How Long Does Alexa Alarm Ring? 4 Surprising Answers

Sometimes, it feels like Alexa’s alarm will ring for an eternity if you don’t stop her.

But after testing my Echo devices…

I finally found out how long this AI actually spends ringing the alarm.

Curious about the specific duration?

Keep reading to find out:

How long Alexa’s alarm rings.
3 easy ways to turn OFF your Alexa alarm.
7 simple steps to use Alexa routines to limit your alarm duration.
And this is just the beginning…

How long does the Alexa alarm ring?

By default, the Alexa alarm rings for 4 minutes before it temporarily stops and plays again. It’ll continue to intermittently ring for approximately an hour. Unless you specifically tell Alexa to stop doing so.

Now, if you’re wondering:

“Why does Alexa ring way longer than most modern alarms?

Well, here’s the very interesting reason behind this design:

An alarm’s primary function is to wake you up.

So, if it stops ringing before you’ve even left dreamland…

You won’t be able to achieve your goal of waking up at a certain time.

Does the Alexa alarm turn off automatically?

The Alexa alarm turns OFF automatically after 1 hour of ringing.

However, if you snooze your device…

The alarm’s ringing duration extends for another 9 minutes.

Let’s say you have an alarm set for 7 AM.

And you snooze it at around 7:10.

Well, in this scenario, your alarm will pause for 9 minutes before ringing again.

And as a byproduct of snoozing…

Alexa’s auto-OFF feature won’t activate until 8:09 instead of 8 AM.

How do I set the Alexa alarm duration?

Unfortunately, there’s no official way to set Alexa’s alarm duration.

Luckily though, I’ve found very efficient workarounds for this process.

Specifically, the following 2 methods:

Using a song as your alarm sound.
Creating an Alexa routine to stop your voice assistant from ringing.

Let’s start with the workaround best for music lovers like me…

Using a song to set your Alexa alarm duration:

#1: Choose a song

First, you must decide on a song you want to wake up to.

Now, there are 2 ways to do this step.

You can either prioritize a song that:

You like.
Plays for the time duration you prefer.

For example, if you want your Alexa alarm to play for only 5 minutes…

Your best bet is to find a track that lasts the same duration.

However, if your priority is only to shorten your alarm, so it doesn’t ring for an hour…

I recommend simply choosing a track you like.

And once you know the song you’ll be using for this process…

#2: Set an Alexa alarm

Make sure your Echo device is unmuted.

And follow this voice command template:

“Alexa, wake me up at (time) to (name of the specific song).”

Note: You may also use a playlist/album for this process. Just replace the song name with the title of your favorite collection of tracks.

Once you hear Alexa’s confirmation…

#3: Launch the Amazon Alexa app

Here’s the app’s download page (iOS/Android) if you need to install it.

Make sure you’re logged in so you can go ahead and…

#4: Tap Devices

You’ll find this at the bottom of the Alexa application.

#5: Click Echo & Alexa

Once you see the names of your Alexa-powered devices…

#6: Choose the gadget you want to use as an alarm

Simply tap its name on your app.

#7: Click the ALARMS & TIMERS button

At this point, you’ll find the list of alarms scheduled on your Echo device.

So, just find the one you recently set (during step #2).

So you can go ahead and…

#8: Tap the alarm you set

Doing this launches your alarm’s EDIT page.

#9: Customize your alarm

Now, you can repeat your alarm as often as you need it to.

And you may also specify which platform you want to play your song from.

Want to make the process of waking up to music easier?

Use this video as a visual guide:

Stopping Alexa’s alarm using routines:

#1: Set an alarm

Go near your Echo device. And say this voice command:

“Alexa, set the alarm for (time) every (specific day of the week).

Want to use the app instead?

Then open up the Alexa application and follow these steps:

Tap the More option at the bottom of the application.
Click Alarms & Timers.
Touch the + icon on your screen.
Customize your alarm’s details.

Note: Remember the exact time you’ve set your alarm at. You’ll need this later for step #6.

#2: Tap More inside your Alexa application

Open your voice assistant’s app if you haven’t already.

Then, tap the More option.

Or the first icon from the bottom-right portion of your device.

#3: Click Routines

You’ll find this around the middle section of your screen.

And it has a little checkmark icon.

Once the ROUTINES page opens up…

#4: Tap the + button

It’s located at the top-right corner of the app.

#5: Write your routine’s name

Touch the + button on the right side of the option saying:

“Enter routine name.”

And label it however you want.

Note: You don’t need to overcomplicate this step. The name just makes it easier to differentiate between your routines.

After naming your alarm routine, tap the Next option at the top-right corner.

Then, proceed to…

#6: Set your trigger action

Step 1: Click the + icon beside the option saying: “When this happens.”

Step 2: Select Schedule. The one with the clock-looking cion.

Step 3: Choose At Time.

Step 4: Specify when you want your alarm to stop by following the instructions below.

Under the Every Day heading…

Highlight the days of the week you’ve activated your alarm.

Then, just below that section…

Tap the blue Select option on the right side of the At Time phrase.

When you see the timer menu…

Adjust the time, so it states exactly when you want your alarm to stop.

Let’s say you’ve set your alarm for 8 AM.

And you only want your Alexa to ring for 5 minutes.

In this case, you should set the current timer on your screen to 8:05 AM.

After specifying when your routine should activate…

Tap the Next option at the top-right corner of your screen.

#7: Set your routine’s action of stopping the alarm

Tap the + button on the right of “Add action” tab.
Click Device Settings.
Choose Stop Audio.
Select the Echo device you’ve set the alarm on.
Click Next.
Confirm the action by tapping the ADD button.

Now, simply click the CREATE icon at the bottom of your app.

And you’ve successfully created a routine that stops your alarm’s sounds.

How to turn off the Alexa alarm?

There are 3 easy ways to turn OFF your Alexa alarm.

Let’s go over each one, starting with the easiest method…

#1: Using voice commands

First, wake up your voice assistant by saying her wake-up call.

Note: By default, it’s “Alexa.”

And once your Echo device lights up…

Say any of the following words/phrases to stop your alarm:

End.
Stop.
Cancel.
Silence.
Knock it off.
Discontinue.

Note: Don’t use the phrase “Quiet.” This only lowers your Alexa alarm’s volume. And it won’t stop your Echo device from ringing.

Editor’s pick: Use THIS Code To Activate Alexa Self Destruct Mode

#2: Tap your Echo’s action button

I personally turn OFF Alexa’s microphone at night.

Let’s just say it’s my way of protecting my family’s privacy and security.

After all, Alexa isn’t totally safe from hacking accidents.

So, when I need to turn OFF my AI’s alarm…

I can’t really use voice commands to do so.

What I do instead is press my Echo device’s action button to stop Alexa from ringing.

It’s the tactile key on the smart speaker with a dot icon.

Note: Echo Show devices don’t have an action button. If you’re using 1 of these models, just use your device’s screen to turn OFF the Alexa alarm.

#3: Alexa routines

Alexa allows you to stop all your Echo device’s sounds when you do a trigger action. Like the following:

Saying a phrase.
Reaching a specific time of the day.
Doing an action on your Alexa-connected smart devices.

Now, I’ve already made a tutorial above for stopping your alarm using Alexa routines.

So, simply head to that section of the article.

Note: For step #6, feel free to change the trigger action to one you prefer more.