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To set an alarm on Apple Watch, open the Alarms app, tap Add, choose the time, adjust it with the Digital Crown, and tap the checkmark. To use the watch as a bedside clock, turn on Settings > General > Nightstand Mode and connect it to its charger.

How do I set an alarm on my Apple Watch?

  1. Open the Alarms app on your watch.
  2. Tap Add.
  3. Choose AM or PM, then select the hour and minutes.
  4. Turn the Digital Crown to adjust the time, then tap the checkmark.
  5. Use the switch next to the alarm to turn it on or off.

Apple Support also says you can ask Siri to set an alarm, including one that repeats. See Apple’s Apple Watch alarm instructions.

Edit, repeat, snooze, or delete an alarm

Tap an alarm to change its time, repeat days, label, snooze setting, snooze duration, or Break Through Silent Mode option. With Silent Mode on, an alarm can tap your wrist without making a sound. Turn Snooze off if you do not want the Snooze button to appear. To delete an alarm, swipe left on it and tap Delete.

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How do I turn on Nightstand Mode?

  1. On Apple Watch, open Settings > General > Nightstand Mode and turn the setting on.
  2. Connect the watch to its charger. Apple describes the Nightstand Mode display while the watch is charging.

The display shows charging status, the current time and date, and the time of any alarm set on the watch. Tap the display or lightly nudge the watch to see the time; tapping or nudging the table may also wake the display. When an alarm set in the Alarms app sounds, Apple says Nightstand Mode gently wakes you with a unique alarm sound. Press the side button to turn it off or the Digital Crown to snooze.

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For the setting and alarm behavior, refer to Apple Support’s Apple Watch User Guide. Apple does not specify a guaranteed alarm loudness for every bedside environment.

Which Apple Watch alarm should you use?

Apple Watch has three distinct alarm routes. The place you create the alarm determines how it behaves and which device receives the alert.

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Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant
  • A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
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  • GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
  • SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
  • A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Alarm route Where you set it Repeats or schedule Alert destination
Regular watch alarm Alarms app on Apple Watch Can be set to repeat on selected days Apple Watch; Apple says this alarm does not alert the iPhone
iPhone alarm pushed to Apple Watch Set the alarm on iPhone; enable My Watch > Clock > Push Alerts from iPhone in the Apple Watch app on iPhone Uses the iPhone alarm’s settings Apple Watch can alert you to snooze or dismiss the iPhone alarm
Sleep schedule wake-up alarm Sleep or sleep schedule controls Part of a sleep schedule; controls include changing or skipping the next wake-up alarm Managed as a sleep schedule alarm, with sound and haptic options

For sleep schedule alarms, Apple documents controls for changing the next wake-up alarm, its sound and haptics, and skipping it for one night. The iPhone Health sleep schedule setup also includes sound, vibration, snooze, and snooze-duration options. See Apple’s sleep and wake-up alarm instructions and iPhone sleep schedule instructions.

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Will my Apple Watch alarm go off while charging?

Yes. Apple says that when you set an alarm in the Alarms app, the watch in Nightstand Mode gently wakes you with a unique alarm sound while it is connected to its charger. The bedside display also shows the time of an alarm set on the watch. A watch alarm does not automatically alert the iPhone; to receive iPhone alarm alerts on the watch, use Push Alerts from iPhone in the Apple Watch app.

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Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant
  • A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
  • KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
  • GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
  • SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
  • A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
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Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant
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  • A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
  • KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
  • WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
  • GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*

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