Changing an iPhone's alarm sound and volume can be a bit confusing since it can be done in Apple's Clock app and the Sleep section of the Health app. An unexpectedly loud alarm or annoying ring can be a very startling thing to wake up to, so it's important to fine-tune this setting and start the day off right. The iPhone offers several options from gradual and pleasant to a bit more jangly and persistent, depending on what's needed.
With iOS 15, Apple included a Sleep Focus option that can help the user wind down as it gets closer to bedtime. This new feature provides several controls to pause notifications to be shown later or to prioritize which are seen. This is a system-wide feature that can override the ability of an app to make a sound and display a notification, allowing a more peaceful end to the day.
While iPhone alarm volume and sound controls can be found in the Clock app, where they have existed since the very first iPhone, these options also appear in the Sleep section of the Health app, possibly creating a bit of confusion about which to use. The good news is that changes made in the Clock app will be reflected in Sleep and vice versa. To adjust the sound and volume of the current day's wake-up alarm or any additional alarms, the Clock app can be used. In the Clock app, tap the Change button to adjust sounds for the next wake-up alarm. While the choice is limited to nine possible options, most are well-designed with a gradual increase in tone and pace for a gentle rousing to start the day. A slider appears below the current sound selection to adjust the volume. Other alarms don't show a Change button but can be tapped to make changes. For alarms during the day, volume cannot be adjusted but a much larger selection of sounds and even songs can be used.
iPhone Health App Alarms
To change alarm sounds and volume for any particular day in the next seven days, the Health app should be used. From the Health app, scroll down to find the Sleep section If it can't be found, tap the browse tab and find it there. Within the Sleep section, there is an option to change only the next wake-up alarm or to adjust any within the next seven days. Tap Edit under Next or tap Full Schedule to change other days. The latter allows changing sleep and wake times for any day of the week, as well as setting different sounds and volumes for each. This is helpful when adjusting to a new schedule and also a great way to create a more relaxing wake-up on the weekend or a holiday.
After tapping Edit on any day, a list of days, showing only the first letter will appear at the top. The highlighted days share the same settings. For example, if the identical alarm is set for Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, they will all be highlighted. Tapping 'W' will apply the settings to Wednesday. This makes it easy to make changes to several days at a time. Scrolling down reveals the sound, haptics, and volume controls that work the same as in the Clock app. Up to seven sleep schedules can be set, one for each day. and each can have a unique wake-up sound and volume setting, making it easy to fine tune a whole week's worth of alarm options on an iPhone.