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Open Settings on your Apple Watch, find Chimes under Accessibility or Clock, and switch it off. Apple’s current watchOS 26 documentation shows both menu locations, so the path can vary by software version.
What the Apple Watch chime is
Apple calls the recurring alert Chimes (also known as Taptic Chimes). Depending on your settings and watch state, it can produce a wrist tap, an audible tone, or both at a selected interval. The available schedules are every hour, every 30 minutes, or every 15 minutes, with Birds and Bells as sound choices. See Apple’s instructions at Apple Support.
“Hourly chime” is therefore an informal description: a watch set to 15- or 30-minute intervals will alert more than once per hour.
Turn off Chimes on the Apple Watch
- Press the Digital Crown to open the app view.
- Open Settings.
- Try Accessibility → Chimes, then switch Chimes off. This is the path in Apple’s current support article: support.apple.com/en-nz/108368.
- If Chimes is not there, open Clock, scroll to Chimes, and turn it off. Apple’s watchOS 26 “Tell time” guide lists this alternate path at support.apple.com/guide/watch/apdb2c208edc/26/watchos/26.
On versions that provide a Settings search field, search for Chimes instead of checking both menus manually.
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Turn off Chimes from your iPhone
- Open the Apple Watch app on the paired iPhone.
- Tap My Watch.
- Open Accessibility → Chimes and switch it off.
If the option is not under Accessibility, check My Watch → Clock or use the Watch app’s search. Apple explains that many watch preferences can be changed from either device at Change settings on Apple Watch.
How to confirm the chime is disabled
Wait for the next scheduled interval and check that the recurring tap or sound no longer occurs. For a quicker test, temporarily choose a frequent schedule (15 minutes), wait for one interval, then switch Chimes off. Disabling Chimes should not by itself remove ordinary app notifications, calls, alarms, or timers; those are separate features.
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- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
If the watch still makes a sound or tap
An alert at roughly the same time each hour is a clue, not proof, that Chimes is responsible. Check these separate sources:
- Alarms, including a recurring alarm.
- Timers.
- Sleep schedule or wake-up alarms.
- Incoming calls and app notifications.
- Charging-related notifications or sounds.
Apple documents alert volume, system sounds, alarms, timers, and haptics as separate controls in Adjust volume and haptics and documents sleep alarms at Apple Watch sleep alarms.
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“I turned down the volume, but it still taps”
Volume changes sound; they do not necessarily remove haptic feedback. Turn off Chimes itself if you want the recurring wrist tap gone.
“I turned off haptics, but I still hear it”
Haptic and audible controls are distinct. Disable Chimes directly rather than changing all haptic settings, which can also affect ordinary notifications.
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- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
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Temporary ways to silence the watch
| Need | Best action | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Remove the recurring alert permanently | Turn Chimes off | Other alerts remain unchanged. |
| Silence the watch temporarily | Press the side button to open Control Center, then tap Silent Mode | Other alert sounds are also silenced; haptic alerts can remain available. |
| Suppress interruptions during a meeting or sleep | Use an appropriate Focus or Theater Mode | These can affect calls, notifications, sounds, and haptics beyond Chimes. |
Silent Mode is a broad workaround, not the feature-specific switch. Apple describes these modes at Apple Watch User Guide. Do Not Disturb and other Focus modes may suppress different combinations of sounds and haptics depending on their configuration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Chimes, Taptic Time, and Speak Time are different
- Chimes: a scheduled recurring alert, such as every hour.
- Taptic Time: a manually requested tactile representation of the current time when you touch and hold the watch face with two fingers.
- Speak Time: a manually requested spoken time using the same gesture.
Taptic Time and Speak Time are configured separately under Settings → Clock. Their settings do not necessarily control Chimes; Apple’s guide explains all three at Tell time on Apple Watch.
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- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Turn Chimes back on
Repeat the same route—Settings → Accessibility → Chimes or Settings → Clock → Chimes—and switch it on. You can then choose an interval (hourly, 30 minutes, or 15 minutes) and select Birds or Bells where those options are available.
Quick troubleshooting checklist
- Confirm the Chimes toggle is off on the watch or in the paired iPhone’s Watch app.
- Check both Accessibility and Clock if the menu is not where expected.
- Verify that you are editing the correct Apple Watch in the iPhone app.
- Review alarms, timers, and sleep schedule alarms.
- Use Silent Mode or Focus only when you intend to silence more than Chimes.
Apple’s current documentation was retrieved in August 2026 and refers to watchOS 26; older watchOS releases may label or place the setting differently.
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