Develop Bugs

[Q] Favorite Alarm App?

I'm hesitant to make this a poll because I'm more interested in the reason why you chose your favorite app than just the numbers of popularity.
But still making it a poll. So if you vote, please post why!
If you know any of the alarm apps have an ICS/Gnex problem, please post!

Stock, because it works.

Stock because it works [2]

Works as in the others fail/unreliable? Or you just don't need more than what stock offers?

Haven't tried stock yet but I've been using gentle alarm i like how you can setup profiles especially the pre alarm which has saved me from almost being late to work a few times
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Mine doesn't work on stock, actually. It's bloody annoying, i set it for 6:30,6:45,7:00 and 7:15 to make sure i get up in time, and maybe the last one will go off. Really strange. I have to use my iPad2 (blasphemy on xda i know) which has a much louder speaker anyway so no biggie.

Alarm clock plus. Its amazing. I even paid for the donation version. The reason i say its the best is because unlike a regular alarm clock where you can just keep hitting snooze and ignore it, acp can be set to require simple to complex arithmetic to snooze or disable the alarm.
This can be annoying to some, but to me its what makes it work. I was notorious for sleeping through my alarm before i found this app and now Im never late. It also happens to be the most reliable alarm app I've ever used and I've been using it for years.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App

I wonder if anyone has any experience with Alarm Clock Plus vs Alarm Clock Xtreme.
It seems as though some are saying Plus can be be buggy but has slightly more features than xtreme

I like alarm clock extreme. I am a heavy sleeper and it gets me up.
I can use it to launch apps as an alarm clock. In my case I launch pandora and over the time of a half hour it progressively gets louder and louder.
It also has the ability to make you have to solve Math at varying difficulties and quantities of questions or a Capatcha.
It can also be set to not dismiss the alarm, only snooze, until you mount it into a car dock.

I personally use Sleep as Android, it does sleep tracking and smart wake up (can be set to only wake you up when in a light part of your cycle within a certain window of your alarm). I find it works well, but you do have to place the phone on the bed and plug it in (I wouldn't recommend putting it under pillows as it will get too hot).

Gentle Alarm
I've been using Gentle Alarm for a couple years ago (started using it on my OG droid) and I LOVE it.
Has many features, but my favorite is that the alarm will gradually increase in volume so as not to startle you at first, but to gently wake you up.
You can also set the number of allowable snoozes, and many other helpful features.

I'm surprised by Gentle Alarm's popularity considering it's Pay-only versus the free choices that have ad-free paid versions
bekyndnunwind said:
I've been using Gentle Alarm for a couple years ago (started using it on my OG droid) and I LOVE it.
Has many features, but my favorite is that the alarm will gradually increase in volume so as not to startle you at first, but to gently wake you up.
You can also set the number of allowable snoozes, and many other helpful features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean the feature that tries waking you up 30 minutes early? Or just that the alarm starts soft and goes up? I think all free ones do the latter.

Royal2000H said:
I'm surprised by Gentle Alarm's popularity considering it's Pay-only versus the free choices that have ad-free paid versions
Do you mean the feature that tries waking you up 30 minutes early? Or just that the alarm starts soft and goes up? I think all free ones do the latter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back when I got my first android in 2009 there really weren't too many alarm clock apps, and none that I found had the soft alarm that gradually increased in volume. They also didn't allow you to customize the number of snoozes until the snooze button disappears.
I'm sure there are many free choices, but back then the developer was updating/adding features frequently so I didn't mind supporting the app.
What are some free alternatives that you prefer?
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App

Alarm clock plus here. Love the gradual wake up option, very reliable, and even works with voice actions to set an alarm by voice.

bekyndnunwind said:
Back when I got my first android in 2009 there really weren't too many alarm clock apps, and none that I found had the soft alarm that gradually increased in volume. They also didn't allow you to customize the number of snoozes until the snooze button disappears.
I'm sure there are many free choices, but back then the developer was updating/adding features frequently so I didn't mind supporting the app.
What are some free alternatives that you prefer?
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't prefer any yet. However both Alarm Clock Plus and Alarm Clock Xtreme have that feature... I'm mainly trying to figure out which of the two people like more and is more reliable

