The Complete Guide to Fixing iPhone Alarm Not Working

Jason

By Jason

Update on

Iphone Alarm Not Working

Waking up on time is crucial for productivity and meeting daily commitments. If your iPhone alarm suddenly stops working, it can throw off your entire morning. Don’t worry – with some troubleshooting, you can get your iPhone alarm ringing again.

This comprehensive guide covers 13 solutions to try when your iPhone alarm doesn’t go off or make any sound. Follow these tips to help diagnose and resolve the issue, from adjusting settings to rebooting your device.

Overview: Common Reasons for iPhone Alarm Failure

Before jumping into the step-by-step instructions, let’s look at some of the most common reasons the iPhone alarm may not work properly:

  • Volume is muted or set too low
  • Alarm sound is set to “None”
  • Alarm time/day is incorrect or not repeating
  • Software bug or glitch affecting the Clock app
  • Bedtime settings conflict with alarm time
  • Too many alarms set causing conflicts
  • Connected Bluetooth or wired headphones
  • Outdated iOS software version
  • Third party alarm app conflicts

Fortunately, most issues can be fixed yourself without a trip to the Apple store. The key is methodically trying different solutions until you isolate the cause.

Step-by-Step Fixes for Non-Working iPhone Alarm

Follow these 13 troubleshooting tips in order to get your iPhone alarm working again:

1. Check Volume and Mute Settings

The most obvious reason your alarm doesn’t make a sound is that your overall volume is turned down or muted.

Check Mute Button

To adjust volume settings:

  • Use the volume buttons on the side of the iPhone to check volume level
  • Swipe up from bottom to open Control Center and check that mute is not enabled
  • Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and adjust Ringer and Alerts volume slider
  • Make sure Silent Mode is not enabled (switch on side of iPhone should not be orange/red)

2. Verify Alarm Sound is Enabled

If your iPhone vibrates but doesn’t make a sound for alarms, the sound may be inadvertently set to “None.”

Check iPhone alarm Sound Settings

To choose an alarm sound:

  • Open Clock app and select Alarm
  • Edit the desired alarm and tap Sound
  • Choose a sound from the available Ringtones or Songs

3. Check Alarm Time Settings

Double check that the alarm time and day settings are correct. Here’s how:

Check Alarm Settings to fix iPhone alarm not working
  • Open Clock app > Alarm
  • Edit the alarm and make sure the time is AM or PM as intended
  • Tap Repeat and verify the correct days are enabled

Accidentally setting PM instead of AM is a common cause of missing an early morning alarm.

4. Reboot Your iPhone

Restarting the iPhone can clear up software glitches that may be preventing the alarm from functioning.

Restart the iPhone to Fix iPhone Alarm Not Working

To reboot:

  • Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button until slider appears
  • Drag slider to turn off your iPhone
  • Wait 30 seconds then press and hold the Side button again to turn back on

Allow a minute or two for the reboot process to complete. Then open Clock and test the alarm.

5. Delete and Recreate the Alarm

If an alarm worked previously but now doesn’t function consistently, try deleting it completely and creating a fresh alarm from scratch.

To recreate the alarm:

  • Open Clock > Alarm and swipe left on the alarm to delete
  • Tap + in upper right to create a new alarm
  • Set the time, day(s), label, sound and tap Save

6. Disable Bedtime Setting

The iPhone Bedtime sleep schedule feature could potentially conflict with a regular alarm set at the same wake up time.

To prevent issues, you can either:

  • Open Clock > Bedtime and disable the wake up time
  • Change the Bedtime wake time to be earlier/later than your alarm

Disabling Bedtime altogether is another option if you don’t use the sleep feature.

7. Update iOS Software

Updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version can potentially fix bugs affecting the alarms.

To update:

  • Go to Settings > General > Software Update
  • Download and install the latest iOS update

Perform updates wirelessly on the iPhone or connect to iTunes on a computer.

8. Reset All Settings

If nothing else has worked, resetting all settings on the iPhone to factory defaults may resolve persistent alarm problems.

Reset all settings on iPhone

Note: This resets settings but does not erase data

To reset all settings:

  • Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset
  • Tap Reset All Settings and enter passcode
  • Settings will reset to defaults but data will remain intact

Set alarms up again after completing the reset.

9. Uninstall Third Party Alarms

Conflicts with third party alarm apps could disrupt the native iPhone clock app.

Try deleting any downloaded alarm, sleep or white noise apps. Stick to using the built-in Clock app for reliability.

To delete an app:

  • Touch and hold the app icon until it jiggles
  • Tap the X icon to delete

Restart your device after deleting interference from other apps.

