Apple Watch alarm fails to Sound or Vibrate when Sleep Mode ends

Hello Apple Community,


I want to bring to your attention a persistent issue that numerous Apple Watch users, including myself, have been experiencing.

The problem occurs when the Apple Watch alarm, set to ring at the end of sleep mode, occasionally fails to activate, despite the alarm appearing correctly on the watch screen with options to "snooze" and "stop".

This rare occurrence is of utmost concern as it has resulted in users not waking up on time for important events, making it a critical problem that warrants immediate attention.


The Issue:

Sometimes, the Apple Watch alarm does not wake users up. It's not due to incorrect vibration or sound settings; it's undoubtedly a bug.

Many individuals have reported this problem, as evidenced by a Reddit post and its corresponding comments.


Reddit: Caught my sleep setting alarm not vibrating after I thought I was going crazy.

If you have not a Reddit account I attach at the end of the post some screenshots


Reddit Post Excerpts:


  • "roblee8908": "Sometimes my Apple Watch doesn’t seem to wake me up. I thought it was just that the vibration was too weak... Both the way CJ and phone show 'snooze' and 'stop' so I know it’s actively going off."
  • "CoffeeGamer93": "Happened to me. After I restarted both my phone and watch, it worked again."
  • "mastercheif": "This has been happening to me for a year. I’ve caught it a few times too. I’m going to throw this thing out the window."


This problem has caused significant inconvenience and frustration for many users, and it's crucial that Apple acknowledges and addresses it.

We've tried various troubleshooting steps, including restarting the watch and ensuring notifications vibrate the wrist before sleep, but the issue persists.


User's Observations:


  • The problem appears to be ongoing, affecting users for extended periods.
  • Some have noted the issue since iOS 14.
  • This issue has resulted in users being late for work, missing appointments, and compromising their daily routines.


While some have resorted to setting alarms on secondary devices to ensure they don't miss important events, this should not be necessary with a device as advanced as the Apple Watch.


I've tried numerous solutions, including rebooting the watch and configuring prominent haptics vibration, but the issue persists. We would like this issue to be resolved without the need to set up a second alarm on a separate device, as this would be both inconvenient and embarrassing.


If you've encountered this issue or have insights into possible solutions, please share your experiences.

We hope that by discussing this problem here, we can raise awareness and encourage Apple to address it in a future software update.


Thank you for your attention and contributions to this discussion.

Let's work together to find a resolution to this frustrating problem.





Apple Watch Series 7, watchOS 10

Posted on Oct 17, 2023 11:32 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 18, 2023 10:55 AM

Hello,


As info:

iPhone 12 - iOS 17.0.3

Apple Watch 7 - watchOS 10.0.1


I appreciate your recommendations, and I have some additional insights to share.

While I haven't yet attempted the first two steps you suggested, it's worth noting that this issue seems to occur sporadically, and sometimes the Sleep Mode alarm functions correctly without any intervention.


For instance, this morning, the Sleep Mode alarm worked as expected, despite the fact that I hadn't restarted or re-paired my iPhone and Apple Watch for weeks, and the problem happened just and only yesterday morning, but not this morning (i repeat, without restarting or re-pairing between yesterday and today)!


The inconsistency of this rare, but frustrating, behavior suggests that it may not be related to restarts or software versions.

It's an unpredictable issue that occurs infrequently – perhaps once every 1-2 months.


Given the intermittent nature of this problem, it would be beneficial for Apple to investigate further, even if it doesn't happen consistently.

It's an issue that can have significant consequences when it does occur.


Thank you for your assistance, and I hope that Apple can look into this matter more deeply.


Best regards,

Similar questions

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 18, 2023 10:55 AM in response to Vilas_S

Hello,


As info:

iPhone 12 - iOS 17.0.3

Apple Watch 7 - watchOS 10.0.1


I appreciate your recommendations, and I have some additional insights to share.

While I haven't yet attempted the first two steps you suggested, it's worth noting that this issue seems to occur sporadically, and sometimes the Sleep Mode alarm functions correctly without any intervention.


For instance, this morning, the Sleep Mode alarm worked as expected, despite the fact that I hadn't restarted or re-paired my iPhone and Apple Watch for weeks, and the problem happened just and only yesterday morning, but not this morning (i repeat, without restarting or re-pairing between yesterday and today)!


The inconsistency of this rare, but frustrating, behavior suggests that it may not be related to restarts or software versions.

It's an unpredictable issue that occurs infrequently – perhaps once every 1-2 months.


Given the intermittent nature of this problem, it would be beneficial for Apple to investigate further, even if it doesn't happen consistently.

It's an issue that can have significant consequences when it does occur.


Thank you for your assistance, and I hope that Apple can look into this matter more deeply.


Best regards,

Oct 18, 2023 09:57 AM in response to andreito95

Hello andreito95,


Thank you for using Apple Support Communities and for sharing these details with us. We would like to recommend some troubleshooting steps you can try to help further isolate this unexpected behavior. Follow the steps below:


1.) You mentioned that you had restarted your Apple Watch but that didn't help. We also recommend that you restart the companion iPhone as well: Restart your iPhone - Apple Support

2.) Make sure both devices, Apple Watch and iPhone are fully updated to the most recent iOS and watchOS versions:

3.) If your issue continues, we recommend that you unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch to your iPhone. Unpairing will automatically create a backup of your Apple Watch data. Once you set up your Apple Watch again, your data will be there. Just in case, this resource can show you how to unpair your Apple Watch: Unpair and erase your Apple Watch - Apple Support


We hope these steps help you. Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Take care.





This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Apple Watch alarm fails to Sound or Vibrate when Sleep Mode ends

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.