Apple has introduced a useful quality-of-life improvement in iOS 27 that gives iPhone users more control over how different sounds behave on their devices. For the first time, users can set separate volume levels for alarms and timers, alerts and system sounds, and ringtones instead of relying on a single shared volume setting.
This change addresses a long-standing frustration for users who want loud alarms without increasing the volume of text notifications, keyboard clicks, or incoming calls. With iOS 27, each category can now have its own dedicated volume setting, making it easier to create a setup that fits individual preferences.
More Control Over Everyday Sounds
Until now, iOS used one volume control for both ringtones and alerts, which often forced users to compromise between notification volume and alarm volume. iOS 27 changes that by separating these controls into distinct categories.
Users can now adjust:
- Ringtone volume
- Alarm and timer volume
- Alerts and system sound volume
This means you can keep alarms loud enough to wake you up while lowering notification sounds during the day.
How the New Settings Work
Apple says that when the “Match Ringtone Volume” option is turned off, the alarm and timer volume settings work independently from ringtone volume. The company also notes that this setting does not affect Wake-Up alarms or other alarms that already have their own dedicated volume controls.
Meanwhile, the alerts and system sounds settings control sounds such as incoming text notifications, keyboard clicks, camera shutter sounds, and other system audio effects.
There is currently no option to assign different volume levels to individual alarms. Even so, the new controls should make daily iPhone use more convenient for anyone who has struggled to find the right balance between calls, notifications, and alarms.
While iOS 27 includes hundreds of new features and improvements across the system, this practical update stands out as one of the most useful everyday changes announced so far.
