My alarm didn't go off
You set the alarm, you checked it twice, and it still didn't ring. On Android the usual cause is your phone closing the alarm app to save battery. Here's how to find the setting responsible and fix it for good.
If your alarm didn't go off on Android, the app almost certainly didn't crash. Your phone closed it to save battery. Beyond Alarm has a built-in Alarm reliability check that scores your phone's settings and puts a Fix button next to each problem it can fix.
Why it happens
Android has a proper way to schedule an alarm: an exact alarm, registered with the system, which is designed to fire on time even in deep sleep. The problem is the layer some manufacturers add on top. Their battery managers are more aggressive than Google's own. They force-stop apps they think you're not using, and on some versions that also wipes the alarms those apps had set.
That's why the failure feels so random. The alarm works for a week while you're opening the app every day. Then you skip a few days, the phone decides the app is idle, and the morning it matters, there's nothing left to ring. Brands with the most aggressive battery managers include Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO and realme, with Samsung to a lesser extent. Pixel and near-stock phones are much less affected.
It's not the only cause. Newer Android versions also need specific permissions. Without Alarms & reminders (Android 12+), alarms may arrive late. Without full-screen notifications (Android 14+), the alarm may show up as an ordinary notification instead of taking over the screen. The full symptom-by-symptom guide is in alarm not going off on Android.
The fix: Beyond Alarm
The reliability check does the hunting for you. Open Settings → Alarm reliability and Beyond Alarm checks every setting that can stop an alarm on your phone, gives you a score, and labels the result AT RISK, GOOD or EXCELLENT. Problems are split into Fix these first and Recommended, and each one has a button that fixes it or takes you straight to the right screen. On Android it checks:
- Exact alarm: fires precisely at the set time
- Notifications and Full-screen intent: so the alarm can take over the screen
- Boot recovery: re-arms alarms after a restart
- Battery optimization: stops the system killing the alarm overnight
- Auto-start, on brands that have it. No app can read this one, so Beyond Alarm opens the screen and asks you to confirm.
- Don't pause if unused, Alarm volume and Display over other apps
- Power-off guard: stops the power menu being used to escape the alarm
If something important is missing, the home screen warns you: "The alarm might not ring."
On iPhone there's much less to check. Beyond Alarm's alarms run through Apple's AlarmKit, which rings through silent mode, Focus and Do Not Disturb. Low Power Mode doesn't delay alarms, and the app re-registers itself after a restart or update. The iPhone check covers alarms, notifications and Screen Time access.
The check and every alarm feature are free during the current promotion. Pro removes the ads.
Beyond Alarm
Beyond Alarm does this part for you: the alarm will not switch off until you have actually moved, and the apps you pick stay locked afterwards.
Set it up tonight
- Open Beyond Alarm and go to Settings → Alarm reliability.
- Start with Fix these first. Tap Fix on each item and allow the setting on the screen that opens.
- For Auto-start, switch it on for Beyond Alarm in your phone's own settings, come back, and tap Mark done.
- Work through Recommended until the score is green.
- Turn up your Alarm volume with the side buttons if the check flags it.
- Test it properly. Set an alarm a few minutes away, close the app from recents, lock the phone, and wait. A test with the app still open proves very little.
- On iPhone, allow alarms and notifications when Beyond Alarm asks. That's all it needs.
Related
Common questions
Why didn't my alarm go off on Android?
Most often the phone's battery manager closed the alarm app overnight, and on some phones that also clears the alarms it set. Turning off battery optimisation and allowing autostart for the app usually fixes it.
Why does my alarm work for a week and then fail?
Battery managers close apps they think you're not using. While you open the app every day it survives. After a few days without opening it, the phone may decide it's idle and shut it down.
How do I check my alarm settings in Beyond Alarm?
Open Settings, then Alarm reliability. You'll see a score, a list of what to fix first, and a Fix button next to each setting the app can change for you.
Do I need to do this on iPhone?
No. On iPhone, Beyond Alarm's alarms run through Apple's AlarmKit and ring through silent mode, Focus and Do Not Disturb. There are no battery settings to change. Just allow alarms and notifications when asked.
Beyond Alarm
An alarm that keeps ringing until you’ve actually moved — then blocks the apps that pull you back to bed. Free to start, no account.
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