Do iPhone alarms ring in Silent mode and Focus?
Yes. Alarms set in the iPhone's Clock app ring in Silent mode and during a Focus. Clokk's alarms do too, because Clokk uses AlarmKit, Apple's system alarm service, but only after you allow Clokk's Alarms permission.
Without that permission, Clokk falls back to an ordinary notification, which Silent mode mutes. To check, open Clokk's settings and tap Notifications & permissions. It should say Your alarms will ring ✓.
Why some alarms stay quiet
Silent mode mutes the sound of ordinary notifications, and a Focus can hold notifications back. An alarm that is only a notification is muted with them. AlarmKit alarms are system alarms: they ring through Silent mode and Focus and show full screen on the Lock Screen, like the Clock app's.
Clokk asks for the Alarms permission so it can use AlarmKit. If you said no, or turned it off later, Clokk still reminds you with a notification, but that one is silent in Silent mode.
Check Clokk's alarm permission
- Open Clokk and go to the Sounds tab.
- Tap the gear at the top right to open Settings.
- Tap Notifications & permissions. The card at the top tells you where you stand (see below).
- If it doesn’t say Your alarms will ring ✓, tap Open Settings. In Settings › Clokk, turn on Alarms, and Notifications too.
- Go back to Clokk. The page updates by itself.
What the card at the top means:
- Your alarms will ring ✓: Alarms is on. They ring in Silent mode and Focus.
- Silent mode will mute your alarms: Alarms is off, Notifications is on. Turn on Alarms.
- Your alarms won't ring: both are off. Turn on at least Alarms.
Other places Clokk tells you
While the Alarms permission is off, the Alarms tab shows Alarms permission is off at the top; tap it to go to Settings. When you save an alarm or switch one on, Clokk also asks you to Turn on Alarms so it really rings.
The same permission covers Clokk's timer. Without it, a finished timer is also muted in Silent mode.
A quick test
- Make an alarm for two or three minutes from now and check that its switch is on.
- Turn on Silent mode, and a Focus if you use one at night.
- Lock the phone and wait for the alarm.
If you want the alarm to wake you with a voice or a song, see Use a voice recording as your iPhone alarm and Set music from a video as your iPhone alarm.
Related questions
Does a Focus stop Clokk alarms?
No, not with the Alarms permission on. Clokk alarms ring during a Focus, like the Clock app's.
Do I need to keep Clokk open?
No. Clokk hands its alarms to iOS, so they ring even when Clokk isn't open.
Which iOS version does Clokk need?
iOS 26.1 or later, on iPhone.
Does the timer ring in Silent mode too?
Yes, with the Alarms permission on. Without it, a finished timer is muted in Silent mode as well.