How to manage alerts for individual Calendar events on your iPhone and iPad

By Allyson Kazmucha
last updated

The Calendar app on your iPhone and iPad are great tools for reminding you when you have events and appointments coming up. Not only does it help you stay organized and on track, the Calendar app can also double as somewhat of a personal assistant. Part of that job is to alert you when you have events coming up. We've already taken a look at how to set and change default alerts but what if a particular appointment or event should have a different alert time? Perhaps even repeating?

It just so happens your iPhone and iPad can handle both scenarios. Follow along and we'll show you how.

How to change the alert time for an event on your iPhone and iPad

  1. Launch the Calendar app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the name of the event you'd like to change the default alert for (or add an alert if you have default alerts disabled).
  3. Tap on the Edit button in the upper right hand corner.
  4. Tap on Alert.
  5. Choose the alert time you'd like the Calendar to remind you at and then tap on Done in the upper right hand corner.

How to set a repeating alert for an event on your iPhone and iPad

  1. Launch the Calendar app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the name of the event you'd like to change the default alert for (or add an alert if you have default alerts disabled).
  3. Tap on the Edit button in the upper right hand corner.
  4. Tap on Second Alert.
  5. Choose the alert time you'd like the Calendar to remind you for a second time and then tap on Done in the upper right hand corner.

Allyson Kazmucha
Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.

7 Comments
  • I don't seem to have the "second alert" option. I have an iPhone 5 with the latest iOS, and I have both a work account through Exchange and a Gmail account. Neither account seems to have the "second alert" option.
  • It appears you have to save the appointment first. Then open it back up and you'll see the second alert option
  • Because setting up as Exchange for Gmail blocks some of these extra features. Just like you cant access drafts you save on Exchange, but you can when Gmail is set up as IMAP. If you set it up as Caldev you will see 2 alert slots which Gmail really offers.
  • You are the best at these "Tips" Allyson. Thank you for sharing the knowledge and reminding us how to get he fullest out of our iPhones.
  • These tips are really handy! Thanks
  • I used to use this all the time on my iPhone 4/4s but since I've got the iPhone 5 I'd started to notice that I was missing reminders so when I set some test ones it turned out they either weren't going off, flashing on & off the screen in a flash or just a vibrate with no pop up. I contacted Apple &'they tried a few things, I explored EVERY option I could but problem still remained even to the point Apple sent me a new phone out but didn't solve problem. My wife suffers same issue on her iPhone 5. Another little bug that needs sorting. Don't get me started on the wifi issue.....,,,
  • Hi, I have the iPhone 5 and have the opposite problem. I set up a repeating event and 1 alert only, but as soon as it syncs it adds a 2 nd alert. I then hit edit, delete second alert, and save for future events, but as soon as it syncs again it adds the 2 nd alert back in! So frustrating, anyone else?