How to use a voice recording as your iPhone alarm
The Clock app on iPhone can't record a voice for an alarm. Its alarm sounds come from the ringtones on your phone and the songs in your music library. To wake up to a recording, you need an alarm app that can record one.
In Clokk, open an alarm, tap Sound, then Tap to record. Say something, tap the screen to stop, tap Use, and save the alarm. Once Clokk has the Alarms permission, the recording also plays in Silent mode and Focus.
What you need
- An iPhone with iOS 26.1 or later, and Clokk from the App Store.
- Microphone access for Clokk. iOS asks the first time you record.
- Room for one more custom sound. The free version keeps 2 (recordings and sounds from videos count together); a membership removes the limit.
Record a voice while you set the alarm
- Open Clokk. On the Alarms tab, tap + at the top right to add an alarm, or tap an alarm you already have.
- Set the time, then tap Sound. The Choose a sound panel opens.
- Tap Tap to record at the bottom of the panel. The screen dims and a timer starts counting.
- Say your line, or hold the phone toward the person who is speaking. Tap anywhere on the screen to stop and save.
- The new recording appears under My recordings and is already chosen. Tap it to hear it again.
- Tap Use, then tap ✓ at the top right to save the alarm.
Or record first and choose it later
You can also record from the Sounds tab. Tap One-tap record, speak, and tap the screen to stop. The recording is saved under My recordings. Later, choose it for any alarm through Sound, where it is under the My recordings tab.
Name it and pick the part that rings
A new recording starts with a name like “New recording 1”. A few seconds later Clokk tries to name it after what was said, using speech recognition. To rename it, open the Sounds tab, tap Edit next to the recording, and type a new name.
An alarm plays up to 29 seconds of a custom sound, because of an iOS limit. If your recording is longer, the first 29 seconds ring. To choose another part, tap Edit next to it in the Sounds tab, drag the handles under Pick an excerpt, and tap Done. The same card has Volume and Gentle fade-in for that sound.
Tips for a recording you want to wake up to
- Record somewhere quiet. Background noise is easier to hear at alarm volume.
- Listen to it once in the list before you rely on it.
- If the person is far away, ask them to send a video. Save it to Photos and use its sound: Set music from a video as your iPhone alarm.
Make sure it rings in Silent mode
Clokk alarms ring through Silent mode and Focus when Clokk has the Alarms permission. If the Alarms tab shows Alarms permission is off, tap it and turn on Alarms in Settings › Clokk. More: Do iPhone alarms ring in Silent mode and Focus?
Related questions
Can I use someone else's voice?
Yes. Any voice your iPhone's microphone can hear can be recorded. If they send you a video, you can use its sound with From a video.
How long can the recording be?
An alarm plays up to 29 seconds of it. A longer recording is kept whole, and you choose which part rings under Pick an excerpt.
Do recordings sync to my other iPhone?
Not at the moment. Recordings stay on the phone where you made them; iCloud sync covers alarms, timer presets, the sound list and settings.
Why did a membership page open when I tapped record?
The free version keeps 2 custom sounds. Recording a third opens the membership page; you can also delete a sound you no longer use.