How to Change the Alarm Sound on Google Home

Tired of the default tone? Set a custom tone, song, or character alarm

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on June 11, 2021
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
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Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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  • On Google Nest displays, choose a tone during alarm setup, or swipe up > tap the alarm icon > tap your alarm, and select a new one. 
  • You can set a media or character alarm on Google speakers without displays to avoid the default alarm tone.
  • You can only change the alarm tone on Google Nest displays, not Google Home or Nest speakers.

This article explains how to change the alarm sound on Google Home devices, including how to change the Google Home default alarm sound and how to get Google Home to wake you up with music by setting a media alarm.

Can You Change the Alarm Sound on Google Home?

While you can change the alarm sound on Google Home, there are some limitations on exactly how you can change it and what you can change it to, depending on which Google Home speaker or Nest display you’re using.

On Nest devices with a screen, users can change the default alarm tone. Don't worry; Google provides a nice variety of options. If you have a Google Home or Nest speaker without a screen, you’re stuck with the default tone. However, you can set a media or character alarm on any Google Home device in place of changing the tone.

If you set a media alarm, you will hear the requested music instead of the default alarm tone when your alarm goes off. Similarly, if you set a character alarm, you’ll hear the requested character instead of the default alarm tone.

How to Change the Alarm Tone on a Google Nest Display

If you have a Nest display, like Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, and it has the latest firmware, you can change its default alarm tone. However, doing this requires a touch screen, so you can’t do it on devices that don't have one.

If you’ve already set the alarm, tap the alarm icon > Settings > your alarm, and choose a new tone for your alarm.

Here’s how to change the alarm tone on a Google Nest display:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the display.

  2. Tap the alarm icon.

  3. Tap Set an alarm.

  4. Choose a time for the alarm, and tap Set.

  5. Tap Alarm tone.

  6. Choose a tone, and tap Set.

    You can also choose to make the alarm repeat, include a sunrise alarm, and set the alarm to trigger a routine during this step.

  7. When you’re done changing the settings, tap Done.

How to Set a Media Alarm on Google Home

While you can’t choose a custom tone for Google Home alarms that you didn't set on a Nest display, you can set a media alarm. This type of alarm uses a song instead of an alarm tone. To do this, you request an alarm with a specific song, artist, or radio station. Google Home then pulls the necessary song or radio station from your default music streaming service and uses it instead of the default alarm tone.

Here are some examples of commands you can use to set a media alarm on Google Home:

  • Say, “Okay, Google. Set a Chopin alarm for 8 AM every day,” and Google Home will wake you up with music from the composer Chopin every morning.
  • Say, “Hey Google, set an Eye of the Tiger music alarm for 5 PM,” and Google Home will play Eye of the Tiger at 5 PM, just the one time.
  • Say, “Hey Google, set a K-pop radio alarm for 6 AM tomorrow,” and Google Home will wake you up the following day with an assortment of k-pop songs from your default music service.

If Google Assistant doesn’t understand you’re asking for a media alarm, try using the format “set a song/band/composer/genre media/music/radio alarm. ” First, you say the song or type of music you want and then specify media, music, or radio.

How to Set a Character Alarm on Google Home

Character alarms work the same as media alarms on Google Home speakers and displays. You can set them with voice commands, and they work on Google smart speakers, which come without a display. Instead of playing an alarm tone or music, your Google Home speaker plays a message from the character you requested. Google supports a variety of character voices.

Here are some commands you can use to set a Google Home character alarm:

  • Say, “Okay, Google, set a Donatello alarm for 7 AM tomorrow,” and Donatello from the Ninja Turtles will wake you up the next day.
  • Say, “Okay, Google, set a Hatchimals alarm for 6 AM every day this week,” and Hatchimals will wake you up every day during the current week.
  • Say, “Hey Google, set a Lego City alarm for 4 PM,” and your Google Home device will play audio from Lego City at 4 PM, just the one time.
FAQ
  • How would I change the alarm sound on a Google Home Mini?

    If you're using the Google Home Mini smart speaker, you can't change the general alarm tone. But, like the Google Home smart speaker, you can set your favorite music or character as your alarm. Say something like, "Hey Google, set Christmas music alarm for 7 AM Monday," or "Hey Google, set a Lego Friends alarm for 6 AM Tuesday."

  • Can I use Spotify to set my Google Home alarm sound?

    Yes. To set a music alarm using Spotify on your Google Home smart speaker, you'll first need to link Spotify to Google Home. In the Google Home app, tap Settings > Music, then select Spotify. Tap Link Account > choose one of the options to make a new account or log in (such as Yes, and share) > Agree and link. Spotify will now be your default music service. Use voice commands to set alarms using your preferred Spotify artist, songs, or playlist.

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