passcode.

   Done
   
6. 6

   Disconnect headphones and speakers

   Alarms play on the iPhone speaker, but a stuck Bluetooth connection can cause odd behaviour. Switch Bluetooth off overnight as a test.

   Done
   
7. 7

   Look at the Sleep schedule

   A wake-up alarm set in Health or under Clock, Alarms, Sleep has its own sound and volume. If you use a sleep schedule, check its alarm sound and volume there. On our iPhone 17e no schedule was set: the Sleep | Wake Up row at the top of Clock, Alarms read No Alarm, Tomorrow Morning, with a CHANGE button.

   Done
   
8. 8

   Restart and update

   Restart the phone and install any iOS update. Delete the alarm and create a new one if it still fails.

   Done
   

Alarm went off but made no sound

• The sound is set to None Apple says an alarm that only vibrates may have its sound set to None. Tap the alarm, then Sound, and pick a ringtone (step 3). Source: How to set and change alarms on your iPhone
• The Ringtone volume is down Apple says to drag the slider under Sounds & Haptics in Settings. Alarms follow that slider, not the media volume (step 4). Source: How to set and change alarms on your iPhone
• It was the Sleep schedule alarm A wake-up alarm from a Sleep schedule has its own sound and volume. Check them under Clock, Alarms, Sleep | Wake Up (step 7).

If you do not see this option

• There is no slider called Ringtone. Apple's article calls the slider section Ringtone and Alerts, the name used on iOS 26 and earlier. Source: How to set and change alarms on your iPhone
• The Face ID page is called something else. Apple says the Settings list can differ by iPhone model and names the page Face ID or Touch ID & Passcode. Source: Find settings on iPhone

If this does not work

• The alarm does not vibrate while the iPhone is in StandBy. Apple says alarm haptics are turned off in StandBy. Make sure the alarm has a sound, not only Haptics.
• Alarms went wrong after you changed the clock. Apple says setting the time by hand in Settings can affect alarms. Open Settings, General, Date & Time and switch Set Automatically back on.
• Headphones are connected. Don't worry, you will still hear it. Apple says the alarm plays through the iPhone speaker as well as wired and wireless headphones, at a set volume.

Good to know

If your habit is to wake up with a third-party alarm app, keep it for the mornings that do not matter, because other apps can be muted by Silent mode and Focus. The built-in Clock alarm is not.

The phone must be switched on for an alarm to sound, because it does not turn itself on. So if you switch it off at night for some peace, put it in Silent mode instead.

Test it before you rely on it: set an alarm two minutes ahead, lock the phone and wait. Then you can go to sleep knowing it works.

Watch these steps

Watch on YouTubeThe same steps, recorded on our iPhone 17e · opens YouTube

About this guide

Device

iPhone

Shown on

iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 17e), iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 14 Pro)

App

Clock

Real screenshots

8 of 8 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

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