A loud alarm app that actually wakes you
Loud is not really about volume. An alarm that wakes you is one the system is not allowed to mute. That is the part most alarm apps get wrong.
Volume is not the problem, permission is
You can set an alarm sound to maximum and still sleep through it, because the phone decided the sound did not need to play. Notifications, which most alarm apps rely on, are muted by the silent switch, by a Focus and by your notification volume.
So the useful question is not how loud the tone is, but whether the alarm is allowed to override those.
What makes NanoTimer loud enough
- It uses AlarmKit (iOS 26+), the same system layer as Apple's own alarm, so silent and Focus do not mute it.
- It keeps ringing until you stop it, instead of one notification chime.
- Repeat per weekday and snooze, so your routine survives the week.
- Free, no ads, no subscription.
Still check your ringer volume
Even a real alarm plays at your ringer volume, which is separate from media volume. Set it under Settings, Sounds & Haptics, not with the buttons while music is playing. If you want the honest full checklist, read why your alarm does not go off.
Set it as your alarm
Open the alarm tab on your phone, or download the app as soon as it is in the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
- Will it wake me if my phone is on silent?
- Yes, on iOS 26 and up the AlarmKit alarm breaks through the silent switch and Focus and keeps ringing until you stop it. Below iOS 26 there is an honest fallback, which is a normal notification.
- Is there a gradually louder option?
- No. NanoTimer plays your alarm at ringer volume and keeps ringing until you stop it, and that is the design rather than an omission: being allowed to sound at all is what wakes you, not ramping up from quiet.