Ok I've now installed both Alarm Clock Plus and Alarm Clock Xtreme.
Both integrate with ICS's Voice Actions.
Both register with Android as an alarm (so they show on the lock screen)
Both do math, both gently raise volume, etc
Plus - Shows the alarm icon by the clock like the stock alarm
Xtreme - Shows a notification, can be turned off, but no icon by time/battery.
---
Winner = Plus
Xtreme - Can be shaken to snooze
Plus - Claims that it can be shaken to snooze, but doesn't actually work.
---
Winner = Xtreme
Xtreme - Shows how many math problems you have left [Winner]
Plus - Does not show this
Xtreme - Can decrease snooze duration after each snooze [Winner]
Plus - Cant
With ICS Voice Actions
Xtreme - opens the new alarm screen with the time set [Winner]
Plus - Sets the new alarm but does not open screen to configure
Plus - Can speak Time and Date before alarm [Winner]
Xtreme - No such option
Overall Winner:
Xtreme. Shake to snooze is a big deal for me.
Plus's only advantage is speaking time/weather and the alarm icon.
Even if the app I choose had speak time/weather, I wouldn't use it - especially before the alarm went off (while I'm still asleep). Maybe if it spoke it while I was solving math or after. But before the alarm just makes no sense. Also weather didn't work while I tested, only time.
I emailed Xtreme's developer to get this icon implemented... hopefully something is actually done.

PaulG1488 said:
Haven't tried stock yet but I've been using gentle alarm i like how you can setup profiles especially the pre alarm which has saved me from almost being late to work a few times
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How has the pre-alarm saved you from almost being late to work?

[Q] Alarm clock randomness?? and alarm apps that don't work!!

I use the alarm clock every day and it randomly won't go off. I've tried minimising the clock, leaving it open, setting a new alarm, using a pre set one..... I can't seem to figure out why its doing it?!
Has anyone else had this sort of issue and any ideas for a fix. Failing that tips for the best ( ie one that will wake me each day ) alarm app?
Cheers......

I just made a thread about this in the general section. But this morning my alarm did not go off. I then hit the power button and it shows the time and all of a sudden it sounds. Its like the time is not updating until I hit the power button.

I use Alarm Clock Plus from the Play Store. I paid for the app, but they offer a free version too.
On my Droid Incredible I had this issue, and Advanced Task Killer was to blame. Once I uninstalled that, it worked fine. I like Alarm Clock Plus as you can select various tones and your music (if you have any on your sdcard).

meber said:
I just made a thread about this in the general section. But this morning my alarm did not go off. I then hit the power button and it shows the time and all of a sudden it sounds. Its like the time is not updating until I hit the power button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah sorry did a search and found nothing!
I've got no task killer just ICS doing its thang.... maybe its cos I've set it to go off Monday to Friday. I'll try individual alarms and see what happens?

I've tried alarm clock + and android alarm and both of these don't work properly for me. Two nights running I've had to rely on my 7 month old son to be my alarm clock (his timing is a bit random but he always goes off !)
Both these alarms seemed to function fine in a test with the screen locked but when I set it over night they both failed ? Is this due to the inbuilt android process of terminating apps when they've not been used for a while?
I've got no task killers installed.....
Can it really be that hard to get a friggin alarm clock that works reliably !!

I'm on SGS2 with ICS and SiyahKernel, but I also downloaded Alarm Clock Plus, I love the functions, interface, great nap feature but... it drives me crazy when it DOESN'T WORK!
Usually disabling alarm and reenabling it again helps, but it's a pain. I'm trying different settings etc, but so far nothing proved to be making Alarm Clock Plus work 100%-stable.
Alarm Clock Xtreme Free on the other hand is rock solid and it's never failed me with regular alarm. However I don't like its nap feature, which is important for me. I'll probably just use both of them - Alarm Clock Xtreme for general alarm and Alarm Clock Plus for naps.
I use no task killers that I'd know about - stock Samsung SGS2 ICS ROM (4.0.3, I9100XXLPQ) + SiyahKernel + GoLauncher Ex.
I'd be really interested in learning a way to make Alarm Clock Plus work in 100% reliable fashion.

Alarm Clock Plus (No Ads) on Samsung Infuse
I purchased Alarm Clock Plus (No Ads) and have yet to be able to use it. Every time I tried to set it up and select the alarm I want it locked up the phone. Sometimes it would come out of lock up and back to the home screen, other times it had to be rebooted.
I had to reflash the ROM to get it to finally get it to work for me.
Try out the free version before you buy the no ads version.
I am running [ROM][2.3.6]SGH-I997 UCLB3[Rooted, Deodexed, Busybox, Zipaligned..

