What iOS 27’s New Volume Controls Do
iOS 27’s new volume controls are a notification volume settings upgrade that replaces one shared slider with three separate sliders so you can set different sound levels for alarms, alerts, and ringtones instead of having every notification play at the same loudness. This solves the long‑standing problem where lowering ringtone volume also made alarms too quiet or silenced system sounds you still needed to hear. According to PCMag, the update adds independent volume levels for “alarms, notifications/system sounds, and ringtones,” turning sound management into something you can customize for work, sleep, or travel. That means you can keep a separate alarm volume at maximum while you tone down message pings, or mute most alerts while leaving calls audible, all from one place in Settings.
Where to Find the New iOS 27 Volume Controls
To customize ringtone alerts and alarms in iOS 27, start in the Settings app. Open Settings, then tap Sound & Haptics. In earlier iOS versions, you see a single Ringtone and Alerts slider here; iOS 27 changes that area into a more detailed Ringtone and Alerts section that can display three separate volume controls. You will see headings for Ringtone, Alarms and Timers, and Alerts and System Sounds, each with its own options. If your phone still shows only one slider, you need to change a toggle before the individual sliders appear. This new layout means you no longer have to rely on the hardware volume buttons to change all notification sounds together, giving you finer control over everyday sounds like incoming calls, calendar pings, and alarm tones.
How to Turn On Separate Sliders for Alarms, Alerts, and Ringtones
Once you are in Settings > Sound & Haptics, scroll to the Ringtone and Alerts section to unlock the three new sliders. Under both Alarms and Timers and Alerts and System Sounds, look for a toggle called Match Ringtone Volume. When this is enabled, your iPhone links those sounds to the ringtone slider, so everything changes together. Turn off Match Ringtone Volume for Alarms and Timers, then turn it off again under Alerts and System Sounds. As PCMag explains, “Once you disable the toggle, volume sliders will be activated below each section.” You will now see three independent controls: one slider for Ringtone, one for Alarms and Timers, and one for Alerts and System Sounds, all ready for fine‑tuned adjustment.
Set Up Everyday and Work Profiles With Separate Alarm Volume
With the three sliders visible, you can tailor notification volume settings to your routine. For a typical day, you might set Ringtone to a medium level so calls are clear but not harsh, push Alarms and Timers to near maximum so wake‑up alarms and countdowns always cut through, and lower Alerts and System Sounds so app notifications stay in the background. During meetings or focused work, you could drag Alerts and System Sounds close to mute while leaving Ringtone active for important calls and keeping a separate alarm volume high for time‑boxed tasks. Because alerts and alarms no longer share one control, you have more freedom to stay reachable without constant noise, and you can adjust everything in seconds without reworking individual app settings.
How Sleep and Wake Up Alarms Work With the New System
There is one important exception to the Alarms and Timers slider. The new separate alarm volume does not change the Sleep Schedule or Wake Up alarm you configure through the Health app. The system treats that morning alarm as its own category with its own volume. To change it, open the Clock app, tap Alarms, then select Change under Sleep/Wake Up at the top of the screen. Scroll down to the Sound & Haptics section and use the dedicated slider for that Wake Up alarm. This way, your main wake‑up sound stays independent even from the new Alarms and Timers control, giving you a clearly defined backup in case you turn other alarms down too far for daytime use.
