How to Set a Silent, Vibrating Alarm on Apple Watch (With Photos)

Loud alarms first thing in the morning can be jarring. Being abruptly awakened by a tiresome audio alarm can set the tone for the whole day. Eliminating the sudden shock to our systems is reason enough for many of us to switch to a silent, vibrating alarm. However, there are several other reasons why a silent, vibrating alarm may be helpful. For example, roommates or family members with different schedules may not appreciate the wake-up call. A vibrating alarm on your wrist allows you to start your day without disturbing the household. If you’re in a busy, crowded place, you may not hear an audible alarm, but you will still feel the haptic feedback of your vibrating alarm. Vibrating alarms are also beneficial for those with hearing loss, as they rely on different senses to alert the user.

Are you ready to lose the loud alarm? This quick and easy photo guide will get you started! Keep reading to learn how to set a silent, vibrating alarm on Apple Watch.

Set a Silent, Vibrating Alarm on Your Apple Watch

There are two ways to set an alarm for your Apple Watch. The first is to set an alarm directly on your watch. Follow these steps to learn how to set a silent, vibrating alarm independently of your connected iPhone.

Step 1: Open Control Center

To open up Control Center on your watch, swipe up from the bottom edge of your watch face. If you are on another screen, touch and hold the bottom of that screen and swipe up to go to Control Center.

Note that Control Center cannot be accessed from the Home Screen. You must first press the Digital Crown to begin at your watch face or you can begin by opening an app. Then you can use the above methods to open Control Center.

Step 2: Tap the Bell to Enable Silent Mode

After you open the Control Center, tap on the grey bell icon. The icon will turn red and the bell will now have a line through it. There is currently no way to set a silent, vibrating alarm on Apple Watch without setting the watch to Silent Mode.

Step 3: Open the Alarms App

Press the Digital Crown to access the apps on your Home Screen. Then, open the Alarms App on your watch. The Alarms app is orange with an icon of an alarm clock in the center.

Step 4: Tap on Add Alarm to Set Your Alarm

The fourth step is to tap Add Alarm from the Alarms menu. Then, set the time of your alarm. Make sure to select a.m. or p.m., then tap on hours and minutes. Turn the Digital Crown to go to the time you want. Alternatively, you can use Siri to set an alarm by saying something like, “Set an alarm for 9 a.m.”

Step 5: Tap the Green Check Mark

Finally, tap on the green check mark icon on the bottom right-hand side of your screen. Now your silent, vibrating alarm is set!

If you need to delete your alarm, open your Alarms app, then tap the alarm you want to delete from the list. After that, scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Delete. You can also follow these steps to access the Snooze feature. Tap the alarm from the list, then toggle the Snooze switch to turn it on or off for that alarm.

Set a Silent, Vibrating Alarm for Your Apple Watch Using your Connected iPhone

You can also set an alarm for your Apple Watch using your connected iPhone. Note that you won’t get an alert on your iPhone when your watch alarm goes off. Follow these steps to learn how to set a silent, vibrating alarm for your watch via your connected iPhone.

Step 1: Open Your Watch App on Your iPhone

First, open your iPhone display and find the Watch app. The Watch app icon has a black background showing a side view of a silver watch. Tap this icon to launch your Watch app.

Step 2: Scroll Down and Tap Clock

The app will open on the My Watch tab. Scroll down the menu and tap Clock to open your Clock settings.

Step 3: Turn On Push Alerts from iPhone

Next, toggle the switch that says Push Alerts from iPhone. The switch will be green when it is in the on position. You must turn this switch on to ensure that your watch will alert you of alarms you’ve set on your iPhone.

Step 4: Open the Clock App and Tap Alarm

Fourth, open the Clock app on your phone. Then, tap the Alarm icon in the tab at the bottom of the screen.

Step 5: Tap the Plus Icon

Now, tap the plus icon in the top right-hand corner of your screen. This will allow you to add an alarm.

Step 6: Set the Alarm

Next, set your alarm time. Scroll to the correct hour and minute, then select either a.m. or p.m. Adjust the other options as necessary.

Step 7: Turn Off the Sound

Now you’ll need to turn off the sound. Tap Sound, then scroll down until you reach None at the bottom of the list. Select None to ensure your alarm does not make any sound. Scroll back up to the top, then tap Back on the top left-hand side of your screen.

Step 8: Save Your Alarm

Tap on Save at the top right-hand corner of your screen to save your alarm and your alarm settings.

Step 9: Enable Silent Mode on Your Apple Watch

The final step is to enable Silent Mode on your watch. To access Control Center, swipe up from the bottom of your display. Tap on the grey bell icon. The icon will turn red and the bell will have a line through it when silent mode has been enabled.

Now you’re all set! When your alarm goes off, you won’t hear a sound on your watch or your iPhone. Your watch will silently vibrate on your wrist.

What if Apple Watch Isn’t Vibrating?

If your watch isn’t vibrating when it is in Silent Mode, double-check your Haptic Alerts. Open Settings on your watch, then scroll down to Sounds and Haptics. Toggle the switch to enable Haptic Alerts as shown below. You can also check this setting from your connected iPhone. Open the watch app and then tap the My Watch tab at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down to Sounds and Haptics to make sure Haptic Alerts are enabled.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you learn how to set a silent, vibrating alarm on your Apple Watch. The gentle, vibrating alarm will now alert you without startling you. If you track your sleep on your Apple Watch, perhaps you will see some changes when you no longer dread the sound of your alarm.