Apple is set to deliver separate volume controls on the iPhone through iOS 27, giving users an option Android owners have enjoyed for quite some time. The change allows distinct adjustments for ringtone, alarm, timer, and system sound levels instead of one shared slider. While the WWDC 2026 keynote centered on Apple Intelligence and updated Siri capabilities, these audio refinements quietly resolve a frequent user complaint and provide finer command over notification sounds.

Apple Rolls Out Requested Independent Volume Options in iOS 27

The controls appear inside the Sounds and Haptics area of the Settings app. People can now set unique levels for ringtones, alarms plus timers, and alerts along with system sounds. Previously, a single volume setting governed multiple notification types, which often forced unwanted changes across categories.

Apple is also including a Match Ringtone Volume toggle. When enabled, the system keeps using one shared volume. Disabling it lets users tweak alarms, timers, alerts, and system sounds on their own.

The alarms and timers slider does not affect Wake-Up alarms or other alerts that already use separate volumes. The alerts and system sounds group covers message notifications plus keyboard clicks, camera shutter noises, and similar system audio.

The feature applies to broader sound categories rather than individual alarms, delivering more flexibility than earlier iOS releases. It aligns the iPhone more closely with Android devices that have long offered distinct sliders for alarms, notifications, ringtones, and media.

Independent volume controls form part of several smaller quality-of-life updates in iOS 27. The release arrived with fresh Apple Intelligence tools, Siri improvements, Photos changes, parental controls, and additional software updates shown at WWDC 2026. A developer beta is already out, and a public beta is slated for next month.