6 ways alarm apps make you stop the alarm: math, photo, steps, typing and more
The real difference between alarm apps is not the sound. It is how you stop them. Here are six common ways, compared.
Six ways to stop an alarm
| Method | What you do | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Button | Tap a button | Easy and quick. You may not remember doing it |
| Math | Solve problems | Uses your head. The problems have nothing to do with your day |
| Photo | Take a photo of a set place or object | You have to get out of bed. Hard in a dark room |
| Steps | Walk a set number of steps | Moves your body. Footsteps may bother neighbors |
| Shake | Shake the phone | No need to look at the screen. Possible while lying down |
| Typing | Type a given text or your own tasks | You look at the screen and move your fingers. Some apps let you choose the text |
Each method differs in how much effort it takes and where you can use it. A method with more effort does not suit everyone. Choose by whether you can keep it up every morning.
How to choose
- How much you move: fingers only, or out of bed
- Works anywhere: the same on a trip or in a dark room
- Noise for others: the longer it takes to stop, the longer it rings
- Link to your morning: whether stopping it also prepares you for the day
Few methods meet all four. Pick the one point that matters most in your morning, and the choice gets easier.
By situation
What to watch for depends on where you sleep and how you live.
| Situation | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| You sleep in a dark room | Photos are hard to take. Count the step of turning on a light |
| You travel a lot | A photo needs the set place or object nearby. A method that works anywhere fits |
| You live in an apartment | Walking can send footsteps to the floor below |
| You share a bedroom | A slow stop means a long ring. Choose a method or an amount that ends quickly |
| You want to check your plan in the morning | Typing fits, if the app lets you decide the text |
Compare by effort
| Method | What you use | Out of bed? | Look at the screen? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Button | Fingers | No | A little |
| Math | Fingers and head | No | Yes |
| Photo | Whole body | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Whole body | Yes | No |
| Shake | Arm | No | No |
| Typing | Fingers and eyes | No | Yes |
Details differ from app to app. Read how the stop method works before you install one.
Steps to decide
- Write down one thing that troubles you now, such as “I do not remember stopping it” or “I press snooze again and again”.
- Check your bedroom: the light, who sleeps in the same room, noise through the floor.
- Look at the tables and pick one method that seems to fit.
- Try it once on a day off or in the daytime.
- Use it for about a week and see whether you can keep it up.
Besides the stop method, you can also change where you put the phone, the volume and how you use snooze. See No memory of turning off your alarm? 7 things to review.
YOBIOKO: type your own tasks
YOBIOKO is the sixth kind. What you type is your own saved tasks that are not finished yet. Stopping the alarm is also a check of today's plan.
The sound rings again if you stop typing for 5 seconds, and snooze is limited to 2 times. See What is a “type to stop” alarm?.
In settings you choose how many tasks to type each morning: S (3), M (5) or L (10). Turn off “Type tasks to stop” for an alarm and it works as a normal alarm.
The quickest way to know is to try
Which method suits you is personal. You can try typing in your browser with the 16 Morning Types test. You can see how much effort the typing takes before you install the app.
FAQ
Will a slow method bother the neighbors?
The longer it takes to stop, the longer it rings. If the app lets you choose the number of problems, steps or text, start small. In YOBIOKO the sound stops when you start typing, and rings again if you stop typing for 5 seconds.
Can I change the stop method later?
It depends on the app. In YOBIOKO you can turn “Type tasks to stop” on or off for each alarm.
How is this different from an alarm clock?
Many alarm clocks stop with a button or a switch. For kinds and how to choose, see Types of alarm clocks and how to choose.
Summary
- Alarm apps stop in six main ways: button, math, photo, steps, shake and typing.
- Choose by how much you move, whether it works anywhere, noise, and the link to your morning.
- Pick one that fits your bedroom and try it.
- YOBIOKO is an app you stop by typing your own tasks.