Are you tired of that same default iPhone alarm jolting you awake each morning? You‘re not alone. Research shows the average iPhone user hears their preset wake-up sound over 10,000 times per year – and humans inherently form subconscious attachments between sounds and the feelings they evoke over time through a concept called sound conditioning.
So if Apple‘s repetitive tone no longer puts a spring in your step, it makes sense to finally customize it to something less mundane. Read on as we walk through how to change your iPhone alarm sound step-by-step, discuss the psychological impacts of customized alerts, spotlight innovative alarm apps and more.
Why Bother Changing iPhone Alarm Tones?
Before we dig into the technical how-to, let‘s briefly overview why personalizing your wake-up sound even matters in the first place.
Sound Conditioning Impacts
Scientific studies on sound conditioning provide insight into how we subconsciously tie certain noises to positive or negative feelings and reactions over time. Hearing grating, annoying or monotonous tones first thing can negatively impact mood, energy and motivation levels throughout the entire day.
Conversely, starting your morning with a more pleasing, unique sound conditioning researchers call an "auditory sunrise" sets you up for an uplifted mood and sustained energy boost.
Differentiation and Habit-Building
On average, iPhone users actively press snooze up 312 times per year. Experts hypothesize that the repetitiveness of default alarm tones allows the sound to fade into background noise we subconsciously block out. Choosing a more differentiated custom sound can break the pattern and make it harder to ignore.
As a bonus, instituting a new morning wakeup cue sound conditions your brain to associate the noise with a positive habit (getting out of bed) helping cement it long-term.
Personalization Promotes Performance
Why do top athletes, CEOs and artists swear by their highly personalized morning routines? Personalized alarm tones that motivate and energize you can provide a similar sense of ownership over your wakeup process so you attack each day feeling empowered.
Now let‘s walk through exactly how to implement your own…
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Change iPhone Alarm Sounds
Ready to finally claim control over your morning wakeup call? Just follow these simple steps within the iPhone Clock app:
Access Your Phone‘s Alarm System
Tap the Clock app icon on your iPhone‘s homescreen. This houses the OS‘s entire alarm infrastructure.
Select Alarms at the bottom to view your list of set alarms.
Don‘t have any alarms set yet? Check out our guide on setting alarms on iPhone for help adding your first one.
Edit The Alarm‘s Sound
Tap Edit in the top left corner.
Select the specific alarm whose sound you want to change.
Under the Sound section, tap the current tone.
You should now see a list of Apple‘s default options plus access to your music library.
Choose Your New Custom Sound
Peruse Apple‘s default tones or tap "Pick a Song" to access your music library and select a custom song or melody for your alarm tone. Some top wake-up song suggestions:
- "Good Morning" by Max Frost
- "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves
- "Good Day Sunshine" by The Beatles
Set the vibe you want for your morning right from the alarm that kicks it off!
Save Your Changes
Be sure to press Save after selecting your preferred song/sound before exiting the Alarm settings screen. If you don‘t, your alarm will revert back to default and you‘ll have to redo it.
Once you return to the main Alarm screen, you can toggle your freshly optimized alarm on or off with the side switch. Enjoy waking up to your new customized tone starting tomorrow morning!
Analyzing Top Alarm Sound Preferences
Now that you know how to update iPhone alarms tones to suit your tastes, let‘s analyze popular sound categories that tend to make for ideal customized alarms and wake-up calls:
Uplifting Melodies & Music
An increasing number of scientific studies focused on optimized morning routines found that uplifted, energetic melodies with positive lyrical affirmations kickstart days with the highest motivation, productivity and cheerfulness levels. Makes sense why over 68% of sound conditioners preferred uplifting musical alerts!
Nature & Ambient Sounds
Natural settings like ocean waves, bird songs or babbling brooks conditioned 31% of sound study participants to feel tranquility and peace first thing in the morning, with associated mood boosts lasting hours into the day even after the sound stopped.
Simulating these organic environments with ambient iPhone alarm tones can provide similar benefits for an easy a.m. reset.
Futuristic & Novel Tones
While less common, a small subset of tech-enthusiasts opted to jolt themselves awake with futuristic, almost jarring tones reminiscent of sci-fi movie soundtracks. Researchers hypothesis this category allows them to mentally disassociate the noise even further from default alerts we subconsciously tune out.
So while uplifting music statistically provides the biggest energy kickstart, don‘t be afraid to get creative finding whichever sound best suits your personal preferences!
Optimizing With Third-Party iPhone Alarm Apps
If you want to take customizing morning wakeup calls even further, consider integrating your iPhone with one of these top-rated alarm clock apps:
Sleep Cycle App
This intelligent software analyzes sleep patterns and identifies optimal times in a sleep cycle to wake users up feeling refreshed. Sleep Cycle has a 4.7-star rating with over 98,000 reviews in the App Store.
Alarmy App
Alarmy revolutionizes waking up on time by requiring users to complete tasks like solving math problems or taking photos of pre-set locations to disable alarm tones. Avoid oversleeping even for the heaviest sleeper!
Wakeout App
Wakeout combines alarm customization with mini morning workouts to help users start their days on the right foot. With options like "Shake" demanding you dance or "Pose" making you strike yoga stances to turn off the alarm, it adds an extra level of motivation.
All three apps integrate with the iPhone OS and can pull music/sounds from your library for the customized audio wake up cues discussed above. Definitely check them out for a more robust alarm experience!
And if you opt for multiple alarms, studies show the ideal spacing is 9-minute intervals, with the last alarm no later than 30 minutes before you need to be out of bed. This allows your body to gradually transition wakefulness while still giving you time to get ready.
FAQs: Your Top iPhone Alarm Questions Answered
Have additional questions on setting customized iPhone alarms? Here are answers to some commonly asked topics:
Can I use Spotify songs as an iPhone alarm tone?
Absolutely! When selecting sounds within your alarm settings, choose "Pick a Song" then toggle "Apple Music" to "Spotify" to browse your playlists. Save your choice as the alarm tone the same way you would an Apple Music track.
What‘s the loudest possible iPhone alarm volume?
To set alarms as loud as possible, head into Settings > Sounds & Haptics and drag the ringer/alerts volume slider fully to the right. You can also enable prominent Haptic feedback for physical buzzing alerts. Max volume custom alarms are perfect for heavy sleepers!
Can I ask Siri to set an iPhone alarm?
Yes, Siri integration allows iPhone users to set alarms completely hands-free. Just invoke your phone‘s AI assistant and say something like "Hey Siri, set an alarm for 7 AM called ‘Work‘ with the song ‘Good Morning‘ as the sound." Siri will handle the rest!
Why does my song cut off when used as an alarm tone?
Due to software limitations, iPhone alarms can only play full songs for alarms 30 minutes or longer. Anything shorter will play a truncated, 30-second clip. Time-optimize longer alerts if you want your entire track to play.
What‘s the best soothing natural sound for an alarm?
Based on conditioned response surveys, babbling brooks, tranquilly flowing water and gentle beach waves statistically offer the most peaceful, least jarring wake-up calls for iPhone users. Avoid disruptive noises like bird chirps or rain which can feel overly hectic first thing.
Start Your Day Your Way
As you can see, the psychology behind morning alarm customization indicates sound choices can really set the tone for your entire day. Hopefully this guide gave you ideas for updating your standard iPhone alerts with superior, energy-boosting alternatives.
The process only takes seconds, so you have no more excuses. Set that uplifting melody, ambient nature backdrop or sci-fi motivated sound cue and reclaim control of your precious morning routine today!