Smart Alarm default

Hi Guys,
I've checked a lot of previous Q&A threads asking how to disable the default Smart Alarm feature that comes with the standard ICS clock. There weren't any helpful solutions. Does anyone here know how to disable the smart alarm as a default for new alarms I create?
I know how to go into each alarm one by one and disable it after I create the alarm. However, I would like to make it a default to have the smart alarm disabled whenever I create a new alarm instead of changing it manually.
It's really annoying when I set an alarm with Google Now and I have my alarm go off 3 minutes before it has to with a creepy notification ringtone going off.
Thanks in advance everyone!

Anyone?

I'm on CM10 and can't remember how it was on stock, but can you press menu while in your alarms screen and bring up settings?

TheFiveDots said:
I'm on CM10 and can't remember how it was on stock, but can you press menu while in your alarms screen and bring up settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it only has the option to sort or delete on the main menu. You would think they would have an overall settings selection on the main menu like every other app lol.

TBayTom said:
Nope, it only has the option to sort or delete on the main menu. You would think they would have an overall settings selection on the main menu like every other app lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung really managed to make a lot of things more complicated and buried deeper than they need to be, that's for sure.
Sorry, not sure in your case!

Looks like I'm SOL
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

-solved- 2 alarm icons in status bar since Dec update

Title says it all, I am using the default alarm app (clock). I have toggled alarm on and off, issue remains. It is strange because as a test, I turned off alarm from default app and set alarm with a 3rd party app (timely, which stopped working after pie update) and it shows 1 alarm icon on the right as it was before December update. Anyone else on Dec update using clock as their alarm see same behavior?
Edit: Forgot to mention, I am on stock rooted rom with substratum pitch black theme by Altan krk, this has been my setup for a very long time.
Edit 2: After swiping down status bar and clearing notifications, the alarm icon on the left disappeared!?!? ?
Edit 3: As the time approaches close to the alarm, a upcoming alarm shows up in notifications (see post below), the 2nd alarm icon appears as long as the notification is active, annoying but not as much as a constant 2nd alarm icon.

Upcoming alarm notification.

Perhaps I should open a new post instead, but I have a similar issue and the same steps do not resolve my issue.
Whenever I have any alarm at all turned on, I am getting an icon in the upper right near the network signal. This one does not matter whether it's set to go off in 5 minutes or 6 days, it's always there as long as I have an alarm enabled. I have cleared notifications but it still remains. The only thing I have been able to find to clear it is turning off the alarm/s.
When I have an alarm coming up soon, I get the icon on the left side of the notification bar. This one I am used to and is how I expect things to work, and I'm fine with this icon.
I just want the always-there-icon on the right hand side to be gone! So frustrating! I feel like this has just started showing up in the last 2-3 weeks.
I am on a completely stock Pixel 2XL from Verizon. Anyone else with the same thing?

jvhawk3 said:
Perhaps I should open a new post instead, but I have a similar issue and the same steps do not resolve my issue.
Whenever I have any alarm at all turned on, I am getting an icon in the upper right near the network signal. This one does not matter whether it's set to go off in 5 minutes or 6 days, it's always there as long as I have an alarm enabled. I have cleared notifications but it still remains. The only thing I have been able to find to clear it is turning off the alarm/s.
When I have an alarm coming up soon, I get the icon on the left side of the notification bar. This one I am used to and is how I expect things to work, and I'm fine with this icon.
I just want the always-there-icon on the right hand side to be gone! So frustrating! I feel like this has just started showing up in the last 2-3 weeks.
I am on a completely stock Pixel 2XL from Verizon. Anyone else with the same thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of my android phones have always displayed the alarm icon on right, as far as I know that is the correct behavior. What you want (alarm set with no icon at all) was able to be done on Oreo with system UI tuner, that is not available in Pie. Unless you root, which isn't possible since you have a Verizon Pixel, I don't think there's much you can do.

