iPhone alarm is so loud

Hey I had a similar problem on my Iphone after the last update. To fix it I went to Settings>Sounds and under the "Ringers and Alerts" section I started messing around with the Volume Slider and the "Change with Buttons" switch. What I found was that the "Change with Buttons" switch doesn't actually work, that is when you slide the switch to the off position the buttons still change the volume. Therefore, to get my volume down what I did was this:

1. set "Change with Buttons" switch to ON.
2. set the Volume Slider at the desired level.
3. set "Change with Buttons" switch to Off.
4. use the buttons to select desired volume.

hope this helps.

The alarm in both sleep app and the clock alarm BLARE super loud when it first goes off. The first 2 seconds are full volume, then it drops to the adjusted volume. Makes iPhone for a sleep alarm unusable.

Here is the solution:

Go to Settings --> Accessibility --> Face ID & Attention --> (turn off) Attention Aware Features

Hope you all see this. I found the problem to be very annoying and this fixed it.

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to lower the alarm volume on my 12 Pro Max. I've tried switching "sounds & haptics" to "change with buttons" and this does not work. I've tried changing the volume while in the alarm app and it seems to play at a normal level while in the app but once the alarm is set and it actually sounds, it sounds at full volume. If I look at my phone the volume seems to come down to the initially selected volume, but that does me no good when the alarm is at my bedside table going off at full volume in the morning. Updated to iOS 14.3 and the problem does not seem to be fixed as of yet.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Same problem, been happening for months. The lowest volume setting possible is not "low" at all and sometimes notifications chime at full volume.

Apple please fix. Everytime I get a text, an alert, if I'm not prepared for it, it makes me jump, startled. Very unsettling.

Makes me jump out of bed! Hate it! Just figured it out! Setting-->sounds & haptics-->Ringers & alerts-->"change with buttons" needs to be ON! Tested it just now...DONE! Phew! I can wake up normal tomorrow!!! Woo Hoo!

Oh, the first few seconds is still loud and then the volume goes to what you set it. I didn't realize it at first since my daughter was talking to me at the moment. Shoot! Maybe having to get an alarm instead of my phone until they can do an update!

I believe I have fixed my issue (if you have sleep schedule enabled like I do, with the alarm). Here’s what you do:

1- Go to your alarm app

2- Click Change, next to your “sleep/wake up”.

3- Scroll to the bottom and click “Edit Sleep Schedule”.

4- Click edit under you different schedules (I have one for weekdays and another for weekends).

5- Adjust the volume level in this screen and be sure to click “Done” to accept the change.

6- Close the sleep app.

Done! Viola!

Thank you @iphone12miniuser.

This drove me so insane starting from day one with my new phone that I popped my sim card back into my trusty 5S in frustration.

While testing the various workarounds for this issue, I noticed that my volume setting (mine is tied to buttons) is respected on my 12 mini with iOS 14 when my phone is unlocked, but the alarm blares like mad when locked (the expected state for a sleep/wake alarm).

I was searching how to pursue that line of investigation when I found your post. Thank you for cross-posting this tip. 🙏

Saw an older iPhone X thread with a promising fix. Go to:

Settings —> Accessibility —> Face ID & Attention —> (Turn Off) Attention Aware Features

Why a programmer/product soecialist or whatever they want to call themselves would see a need to change that to be a default without an explicit warning upon setting an alarm (like so many other useless warnings.. this one could have really been helpful) is completely asinine.

Took me 2 mornings trying to fix this on my own before coming here, trying the logical approach of simply turning down the volume like before.. REALLY apple?

Hi Bellaluvluv,

We appreciate you reaching out through Apple Support Communities for help with the alarm volume on your iPhone. We're certainly glad to look into it with you and help in any way we can. Is this happening with all alarms, or only your sleep schedule alarm? Is the option to adjust your Ringer and Alerts set to Change with Buttons? This option can be found under Settings > Sounds & Haptics.

To start, let's ensure that your device is fully updated to the latest version of iOS 14, which is 14.0.1. You can check the version in Settings > General > Software Update.

If an update is available, the following guide has more information to back up and update your data:

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If the issue persists after updating, reach out for further direct assistance via our support site here:

Get Support

Have a great day!

I have the exact same issue with my new iPhone 12 mini. I have to keep my volume on high at night for notifications for my home security system, but now the alarm is ridiculously loud. It was fine before with the previous o/s. My ‘sounds and haptics’ settings are on ‘change with buttons’ but it makes no difference. The alarm has clearly been changed since the previous o/s. Apple - please fix it asap!

Same issue. It is beyond aggravating. It is independent of the general sound settings and only in the sleep app.

11 Pro Max

I have the iPhone 11 and have the same issue. I don’t know what to do or how to lower the volume.