iPhone alarm not working? Here’s how to fix it

Is your iPhone alarm not working? You can use the shortcut app on your iPhone as a workaround while Apple works on a fix.

Many users have been complaining that their iPhone’s alarm doesn’t go off or plays too quietly. Apple claims it is working to fix the problem quickly, although it is not clear how many people have been affected or what devices are involved.

If you’re one of the affected users, try a workaround while Apple comes up with a more permanent solution. And no, we’re not recommending double-checking the iPhone’s alarm settings and ensuring the volume is turned up. Instead, use a built-in app on your iPhone, called Shortcut.

You might have seen the Apple Shortcuts app installed on your iPhone, but it might not be immediately clear how to use it. It’s an automation app that can get something done with your apps without a manual tap or voice command. For example, you can have an app perform a specific task at a specific time of the day.

How to use the Shortcuts app as an iPhone alarm

1. Open the Shortcuts app (search for it if you can’t find it).
2. Tap Automation at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap New Automation.
4. Choose a trigger for your automation. Select Time of Day and enter when you want the music to play.
5. Once you’ve selected the trigger, tap + New Blank Automation to define the action (playing music in our case).
6. Choose the music app you’d like to use (such as Apple Music) and select the action you want it to perform. You can tap on Play and then select a specific song you’d like to play at the scheduled time.

The Shortcuts app can be used as an alarm, with some know-how. Similar to the dedicated alarm feature, you can create a shortcut that triggers music to play on the Apple Music app, or other apps at a specific time.

You can experiment with different triggers and actions to create other automations. For instance, you could set up a timer, or select a YouTube video.