Setting an alarm on the iPhone is one of the most basic tasks someone can do — but it also comes with an interesting quirk that silences it for exactly nine minutes before it starts ringing again. That may seem like an odd number at first, but there's actually a conscious reason why Apple picked that number specifically.

Regardless of whether someone sets a special sleep alarm or a regular one, the fact remains that snoozing an iPhone alarm does so for nine minutes. As explained in a YouTube video by Apple Explained, there is sound logic behind this seemingly random number. When the snooze feature was added to alarm clocks years ago, it was done so by retrofitting the new snooze component in the design of an existing clock. As Apple Explained says, "This was a problem, since they [alarm clock makers] couldn't adjust the clock's gear teeth to line up perfectly for a ten-minute snooze." This left them with a decision to have the snooze feature silence clocks for 10 minutes and 43 seconds or nine minutes and three seconds.

Related: How To Set A Sleep Timer For Apple Music (The Easy Way)

How To Change iPhone Snooze Time

Alarm section in the iPhone Clock app

Nine minutes was ultimately chosen as the best option, and while the reasoning is still debated to this day, it's the snooze time that was used on the GE Snooz-Alarm in 1956 — the first alarm clock with a snooze feature available to the general public. The nine-minute snooze has remained the default snooze time on alarm clocks since then, and wanting to pay homage to that tradition, Apple also chose to use it for the iPhone's alarm.

While that's certainly a nice bit of history to know, a nine-minute snooze may not work for everyone's schedule. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't allow users to adjust this. Instead, the best workaround is to set multiple alarms to create custom 'snooze' times. If someone sets their main alarm for 6 a.m. and wants a five-minute snooze, they could create other alarms for 6:05, 6:10, 6:15, etc. For this to work effectively, users would also need to disable the snooze function entirely. To do this, open the Clock app, tap on an alarm, and tap the toggle next to 'Snooze' so it's disabled. It'd be a lot easier if Apple offered an edit snooze feature, but until then, this is the next best thing.

If that's just not cutting it, another alternative is to download a third-party alarm app. There are plenty of options to choose from on the App Store, including Alarmy, Alarm Clock HD, Sleep Cycle, etc. It's a bit hilarious that iPhone owners need to download a separate app just to edit the snooze for their alarm, but such is life. Will Apple ever let users edit their snooze times? That's honestly difficult to say. It seems like one of those features that has to get added at some point, but when that will happen remains a mystery. Until that day comes, iPhone users need to stick with multiple alarms or give in to a third-party solution.

Use Alarmy To Change Snooze Time On iPhone

A screenshot of the Alarmy app's customizable snooze times on iPhone 14

Alarmy is among the top-rated clock apps on the App Store, and changing the iPhone's snooze time is simple as using this app as the default alarm clock. To set an alarm, open the app, tap the '+' button in the bottom-right corner of the screen and tap 'Alarm.' Set the alarm time and the tap 'Snooze.' Users can now choose various snooze times, ranging from one minute, three minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes, all the way up to 60 minutes. Tap 'Ok' to set the alarm.

Apart from allowing users to change the snooze time on iPhone, Alarmy also boasts other features that aren't available in the Clock app. For example, users who find it hard to wake up to alarms can choose from various "missions" in the app they have to complete to dismiss the alarm. These include doing squats, walking, completing a memory game, and solving a math problem, among others. Users can also purchase Alarmy Premium to get additional features like a wake-up check that sends a notification users have to dismiss to confirm they're awake before the alarm starts ringing, and an extra loud alarm that rings if a user is unresponsive for 40 seconds.

iPhone Alarms: Other Tips You Should Know

iPhone alarm songs

While Clock app on iPhone doesn't offer the ability to edit snooze times, it does have a few hidden features not all users may be aware of. For instance, it's possible to set an alarm only using one's voice. Just say 'Hey Siri, set an alarm for 9 a.m.' and the screen will display a prompt asking the user to confirm the alarm time. This is a great way for a person to set an alarm when they're in a hurry or multitasking. Another useful feature of the Clock app is the ability to rename alarms. For users who have multiple recurring alarms set throughout the day, describing their purpose is an effective way to stay organized. For example, a user might have a 6 a.m. alarm labeled 'School wake-up' and another at 8 a.m. for 'Yoga Class'. By labeling alarms, users can ensure important ones aren't inadvertently deleted or ignored.

The iPhone also offers an additional degree of alarm customization by letting users choose a song as their alarm tone. iPhones already offer a long list of alarm tones, but for some users, it's much more comforting to wake up to their favorite song. To do this, tap on any alarm and then tap 'Sound.' Downloaded songs can now be added from the 'Songs' section. Alternatively, users can tap 'Tone Store' to download a song from the iTunes Store. An Apple Music subscription isn't required for this, and users can purchase a single track to use as their alarm tone on their iPhone.

Source: Apple Explained/YouTube