How to use alarms on Android: a guide to the Google Clock app
On most Android phones, alarms are set in Google's Clock app. In a maker's own clock app, names and places can differ a little.
Create an alarm
- Open the Clock app and tap Alarm at the bottom.
- Tap “+”.
- Choose a time. In 12-hour time, choose AM or PM too.
- Tap OK.
The new alarm shows in the list. If the switch on the right is on, it rings at that time.
This article uses the screens of Google's Clock app. On phones with a maker's own clock app, button names and places can differ. Even then, what you can do is mostly the same.
What you can set
Tap an alarm in the list to open its details. On some versions, you tap the down arrow on the right of the alarm.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Days | Choose the weekdays. With none chosen, it rings once |
| Label | Name the alarm. Newer versions call it “Alarm name” |
| Sound | Choose the sound. You can also pick songs from music apps |
| Vibrate | On or off |
| Pause | Skip a repeating alarm on the dates you pick on a calendar |
Pick by what you want to do
| What you want | Setting |
|---|---|
| Ring on weekdays only | Choose Monday to Friday in the days |
| Ring tomorrow morning only | Create it with no days chosen |
| Know what the alarm is for | Write the task in the name |
| Stop it only during a trip | Use pause and pick the dates to skip |
| Stop it today only | Turn off the switch in the list |
If you turn off the switch on a repeating alarm, it stops ringing on every day. Remember to turn it back on when you need it again.
Rings in silent mode. YOBIOKO, the alarm you stop by typingSee the app
Change the snooze length
- Open Settings from the menu at the top right of the Clock app.
- Tap “Snooze length”.
- Choose a length.
It starts at 10 minutes. This setting is for the whole Clock app, so every alarm uses the same length.
When an alarm rings, tap Snooze and it rings again after the length you chose. Tap Stop and it ends there. For what snooze means and how to use it, see What is snooze?.
Other things you can change in Clock settings
The same Settings screen has more items that decide how alarms ring.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Silence after | How long an alarm keeps ringing if you do not stop it |
| Snooze length | How long from tapping Snooze until it rings again |
| Alarm volume | Set the loudness with a slider |
| Gradually increase volume | Start quiet and get louder little by little |
| Volume buttons | What a volume button does while an alarm rings. Choose volume, snooze or dismiss |
| Start week on | Which weekday the row of days starts from |
Change the volume
On Android, “Alarm” volume is separate from ring and media volume. Press a volume button and open the detailed settings from the panel.
You can also change it in the Settings app.
- Open Settings and tap “Sound & vibration”.
- Move the “Alarm volume” slider.
Google's help says an alarm may be too quiet to hear when the alarm volume is under 30%. Turning down a video does not change the alarm volume. Before bed, look at the alarm volume on its own.
Use a song you like
From the sound setting, you can choose songs from apps such as YouTube Music and Spotify. See How to use a song as your alarm sound.
- YouTube Music: you need a Premium account to choose a song or album.
- Spotify: you need a Premium account to choose a song. With a free account, you choose a playlist.
- Sounds on your phone: besides the built-in sounds, you can pick a sound file saved on your phone.
Edit and delete
- Edit: tap the alarm's time.
- Delete: open the details and tap Delete.
- Pause it: turn off the switch on the right.
Deleting an alarm also removes its days and sound settings. If you may use it again, keep it and turn the switch off.
The Bedtime wake-up alarm
The Clock app also has a Bedtime tab at the bottom. Here you can set a bedtime and a wake-up time, along with the days.
- Tap the time under Wake-up to set when to get up.
- You can choose a sound and vibration.
- With “Sunrise Alarm” on, the screen slowly gets brighter for 15 minutes before the alarm rings.
An alarm set here also shows in the Alarm tab. If you made another alarm for the same morning, check that the times do not overlap.
Good to know
- Alarms set too close: if two alarms are very close together, the first may be canceled. Leave 5 minutes or more.
- Battery saving: a maker's battery-saving feature can stop alarms. If you use Battery Saver, turn it off or add Clock as an essential app.
- Do Not Disturb: with some settings, it silences alarms too. In the Do Not Disturb settings, check that alarms are allowed.
- No sound and no vibration: if the alarm sound is silent and vibration is off, nothing happens.
- If it does not ring: see Android alarm not going off? A checklist.
For silent mode and airplane mode, see Will my alarm ring in silent mode, airplane mode or with the phone off?.
Common questions
Can I set a different snooze length for each alarm?
In Google's Clock app, there is one “Snooze length” in settings. The help pages do not describe a per-alarm setting. A maker's own clock app may handle this differently.
Can I stop an alarm with the volume buttons?
You can decide this under “Volume buttons” in Clock settings. If you choose snooze or dismiss, pressing a volume button while the alarm rings does that. If you worry about pressing it by mistake, leave it on volume.
Summary
- Make alarms under Alarm in the Clock app.
- Change the snooze length in the Clock app under Settings → “Snooze length”. It starts at 10 minutes.
- Alarm volume is separate from media and ring volume.
- Leave 5 minutes or more between two alarms.
- In a maker's own clock app, names and places can differ.