Apple Watch alarms: Eight FAQs and how to deal with them

Setting an alarm is one in every of the Apple Watch’s most useful tricks. Having your morning wake-up happen from the wrist could be extra peaceable than the blaring sound of your iPhone, they usually’re additionally tremendous easy to get began with.

But, there are numerous frequent points with Apple Watch alarms we get requested about on a regular basis.

Generally you’ll have to troubleshoot why the Apple smartwatch isn’t sounding, configure some settings to keep away from snoozing by way of it, or separate it out of your iPhone alarm.

Regardless of the case, this information serves as the last word hub for all Apple Watch alarm-related FAQs. We’ve been waking up with the smartwatch for one of the best a part of the final decade, and the under is all up to date to work with the most recent software program (watchOS 11).

Incoming in watchOS 26: Customized snooze time

This wasn’t explicitly talked about in Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote, however the of us over at MacRumors counsel that the iOS 26 beta contains an choice to customise snooze instances—lastly.

Though the Apple smartwatch isn’t talked about, the aligned nature of iOS/watchOS alarms will seemingly consequence on this change being carried over as properly.

Presently, the performance permits customers to vary the snooze interval between 1 and quarter-hour, ending the long-standing fastened nine-minute break.

Keep tuned for extra on this one, and make amends for everything else coming in watchOS 26 within the meantime.

1. Easy methods to set or delete an alarm on the Apple Watch

Let’s begin with absolutely the fundamentals, setting and deleting alarms from the watch.

So as to add an everyday Wake Up alarm to the Apple Watch:

1. Go to the Sleep app on the Apple Watch.
2. Swipe by way of the info till you’ve landed on the ‘Subsequent Schedule’ display.
3. Faucet on the ‘Wake Up’ part.
4. Choose a bedtime and wake-up time (both to your subsequent sleep or full-time schedule).
5. Select your sound and swap the alarm setting to inexperienced.
6. You may as well add a Sleep Aim and Wind Down interval, which helps the Apple Watch (and iPhone) mute notifications and set approximate bedtimes routinely.

So as to add a one-off alarm on the Apple Watch:

1. Open the Alarms app on the Apple Watch.
2. Scroll all the way down to the underside and faucet the ‘+’ icon.
3. Flip the Digital Crown to change the hour and minute, and faucet to toggle AM/PM.
4. Faucet the inexperienced tick icon within the bottom-right nook to verify.

Delete an alarm on the Apple Watch:

1. Open the Alarms app on the Apple Watch.
2. Swipe from proper to left till the pink bin icon seems and faucet it.

2. Apple’s ‘Sleep | Wake Up’ alarms vs. ‘Different’ alarms

As described above, there are two sorts of alarms on the Apple Watch: wake-up alarms set by way of the Sleep app (and viewable within the Alarms app beneath ‘Sleep | Wake Up) and a regular sort of alarm discovered beneath ‘Different’. 

So, what’s the distinction between them? Functionally, not a lot. The important thing distinction is that Sleep | Wake Up schedule alarms sync along with your iPhone and the Sleep app, whereas one-off/’Different’ alarms set on the Apple Watch don’t essentially roll again to the iPhone (although if set on the iPhone they are often set to sync over).

The Sleep | Wake Up alarm will sync along with your iPhone (that means you may change the settings from both), however will solely sound on the Apple Watch when carrying it.

I’ve struggled with this, as I prefer to get off the bed to show my iPhone alarm off, so seek the advice of the ideas under on separating your Apple Watch alarm from the iPhone if that’s additionally you. And don’t fear concerning the Apple Watch not monitoring sleep for those who disable the alarm for this mode – it nonetheless will.

One-off and extra customizable alarms can be set solely within the Alarms app, and are useful for wake-ups or reminders all through the day. For instance, I’ve a every day alarm to remind me to complete consuming/ingesting and cut back blue gentle, and one other on my iPhone as my every day wake-up.

