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I started noticing something very annoying at the beginning of the year: I'd set my iPhone alarm for 7 a.m.,only to sleep right through it.At first I assumed it was my mistake -- maybe I'd accidentally left the ringer volume all the way down. But after double-checking that,even switching off vibrate and cranking the volume all the way up overnight,the problem persisted. Somewhere between frustration and desperation, I installed a third-party alarm app to try and even asked my partner to set a backup alarm on his phone.

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I was at a loss as to what was happening, so I decided to Google the issue. I found that Apple acknowledged an alarm problem back in April 2024 and that a fix was in the works. But this was over a year ago. In January, several reports claimed the issue was still happening.

I consider myself an iPhone power user, so I kept thinking I could figure out what's wrong myself -- or at the very least, I hoped the fluke would resolve itself. But now, well into July, I'm turning to Reddit threads and Apple Support discussions for tech support. Every community seems to have its favorite solutions -- some simple, some nuclear. Here are all the ones I plan to try.

How to fix the 'silent iPhone alarm' glitch

Since the silent iPhone alarm bug appears to be intermittent, I've decided to try one solution at a time to see which actually does the trick. If you're in the same boat, here are all the troubleshooting tips I've found that will supposedly get our iPhone alarms working on schedule again. If Apple isn't going to do something about it, maybe we can -- and hopefully put an end to oversleeping.

1. Immediate iPhone settings to check first

Before I get into some lesser-known fixes, let's cover the basics: double-check your volume settings and disable Bluetooth. It may seem obvious, but at this point it's worth the due diligence.

Max out your volume:

1. Open Settings > Sounds and Haptics.
2. Drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider to maximum.
3. Toggle Change with Buttons to On.
4. Test your alarm sound by creating a test alarm for a minute from now.

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Turn off Bluetooth entirely:

1. Open Control Center and disable Bluetooth.
2. Alternatively, in Settings, go to Bluetooth and toggle it off.

This forces your alarm to play through your iPhone's speakers rather than another source.

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2. Disable 'Attention Aware Features'

Apple offers an "Attention Aware Features" setting on Face ID-equipped iPhones. It uses the front TrueDepth camera to detect whether you're looking at the screen. When enabled, your iPhone will dim the display if it thinks you're not looking at it and lower the volume of certain alerts -- like notifications and apparently even alarms.

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The idea is to avoid blasting a loud alert in your face when you're actively engaged, but in practice, your alarm could either ring silently or at a much lower volume. Wonderful (not).

Disable Attention Aware Features:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Accessibility > Face ID and Attention.
3. Toggle Attention Aware Features to Off.

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3. Audit your Focus modes and allow time-sensitive alerts

This is one of the first things I tried, but alas, it didn't work. Maybe it will for you. Focus modes (Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work, etc.) can inadvertently mute alarms if time-sensitive notifications aren't allowed.

Allow time-sensitive notifications in Focus modes:

1. Open Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb > Apps.
2. Make sure Allow Time Sensitive Notifications is turned On.

Do the same steps above for all your Focus modes, including custom ones. Review any scheduled times, too, to make sure they don't cover your wake-up window. Unfortunately, you can't explicitly permit notifications from the Clock app under Apps in Do Not Disturb and other Focus modes. Don't ask me why.

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Now, in Control Center, you can toggle between your Focus modes or turn them off entirely. I've resorted to not using them at all, with the hope of reducing the chance that my iPhone silences my morning alarms.

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4. Recreate your Clock alarms from scratch

Although widespread corruption of recurring alarms is unlikely, it's still worth deleting and recreating your alarms to clear any possible glitches.

Clear and remake your alarms:

1. Open the Clock app > select the Alarm tab.
2. Swipe left on each alarm and tap Delete.
3. Tap + to add a new alarm, double-check a.m./p.m., choose a loud tone, andenable Vibration.
4. Set multiple alarms 5 minutes apart for extra peace of mind.

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5. Update to the latest iOS version

Make sure you're running the latest official iOS release so you have the newest firmware and bug patches. An outdated version can interfere with core functions like alarms.

Check for software updates:

1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
2. Download and install any available iOS 18.x update (it's iOS 18.5 as of July 2025).
3. Restart your iPhone after the update.

And, as a rule of thumb, avoid using beta software on your daily driver -- while it's tempting to try the newest features, betas often contain bugs, and they could be preventing your alarms from sounding.

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6. Nuclear option: Reset your iPhone

If you've tried all of the above, the last thing you can do is wipe your phone clean. You can take the softer route and just reset settings, or you can erase and restore your entire device. The path you choose is up to you.

A. Reset your iPhone settings:

This is a last resort. It won't erase your data but will restore all settings to factory defaults.

1. Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Tap Reset > Reset All Settings.
3. Enter your passcode and confirm.
4. Re-enable Wi-Fi networks and reconfigure key settings as needed.

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B. Erase and restore your iPhone:

A more drastic measure -- to create a clean slate -- would be to back up your iPhone, reset it to factory settings, and then restore your data. Again, this is only if you're at your wits' end.

1. Back up your iPhone via iCloud or computer.
2. Perform a factory reset through Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
3. Choose Erase All Content and Settings > Continue.
4. When done, restore your data and settings from a backup.

Performing a full factory reset can eliminate any software corruption, but it's time-consuming.

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FAQ

Why does my iPhone alarm not go off and stays silent sometimes?

Your guess is as good as mine. If I were to hypothesize, most alarm failures stem from software bugs, misconfigured sound settings, conflicting Focus modes, or interference from the Attention Aware feature on Face ID models.

Have other users noticed their iPhone alarms failing?

Oh yes. A quick check on Twitter/X, Reddit, Apple Support, and TikTok shows many users complaining about their iPhone alarms suddenly not going off -- to the point where they've slept in, missed morning meetings, and gotten in trouble at their jobs.

What are the top alarm clock alternative apps to try on iPhone?

Popular choices includeAlarmy , Sleep Cycle , CARROT Alarm , Rise , and Good Morning Alarm Clock . I'm currently trying CARROT.

Is Apple ever going to fix this issue?

Who knows. Busted iPhone alarms are nothing new for iOS -- see this Verge article from 2015 about Apple releasing an update to fix its alarms. My advice: Set multiple alarms, try different apps, and have backup plans, because waking up 30 minutes late for work is a betrayal no one should have to endure, let alone repeatedly.

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