Awaken Blog
How to Make Your iPhone Alarm Louder (iOS 27 and Earlier)
On iOS 27, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics, turn off Match Ringtone Volume under Alarms and Timers, and drag the new alarm slider to the top. On iOS 26 and earlier, your alarm plays at the Ringtone and Alerts volume, so turn that slider up and switch off Change with Buttons so it cannot be lowered by accident.
Key takeaways
- iOS 27 finally gives alarms their own volume slider, separate from the ringer.
- On older iOS, alarm volume equals ringer volume.
- Attention Aware Features can lower an alarm the moment you look at it.
- Silent mode and Do Not Disturb do not mute the Clock alarm.
- If a loud alarm still does not get you up, volume is not the real problem.
Why is my iPhone alarm so quiet?
For most of the iPhone's life, the alarm had no volume of its own. It played at whatever level your ringer was set to, so turning the ringer down for a quiet evening also turned down tomorrow's alarm. That is still how iOS 26 and earlier work. With iOS 27, released in September 2026, Apple added a separate alarm volume, but it is off by default because alarms still match the ringer until you change it.
The other common causes are a soft alarm sound, a song that starts quietly, a feature that lowers the volume when you look at the phone, and a phone that is muffled by a pillow or blanket. Each one has a quick fix.
How do you make the alarm louder on iOS 27?
- Open Settings > Sounds & HapticsScroll to the section called Alarms and Timers.
- Turn off Match Ringtone VolumeA new slider appears just for alarms and timers.
- Drag the slider to the topYour ringer can now stay quiet at night while the alarm stays at full volume.
Two details are worth knowing. The slider covers timers too, so a kitchen timer will ring just as loudly. And the Wake Up alarm from a sleep schedule keeps its own volume, which you set when you edit that schedule in the Clock or Health app.
How do you make the alarm louder on iOS 26 and earlier?
- Open Settings > Sounds & HapticsThis is where the shared ringer and alarm volume lives.
- Drag Ringtone and Alerts to the maximumThe alarm plays at this level, and you hear a preview as you drag.
- Turn off Change with ButtonsOtherwise pressing the volume buttons during the day to quiet a video can also quiet tomorrow's alarm.
On these versions there is no way to have a quiet ringer and a loud alarm at the same time. If you need silence at night, use Silent mode or Do Not Disturb instead of lowering the slider. Apple's support page confirms that Silent mode, Do Not Disturb and other Focus modes do not stop the Clock alarm from sounding.
Which settings quietly turn your alarm down?
Attention Aware Features
On iPhones with Face ID, this feature lowers alert volume when the phone sees you looking at it. If your alarm starts loud and then drops the moment you glance at the screen, this is the reason. Turn it off in Settings > Face ID & Passcode (on some versions it sits under Accessibility > Face ID & Attention).
Bedtime and sleep schedule alarms
The Wake Up alarm in a sleep schedule has its own volume slider. If you use a schedule, open it and check that slider separately; raising the main alarm volume does not change it.
Headphones and speakers
If headphones are connected, Apple says the alarm plays through both the built-in speaker and the headphones. Falling asleep with earbuds in is still a bad idea for a heavy sleeper: one earbud under your head can block the sound you actually need.
How do you get more sound out of the same volume?
- Pick a sharp built-in sound. Bright, repeating tones cut through sleep better than gentle melodies. A song can start with a quiet intro, and a streamed song that is not downloaded may not play at all.
- Keep the speaker uncovered. A phone under a pillow or face down on a duvet loses a lot of volume. Put it on a hard surface with the bottom speaker facing the room.
- Move it away from the bed. A phone across the room is a little quieter at your ear, but it forces you to stand up to stop it, which matters more.
- Add a backup. A second alarm a few minutes later, ideally a different sound, catches the mornings when the first one fades into a dream.
What if the alarm is already loud and you still sleep through it?
Then volume is not the problem. Many heavy sleepers hear the alarm, switch it off half asleep, and have no memory of it. Others tune out a sound they hear every day. Our guide on why you sleep through alarms covers the causes, from sleep debt to sleep inertia.
The fix is an alarm that needs a real action before it stops. Awaken has no snooze; it keeps ringing until you finish a challenge such as math problems, squats, or photographing real sky, so a sleepy swipe is not enough. An optional Wake-Up Check brings the alarm back if you fall asleep again. For a full bedroom setup, see how to wake up as a heavy sleeper, and if snoozing is the habit you want to break, read how to stop hitting snooze. Comparing apps? Our best alarm apps in 2026 roundup and Alarmy alternatives list match each app to the reason you oversleep, or you can see how Awaken works.
Quick checklist
| Check | Where | Set it to |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm volume (iOS 27) | Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarms and Timers | Match Ringtone Volume off, slider at max |
| Ringer volume (iOS 26 and earlier) | Settings > Sounds & Haptics | Ringtone and Alerts at max |
| Change with Buttons | Settings > Sounds & Haptics | Off |
| Attention Aware Features | Settings > Face ID & Passcode | Off |
| Alarm sound | Clock > Alarms > Edit > Sound | A sharp built-in tone, not None |
| Phone position | Your bedroom | Hard surface, uncovered, out of reach |
FAQ
Does the iPhone alarm ring in Silent mode?
Yes. Apple says Silent mode, Do Not Disturb and other Focus modes do not stop the Clock alarm from sounding. Volume is still set by the alarm slider on iOS 27 or the ringer slider on earlier versions.
Why does my iPhone alarm get quieter after a few seconds?
On Face ID iPhones, Attention Aware Features lowers alert volume when you look at the screen. Turn it off in Settings under Face ID and Passcode.
Can I make an iPhone alarm louder than the maximum?
No. You can only get the most from the maximum: use a sharp built-in sound, keep the speaker uncovered on a hard surface, and add a second alarm.
Why can I hear my alarm but still not get up?
Because volume only wakes you; it does not keep you up. A no-snooze alarm that makes you finish a challenge, like Awaken, turns hearing the alarm into actually getting out of bed.