Did you know you can set your iPhone alarm to wake you gently with a song instead of with the jolt or startle of a ringtone? Also, when you upgraded to iOS 26, were you alarmed to discover it was suddenly more difficult to stop the alarm?
The new default alarm behavior involves a “slide to stop” action, meaning you have to swipe a control across the screen to put an end to it. Perhaps someone’s intention was to make it more difficult to silence an alarm, forcing one to awaken their consciousness enough to drag a slider with their finger.
However, it should just as well be up to the user to decide how much motivation they need to wake up. And if a button press is your preference, own it.
I only infrequently use an artificial alarm. Most days, I awaken naturally, but sometimes I need to wake earlier than my system desires. I set alarms with songs from my music library. When one sounds, I might listen for a while and sometimes the song even enters my dreamscape until I realize it’s there to awaken me.
Then, I can certainly press any physical button on the iPhone to turn off the alarm. As for the screen, I prefer to skip the slider as I find that a digital button is good enough for me, too. After receiving much user feedback, Apple added this option in iOS 26.1.
Client Notes
Recently, I helped Paula implement a better workflow for taking and storing screenshots, and worked with Tom to make password management more effective before some international travel. I also empowered Robin & Jeff and Margaret to conserve their brain power and invest in 1Password. Soon, Nadine and Shelley will likely do the same.
Meanwhile, I discussed future Mac and/or iPhone upgrade paths with Ellen, whose 64GB iPhone 12 mini is suffering from storage-related challenges, and with Lior, whose 2020 MacBook Pro is running hot and under-responsive. Plus, I helped Estella & Pierre simplify their bank login and verification settings so they can each access a joint account.
Wake to Music
If you’re not keen on the variety of ringtone sound effects for alarms, you can use a song instead — or really any audio track. You just need that content in your Music Library on the device.
While you can actually choose any track in Apple Music (if you subscribe to the service), your device has to be online to retrieve the media. I keep my iPhone in Airplane Mode while I sleep to minimize EMF radiation that might interrupt my circadian rhythm. Thus, it works best to store my music locally.
- In the iPhone’s Clock app, select Alarms and tap
. I keep them conveniently in Control Center for quick access when I want to set one. - Choose Pick a song at the top and browse or search your library to find the one you want
- Set the time and other settings, as you wish, and give the alarm a name
Stop the Alarm
The default behavior in iOS 26 is to present a slider that you must swipe from left to right across the screen to stop an alarm (or a timer). However, if you prefer a button, there’s a setting for you:
- Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch
- Scroll to the very bottom
- Toggle Prefer Single-Touch Actions
For now, only the Alarm and Timer functions appear to be affected by this setting. The Slide to Power Off and Emergency SOS experiences retain an appropriate amount of friction to prevent inadvertently turning off the device or calling emergency services, respectively.
Apple has often relegated various settings to the Accessibility section, removing them from their prior categories. However, this is one case where a setting that didn’t exist before is added to Accessibility for a useful purpose.
What other features and settings have you discovered in perusing your iPhone? Share your insights in the comments so we can all learn from your experience.
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