When your iPhone seems to oversleep itself: Apple is trying to restore the disrupted alarm clock function

Does the alarm function of your iPhone seem to be refusing service lately? Then you are not the only one with the problem: complaints about alarm signals that do not go off or go off too quietly are so numerous that Apple is trying to fix the bug.

There are a lot of complaints on social media from people whose alarm function on their iPhone is not working properly. “I set five alarms, and I still missed my class. I am not the problem here,” says TikTok user Alyssa Sarracco in a video that has already received almost 4 million views. In another video, with nearly 10 million views, TikTok user wonders why her iPhone 15 goes off at the lowest volume. “Are you trying to get people fired, Apple?” she wonders in annoyance.

Apple says it is aware of the issue and is trying to resolve it. It is not clear how many iPhone owners are affected or which types of iPhone or iOS operating system are affected by the problem.

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Some iPhone users suspect that the problem lies with their smartphone’s attention detection. This mutes the sound of notifications when the user looks at the device – something the iPhone controls via the front camera. By disabling the feature, some iPhone owners say they have managed to get their alarms working normally again.

Apple itself has not yet commented on whether that is indeed the problem. The tech giant does recommend checking whether the alarm sound is not set to ‘None’. Putting your phone on silent or do not disturb does not affect the functioning of the alarm.

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To check if Attention Detection is enabled on your iPhone, open the Settings app, tap Face ID & Passcode, then turn off Attention Detection Features.