The Hourly Interruption
To help users keep track of time without constantly looking at their wrist, the Apple Watch includes an accessibility feature called “Chimes.” When enabled, the watch will emit a distinct audio cue (either a bell ringing or a bird chirping) accompanied by a haptic vibration exactly at the top of every hour. While this is useful for strict time management, it can be incredibly embarrassing if a loud digital bird suddenly starts chirping from your wrist in the middle of a silent library, a university exam, or a professional meeting. If you prefer your watch to remain quiet, you must disable the hourly trigger.
How to Turn Off Hourly Chimes
You can silence the automated hourly alerts via the watch settings.
- Open the Settings app directly on your Apple Watch (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Accessibility.
- Scroll down the page until you find the section labeled “Chimes.”
- Tap on Chimes.
- You will see a master toggle switch at the top of the screen.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
A Silent Wrist
The change takes effect immediately. The Apple Watch will instantly delete the recurring hourly alarm from its internal schedule. When the clock strikes noon, the watch will remain perfectly silent and still. You will still receive normal notifications for text messages and phone calls, but the watch will no longer proactively announce the passage of time.