What to Know
- Set a silent alarm on Apple Watch to go off while you're in a crowded place—like an airplane—without disturbing those around you.
- If you have trouble waking up using traditional alarms, the vibrations on your wrist might actually wake you up more effectively than noise does.
Did you know you can set an Apple Watch alarm to silently wake you via gentle vibrations on your wrist? Making your Apple Watch alarm vibrate instead of waking you with a loud alarm tone is quick and easy, and reduces disturbances to others around you. We'll show you how to set a silent Apple Watch alarm.
Jump To:
- How to Set Alarm on Apple Watch That's Completely Silent
- Sleep Mode: How to Use a Vibrating Alarm Watch Alarm for a Gentle Wake-Up
How to Set Alarm on Apple Watch That's Completely Silent
Unfortunately, there's no way to make a silent alarm on Apple Watch without setting the entire watch to Silent mode, but it's still a great solution for those who keep their Apple Watch set to Silent mode anyway! You can quickly adjust this setting in your Apple Watch's Control Center. Now, here's how to set your Apple Watch alarm to vibrate only:
- Press the Side button to open the Apple Watch Control Center.
![Press the Side button to open the Apple Watch Conrol Center.]()
- Tap on the bell icon to switch your Apple Watch to Silent Mode, turning off sound on your Apple Watch. The icon will turn red, and the bell will now have a strike through it. If you're curious about what the other icons mean, be sure to check out our guide to Apple Watch symbols and icons.
![Tap on the bell icon to switch your Apple Watch to Silent Mode]()
- Press the Digital Crown twice to go to your Apple Watch's app menu. (If you have returned to your Apple Watch face, you only need to press the Digital Crown once.)
![Press the Digital Crown twice to go to your Apple Watch's app menu.]()
- Tap on the Alarm app.
![Tap on the Alarm app.]()
- Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap the plus icon.
![Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap the plus icon.]()
- If it's not already outlined in green, tap the hours box and then turn the Digital Crown to set the alarm hour.
![If it's not already outlined in green, tap the hours box and then turn the Digital Crown to set the alarm hour.]()
- Tap the minutes box and then turn the Digital Crown to set the alarm minutes.
![Tap the minutes box and then turn the Digital Crown to set the alarm minutes.]()
- If you have a 24-hour clock, you can skip this step. If not, tap AM or PM to set the time of day.
![Set Apple Watch Alarm to Vibrate]()
- Tap the check mark at the bottom of the screen.
![Tap the check mark at the bottom of the screen.]()
Pro Tip
If your Cover to Mute settings are on, you can silence your Apple Watch alarm with your palm! Learn how to put Apple Watch on silent.
In order to make sure your Apple Watch alarm goes off correctly, make sure to read this article with all our solutions to your alarm not going off. To learn more about different ways you can use your Apple Watch, like how to use your Apple Watch's keyboard, be sure to sign up for our Tip of the Day newsletter.
Related: How to Set an Alarm on Your iPhone or iPad
Sleep Mode: How to Use a Vibrating Alarm Watch Alarm for a Gentle Wake-Up
You can use the steps above to wake up to a vibrating Apple Watch. However, there is a way to set up Sleep mode that will not only let you set up a vibrating alarm but also let you pick out specific haptic vibrations to wake up to. You can even create your own. Learn how to edit your vibrating Apple Watch alarm.
That's how to set up your Apple Watch silent alarm! Now, your watch should wake you up with a series of gentle vibrations on your wrist. If you want to set an alarm on Apple Watch only, the steps above will do that as well. Additionally, you can always toggle Apple Watch alarms on or off in the Alarm app main screen, as well. For more help, check out our guide on troubleshooting iPhone vibration issues, as well as how to fix iPhone haptics. Next, learn how to set a timer on your Apple Watch or how to make your watch vibrate for calls and texts.
