Overslept? Your iPhone Might Be to Blame

TL:DR: iPhone users report a bug causing alarms to go nearly silent, leading to oversleeping. The issue is linked to the Attention Aware feature, which can be turned off.

The issue seems to be linked to a hidden setting called Attention Aware.

WASHINGTON — Missed your alarm recently? It might not entirely be your fault.

Dozens of social media users have gone viral in recent weeks after pointing out an iPhone bug that causes alarms to go nearly silent.

One user on TikTok, who garnered over nine million views, noticed the bug after waking up hours after an initial “five-to-ten-minute alarm” that she had set. The TikTok user, who uses the handle elizabethannswanson, noticed the alarm was ringing but with virtually no sound.

While the user notes it’s happening with her iPhone 15, the bug appears to have existed for a while.

One Reddit user noted a similar bug two years ago, saying it “caused me so many problems, including being HOURS late to work.”

The bug even made one user resort back to a good old-fashioned alarm clock.

“Apparently this bug STILL exists and I just figured it out! I bought an actual alarm clock because of it,” another Reddit user noted in the same forum.

It’s a frustrating issue.

The Hidden Culprit: Attention Aware

The issue appears to be tied to a hidden setting called Attention Aware, a feature where your iPhone checks whether you’re paying attention to your screen.

When your phone detects that you are looking at your screen, it will not dim the display and will lower the volume of your alerts, according to Apple.

Apple has not publicly addressed the bug. Representatives for the company did not immediately respond when asked for a statement.

How to Turn Off Attention Aware on iPhone

To turn off the feature, head to the settings app.

1. Tap the Face ID & Passcode section of your settings app.
2. Click the toggle to off Attention Aware Features.

Make sure to check Apple’s guide on setting alarms, especially if problems with the volume persist after turning off Attention Aware.

Don’t oversleep again.