Millions of us depend on our alarms to go off on time every day, but will your alarm go off with headphones connected?
No matter what phone or mobile operating system you have, your alarm will work with headphones in.
This seems like a simple question, but as always, there are some caveats.
Let’s dive right in!
Will the alarm sound from the phone speaker, the headphones, or both?
Suppose you fall asleep with your headphones in. You might want your alarm to sound through your phone speaker, through your headphones, or both.
It’s also essential to determine whether the alarm will sound through your phone speaker if you forget you have wireless headphones connected – you won’t hear the alarm if you’re not wearing the headphones.
The answer depends on your phone and operating system.
iPhone
Apple’s help and guidance on alarms state that an alarm will play through both the headphones and phone speaker at the volume set for the alarm:
“If you connect headphones to your iPhone, the alarm will sound at a set volume through the built-in speakers on your iPhone as well as wired and wireless headphones.”
iPhone users report mixed results. On this Apple help thread, iPhone users reported that the alarm didn’t sound from their phone when they connected their headphones.
One user said they removed their AirPods from their ear but didn’t place them in the case, and their alarm failed to sound from the phone speaker.
You can check yourself by setting the alarm for a few minutes with your headphones connected. This will reveal whether the alarm sounds from one or both sources.
You can also download third-party alarm apps like Earphone Alarm, which only route alarm audio through headphones and earphones.
Android
Like iPhones, Android phones should play alarm sounds through both the phone speaker and any connected wired or wireless headphones.
The only way to find out for sure is to test it yourself – set the alarm for a few minutes with your headphones connected and see if the alarm sounds through the speaker, headphones, or both. It’ll likely sound through the speaker, at least.
If you need your alarm to sound through your headphones, several Android apps enable this on the Play Store, including the highly-rated Earphone Alarm. Make sure you test the apps before you put them to use in a real-world situation!
Will my alarm go off out loud with headphones in?
It should do, yes. The alarm should sound through the main phone speaker when your headphones are plugged in. This should apply to both wired and wireless headphones and earphones.
Depending on your phone and operating system, the alarm may also sound through the headphones.
There have been reports from iPhone users that the alarm only sounded through the headphone, not through the main speaker. This is problematic if you fall asleep with headphones in, but they fall out sometime in the night.
If you’re ever unsure, connect your headphones and set your alarm for a few minutes. Testing your alarm will tell you if your alarm rings from your phone with the headphones in. It will also tell you if your alarm sounds through the headphones in addition to the phone speaker.
Will my alarm go off with AirPods in if they run out of battery?
If your AirPods are connected to your iPhone, and your alarm goes off, Apple states that the alarm should still sound through your phone speaker. So, if you connect your AirPods to your phone and they later run out of battery, the alarm will go off from your phone speaker.
To make sure, connect your AirPods to your phone and set your alarm for a few minutes. You should find that the alarm sounds through the phone speaker.
If I fall asleep with headphones in, will my alarm go off?
Here are two pretty common situations:
- You put your headphones in to listen to music or a podcast late at night, but will your alarm go off if you fall asleep?
- You fall asleep on a bus or train but set an alarm to wake you up at your stop. Will your alarm go off through your headphones?
For both Android and iPhone, it’s common for the alarm to sound from both your phone speaker and headphones.
However, it’s wise to check with your own device before banking on it.
If you only want your alarm to sound through the headphones, so as to not disturb others around you on a bus or train, then you’ll need to download an app.
For Android, try Earphone Alarm – you’ll find many others by searching for ‘earphone alarm’ in the Play Store. For Apple, the app goes by the same name, Earphone Alarm. But, again, there are many others available from the App Store.
Make sure to test your alarm
It’s straightforward to test your phone alarm with your headphones connected. Simply connect your headphones and set the alarm to go off in a couple of minutes.
Note whether the alarm rings through your phone speaker or headphones, or both at the same time.
If you download an earphone alarm app, test it to make sure it works with your device and headphones before deploying it to get up for work in the morning!
Conclusion
When you connect headphones, your alarm will ring through your phone speaker, headphones, or both. The alarm will ring through both the headphones and the phone speaker on most iPhone and Android phones.
The only way to know for sure is to test it yourself. Plug or connect your headphones and set the alarm to see whether it rings from the phone or headphones.
If you need your alarm to ring only through your headphones, various apps can do that on the Play Store and App Store.
