For the better part of two decades, an iPhone's alarm volume has matched its ringer. In other words, if you slide the ringtone volume down to silence your iPhone overnight, you're also turning your alarm's volume down with it. That's no longer the case in iOS 27, which is available to download now.

Settings now includes an "Alarms and Timers" section with its own Match Ringtone Volume toggle. If you toggle it off, a dedicated slider appears that allows you to drop the ringer volume to nothing, and you'll still be woken at whatever alarm volume you choose.

How to Set a Separate Alarm Volume

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap Sounds & Haptics.
3. Under "Alarms and Timers," toggle off Match Ringtone Volume.
4. Drag the slider that appears to set your alarm and timer volume.

That's all there is to it. Alarms and timers now have their own level, regardless of how quiet or loud your iPhone's ringer is set at.

Bear in mind that alarms carrying their own volume control – like any wake-up alarm you have selected in your Sleep schedule – will keep the level you set for them individually. To go back to the old behavior, simply toggle Match Ringtone Volume back on, and the slider will disappear.

A Second Toggle for Alerts and System Sounds

You may notice that directly below the "Alarms and Timers" controls sits a second Match Ringtone Volume switch in a separate section. This covers alerts and system sounds, like incoming texts, keyboard clicks, and suchlike. Toggle off this setting and you'll get a similar independent slider. It's a neat fix if, say, you've ever wanted a loud ringer without a loud keyboard.

Apple made iOS 27 generally available on September 14, 2026.