At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event for 2026, Apple unveiled major updates for all of its major software platforms, including, of course, for iOS, which powers the iPhone.
The tech giant focused on three key pillars across the newly unveiled version 27 releases of its software products: performance and stability, parental controls, and a new and improved Siri AI and Apple Intelligence suite.
While blockbuster new features are on the back burner this year in favor of stability and bolstered AI capabilities, Apple has gone ahead and implemented a number of smaller changes and enhancements across iOS et al., too.
Most of these changes are minor quality-of-life additions, like being able to undo and redo home screen customizations, as well as being able to force a compact lock screen clock, but they’re all appreciated inclusions nonetheless.
Out of all these many small tweaks, there’s one in particular that’s caught my attention above all the rest — and it’s one that Apple never mentioned during its keynote presentation: the addition of a bespoke alarm clock volume slider.
At long last, a separate slider for alarms and timers
An Android feature I’ve wanted on iPhone for years
A separate, dedicated volume slider for alarms and timers is something I’ve grown accustomed to on Android, and it has been a top feature request of mine for the iPhone for some time now. With iOS 27, Apple is finally capitulating in ‘better late than never’ fashion, and I couldn’t be more pleased.
I’m the type of person who prefers keeping my ringtone and notification volumes nice and low, while also preferring an obnoxiously loud alarm ring to ensure I wake up on time in the mornings. With older versions of iOS, I’ve been forced to pick between these two preferences of mine, and I’ve thus always settled for a suboptimal middle ground.
…I’m just glad to see the feature finally make its way over to the iPhone.
Now, with iOS 26, I can simply navigate to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Alarms and Timers and toggle off Match Ringtone Volume. Once disabled, a new slider appears on-screen, which lets me dial in the exact volume of my preference — entirely independent of my ringtone.
On the one hand, it’s easy to scoff at Apple for dragging its heals in introducing such a basic-yet-useful volume feature. Indeed, an independent alarm volume slider has existed on Android for many, many years. That being said, I’m just glad to see the feature finally make its way over to the iPhone. As someone who switches platforms on a regular basis, I see software-side cross-pollination in a positive light.
