Apple said that it is working on a fix to a problem with the iPhone’s alarm system after social media users reported that their alarms did not go off or are playing too quietly.
The company’s statement did not elaborate on what caused the error or why it only appears to affect certain users.
“This has probably been the third or fourth day in a row that my alarm clock has not gone off,” said one social media user. Another said, “I’ve noticed for the past week or so my alarm just wasn’t waking me up.”
“If your alarm doesn’t sound or is too quiet, or if your iPhone only vibrates, check the following: Set the volume on your iPhone. If your alarm volume is too low or too loud, press the volume up or volume down button to adjust it,” the page stays.
Users can also go to Settings before tapping the Sounds & Haptics section to drag the slider under Ringtone and Alert Volume.
If the alarm only vibrates, make sure it isn’t set to “none,” the page adds. It then advises the opening of the Clock app, tapping the Alarms tab and tapping Sound.
But some social media users noted that the iPhone’s “Attention Aware Features” may be the reason for the problem. The feature can tell if a user is paying attention to their phone and might lower the volume if it detects that the user is looking at the phone. Some reports suggested that the feature should turned off to allow the alarm to function properly.
Apple’s advice page on alarms, however, doesn’t make mention of that feature.
It comes as Apple is trying to revive lagging sales of its iPhone after its shares underperformed other Big Tech companies in recent months, falling more than 10 percent this year as fears mount about its slow roll-out of artificial intelligence services and as a resurgent Huawei takes market share in China.
Analysts on average see iPhone sales, which account for about half of Apple’s revenue, falling 10.4 percent in the first three months of 2024, according to LSEG. That drop would be the steepest in more than three years.
Apple earlier this year lost the crown of the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft. Its market value stands at $2.68 trillion after the share price declined 11.24 percent so far this year. Weak revenue and falling shares have pressured Apple to spruce up its flagship device after years without major upgrades.
Apple’s smartphone shipments dropped about 10 percent in the first quarter of 2024, hurt by intensifying competition by Android smartphone makers aiming for the top spot, data from research firm IDC showed last month. Global smartphone shipments increased 7.8 percent to 289.4 million units during January-to-March, with Samsung getting 20.8 percent of the market share, clinching the top phone-maker spot from Apple.