3. Syncing Apple Watch alarms with the iPhone (or not)

Desirous to separate the Apple Watch alarm from the iPhone – i.e. flip it off – is a matter we found when just lately re-testing the Apple Watch SE 2.

We now have an in depth information right here on the imperfect solution to separating your iPhone alarm from the Apple Watch, however you might also want to sync the 2 up once more.

This comes all the way down to tinkering with the mirroring setting on the iPhone’s Watch app. Observe the steps under to take action.

1. Open the Watch app in your iPhone.
2. From ‘My Watch’, scroll all the way down to ‘Clock’ and choose it.
3. Discover the ‘Push Alerts from iPhone’ and verify/uncheck the swap.
4. Subsequent, go to the Clock app in your iPhone and switch off your ‘Sleep | Wake Up’ schedule.
5. As an alternative, have your morning alarm sound beneath the ‘Different’ part.

4. Vibrating Apple Watch alarms (and tips on how to allow stronger haptic suggestions)

The Apple Watch’s haptics standing dictates whether or not your alarm vibrates.

Double-check your settings by following the steps under, and regulate the setting to ‘Off’ if you wish to disable vibrations (i.e. sound-only alarms).

1. On the Apple Watch, go to the Settings app.
2. Discover the ‘Sounds & Haptics’ part’.
3. Guarantee haptics is ready to ‘Default’ (or ‘Outstanding’ in order for you stronger vibrations)

Associated tip: Desire a vibrate-only Apple Watch alarm?

Make sure the Apple Watch’s Silent Mode is enabled through the Management Heart. Press the aspect button and faucet the bell icon to regulate this.

5. Disable the choice to snooze an Apple Watch alarm

That is a simple one to overlook, however a necessary trick for those who’re liable to giving your self an additional couple of minutes in mattress along with your alarm sounding.

As an alternative of the ‘Cease’ and ‘Snooze’ choices showing when your alarm triggers, solely the previous will for those who observe the steps under. This isn’t one we use, because it’s too simple to unintentionally cowl the display, silence the alarm, after which sleep by way of, however the choice is there nonetheless.

1. Go to the Apple Watch alarms app.
2. Edit an present alarm or create a brand new alarm.
3. Within the edit part of your chosen alarm, flick the ‘Snooze’ swap to inexperienced.

6. Set an alarm with Siri

It is a nice method to set one-off alarms for naps, unusually early wake-up instances, or as a immediate in the course of the daytime. It’s additionally tremendous fast and simple.

To set a Siri Apple Watch alarm, maintain down the Digital Crown for a second to set off the good assistant and say one thing like: “Set an alarm for [insert time and day]”.

Siri will then affirm this by studying the alarm again to you and dismissing itself.

7. Allow or disable Bedside Mode

For those who don’t wish to use your Apple Watch to trace sleep, and all the additional charging faff that goes with it, you should use your Apple Watch as a bedside clock.

As proven within the picture above, that is when your Apple Watch shows the date and time, the cost share, and in addition an icon indicating any potential alarm you’ve got set.

Observe these steps to allow or disable Bedside Mode:

1. Go to the Apple Watch’s Settings app.
2. Underneath ‘Normal’, discover ‘Bedside Mode’.
3. Allow or disable this utilizing the swap.

8. Enable alarms to sound even in Silent Mode

This characteristic took a very long time to be launched to the Apple Watch. Earlier than watchOS 11.4 (launched in April 2025), the smartwatch solely used haptic suggestions to set off an alarm in Silent Mode.

Offering your Apple Watch is updated, a toggle permits alarms to interrupt by way of Silent Mode and play sound (and nonetheless present haptic suggestions). To allow this characteristic:

1. Open the Alarms app on the Apple Watch
2. Create a brand new alarm or faucet right into a pre-existing one.
3. Scroll down and discover the ‘Break By means of Silent Mode’ choice—allow it.