10. Update Apps

Along with updating iOS, make sure you have the latest version of the Clock app and any related apps like Bedtime. Bug fixes in app updates can resolve alarm issues.

iOS upgrade

To update apps:

  • Open the App Store
  • Tap your profile icon in the top right
  • Select Update All or update individual apps

Updating apps requires an internet connection on the iPhone.

11. Disable Bluetooth and Headphones

For some users, having Bluetooth devices or wired headphones connected seems to interfere with the alarm properly sounding.

Try turning Bluetooth off in Settings completely. Also unplug any wired headphones or speakers before bed to isolate the issue.

12: Use Tenorshare ReiBoot to Fix iPhone Alarm Not Working

Tenorshare ReiBoot is the best means by which you can solve the trouble of iPhone alarms not working, as well as iPhone Reminders not working, and that too without the risk of losing any data. The features of this software are as follows.

Tenorshare ReiBoot

Features of Tenorshare ReiBoot

  • It can sort out various problems associated with an iOS device. As the problem of freezing, iPhone keeps restarting, Instagram videos not playing, the screen automatically turns black or white & the iPhone flashlight not working.
  • This software offers three modes of recovery: the advanced mode, the mode of existing recovery, and the standard mode.
  • This application is trustworthy as it can solve almost every kind of iPhone-related problem without causing any harm to your important information.

Just like Dr.Fone – iOS System Repair & iToolab FixGo can fix all these issues on your iPhone effortlessly.

13. Contact Apple Support

For stubborn alarm problems that persist after trying all troubleshooting, reach out to Apple support for further help.

  • Use the Apple Support app on the iPhone
  • Visit GetSupport.Apple.com
  • Call 1-800-APL-CARE (800-275-2273)

Apple can run diagnostics, suggest next steps, or set up service if needed.

Key Takeaways and Summary

To recap, follow this checklist if your iPhone alarm fails to make any sound:

  • Adjust volume, mute and alarm sound settings
  • Check alarm time setup is correct
  • Reboot the iPhone
  • Delete and recreate the alarm
  • Disable Bedtime wake up time
  • Update iOS software and apps
  • Reset all settings (no data loss)
  • Remove third party alarm apps
  • Disable Bluetooth and unplug headphones
  • Contact Apple support if issue persists

Following the organized troubleshooting steps above will help identify and resolve the underlying cause, getting your iPhone alarm fully functional again.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about iPhone Alarms

Here are answers to some common questions about iPhone alarms not working:

Q: Why does my iPhone alarm vibrate but not make any sound?

A: The most likely cause is that the alarm volume is set too low or the sound is set to “None.” Go to Clock > Alarm > Sound and select a louder alarm ringtone or song.

Q: Can Do Not Disturb mode stop my alarm from making sound?

A: No, Do Not Disturb should not affect scheduled alarms. The alarm will still produce audio even with DND enabled. Check volume and alarm sound settings.

Q: How do I set a song as my iPhone alarm sound?

A: In the Clock app, create a new alarm or edit an existing one. Tap Sound, then select Songs and choose a song from your music library. Tap Save when done.

Q: Why does my alarm not go off every day consistently?

A: Check that the days are properly repeated under Settings. Edit the alarm, tap Repeat and make sure there’s a checkmark for each day it should be active.

Q: Can third party alarm apps interfere with the native Clock app?

A: Yes, it’s possible for bugs or conflicts from third party apps to disrupt the reliability of the built-in Clock. Try deleting any extra alarm apps.

Q: Will resetting network settings or erasing all content fix my alarm?

A: No, resetting network settings or erasing all content are not necessary and could delete your data. Try resetting all settings first.

Q: How do I set multiple alarms or labels for different times?

A: In the Clock app, tap the + icon to create a new alarm. Set the time, label, sound and repeat days. Repeat to make more alarms for different needs.

Q: Why does my alarm go off late or at the wrong time?

A: Double check the alarm time setup is correct, including AM/PM. Accidentally setting PM instead of AM is a common mistake that makes alarms go off late.

Q: Does the Bedtime sleep feature affect alarms?

A: If the Bedtime wake up time conflicts with another alarm time, both may be silenced. Change one of the wake up times or disable Bedtime.

Final Thoughts

Being on time starts with having a reliable iPhone alarm. With some focused troubleshooting using the step-by-step guide above, you can resolve common issues that prevent the alarm from activating.

Pay special attention to volume, alarm sound, time settings, software updates, and isolating any third party app conflicts. Alarms fail for different reasons, so methodically trying each solution is key.

Hopefully these tips get your morning alarm functioning properly again. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!

Jason
Jason

Skilled software testing specialist with expertise in comparisons and research, passionate about blogging, reviews, and creating video tutorials.

THERE’S MORE TO READ.