AFAIK,
Left hand side: The alarm notification will pop up when the time gets close to when the alarm is set for.
To hide: Long press on the notification itself, it should give you the option to hide it.
Right hand side: On Pie, I had to install a 3rd party launcher to access the System Tuner UI. This will allow you to chose what system icons appear on the notification bar.
To hide: A quick google search will provide the steps necessary. Basically, you use a 3rd party launcher to create a shortcut to System Tuner UI.
These are the steps I found on reddit:
"1. Download QuickShortCutMaker
2. In the search bar (in the app) type in "Demo Mode"
3. Click on the "System UI" option
4. Click on the "System UI demo mode" option that appears after clicking on "System UI"
5. Click the "Try" button
6. There you go, you can now access the system UI tuner again, without having to install nova launcher"
Hope that helps!

pyromaniac3303 said:
AFAIK,
Left hand side: The alarm notification will pop up when the time gets close to when the alarm is set for.
To hide: Long press on the notification itself, it should give you the option to hide it.
Right hand side: On Pie, I had to install a 3rd party launcher to access the System Tuner UI. This will allow you to chose what system icons appear on the notification bar.
To hide: A quick google search will provide the steps necessary. Basically, you use a 3rd party launcher to create a shortcut to System Tuner UI.
These are the steps I found on reddit:
"1. Download QuickShortCutMaker
2. In the search bar (in the app) type in "Demo Mode"
3. Click on the "System UI" option
4. Click on the "System UI demo mode" option that appears after clicking on "System UI"
5. Click the "Try" button
6. There you go, you can now access the system UI tuner again, without having to install nova launcher"
Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perfect, this did the trick! Thank you!

jvhawk3 said:
Perfect, this did the trick! Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear it! Not bad for my first informational post :highfive:

How to change default app for Alarm clock

Hi there
I'm using "Timely" for setting up alarm rather then the default "Clock" app.
Now the thing is that alarms set via Timely do not show the alarm notification in the top left corner on the Notifications bar.
Note : All notifications are turned on.
Only alarm set via default clock app shows up on top left.
Also I tried to set Timely as default app but the option that says "Set as default" is greyed out and hence can't be used.
Would highly appreciate your help and thank you for your time.
Regards

Both of those things are working as designed. The system alarm notification is only generated by the system alarm app. Timely is responsible for it's own notifications. The Set As Default menu item is designed to show any intents the app is set to handle by default, and allow you to clear them, not to set the app as default for an intent. If you aren't pleased with the notifications Timely creates, you should address that to their support.

rcobourn said:
Both of those things are working as designed. The system alarm notification is only generated by the system alarm app. Timely is responsible for it's own notifications. The Set As Default menu item is designed to show any intents the app is set to handle by default, and allow you to clear them, not to set the app as default for an intent. If you aren't pleased with the notifications Timely creates, you should address that to their support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noted, with thanks.
In this case Timely does not show any notification at all after the alarm is created, will contact it's developer.
Regards

It looks like Timely has some serious problems with recent versions of Android. Look at the reviews. You might look for an alternative. I use Alarmy. It works, although the notifications aren't reliable. At least the alarms are very reliable.

rcobourn said:
It looks like Timely has some serious problems with recent versions of Android. Look at the reviews. You might look for an alternative. I use Alarmy. It works, although the notifications aren't reliable. At least the alarms are very reliable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, received an automated response from developer saying they are too busy due to apps popularity and can't respond.
I will look to use the in built Clock app.
Atleast it will work for sure.

there shld be alarm icon in the status bar. ive seen this on s10
Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk

I use Google's clock app instead of the Samsung clock app, and it shows the system alarm icon.

tested with my alarm app too. seems like a bug?
Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk

Have you allowed the desired app notification access? If it isn't allowed to add icons to the notification bar then it won't even if the developer of the app tries to fix it...
These are the new security settings for Android which seem to get tighter with every new iteration...
Sorry if I don't seem to be making much sense, only had a few hours sleep in the last few days...

ultramag69 said:
Have you allowed the desired app notification access? If it isn't allowed to add icons to the notification bar then it won't even if the developer of the app tries to fix it...
These are the new security settings for Android which seem to get tighter with every new iteration...
Sorry if I don't seem to be making much sense, only had a few hours sleep in the last few days...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Notifications were on. I switched to Samsung default clock. Guess the less apps the better.
And thank you for your feedback.

As far as this can help, I recently switched to an android 11 device (also rooted) and am experiencing the same trouble: on my previous phone (sony xperia XZP, android 9) my favourite app AlarmDroid took hold of everything doing the following:
starting automatically
showing the clock icon on the upper bar
correctly playing its alarms
NOT showing in the app in the running apps list
Now, on android 11 happens this:
app does not start automatically
clock icon is shown only if app is running
app correctly plays alarm only if manually started
app shows in running app list: if you close it there it will STOP working and you have to restart it manually
COnsidering that AlarmDroid is quite stable/seasoned code, it looks like woes are due to android 11, which, also, does not show an option to change the default alarm app.
Is there any way to solve this?
Thanks