Fix: Android alarm not going off

So many people use alarms on daily basis and it’s something everyone expects to work even on the oldest Android devices. However, some Android users are reporting a peculiar and rather debilitating issue. Namely, it seems that the Android alarm is not going off for some of them. For some, this applies to Timers, too. In case you can’t seem to pinpoint the reasons for this occurrence, we got your back. Learn how to solve this in a few simple steps.

Table of contents:

1. Check the DND
2. Inspect Volume settings
3. Check the alarm sound/tone
4. Disable flip to Shhh on Pixel phones
5. Uninstall updates from the Clock app
6. Reset app preferences

Why is my phone alarm not going off?

1. Check the DND

The first thing to always do if your device starts acting up is to go for a restart. If that doesn’t help, continue to do additional troubleshooting steps.

In this case, you probably want to check DND settings and confirm that the alarm is allowed. To do so, navigate to Settings > Sounds > Do Not Disturb. Or, for the sake of troubleshooting, disable Do Not Disturb and look for improvements.

Now, like it or not, we suggest using the system Clock app instead of third-party alternatives. In theory, any app should work but it seems that either Do Not Disturb or some other system-imposed limitations prevent alarms from third-party apps from going off. This, of course, applies to all Android skins that have a built-in Clock app, like OneUI, MIUI, or EMUI.

2. Inspect Volume settings

Now, if the issues persist, make sure to navigate to Settings > Sounds and set the Alarm sound to as high a volume as possible.

Just use the slider under the Alarm to increase the Alarm ringing sound. Set an alarm and check if the issue is gone. If your Android alarm is still not going off, check the alarm’s sound or tone.

3. Check the alarm sound/tone

What would a smartphone wake-up alarm be without an option to set any tone so you can hate it after some time? Not much, to be honest. But, unless you are using a pre-installed system sound as your alarm sound, some imported sounds can cause issues.

They might get corrupted or deleted and, although the app usually uses the default sound if the custom one is not available, you should change it. You can do it in System > Sound or go straight to the app and tweak the settings there.

Here’s how to change the alarm sound on your Android device:

1. Open the Clock app.
2. Select the alarm and make sure that it’s enabled.
3. Tap on the ringtone icon and select any of the device sounds. Some apps allow you to use Spotify or YouTube Music to wake up with a song. You can use that but we are more inclined to recommend just a simple default ringtone that comes with the app.

4. Disable flip to Shhh on Pixel phones

Pixel offers a nifty feature that prevents your device from ringing or notifying you about anything as long as the phone is placed display down. Disable this feature or don’t forget to keep your phone screen up if you want for alarms to ring.

Here’s how to disable Flip to Shhh on Pixel phones:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select System.
3. Tap Gestures.
4. Turn off Flip to Shhh.

5. Uninstall updates from the Clock app

There’s a slight chance but maybe the app is misbehaving after an update. To fix this, you can try and uninstall its updates. Some OEMs push updates for system apps via system updates but you should still be able to uninstall updates within system app settings.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Select All apps.
4. Tap Clock.
5. Tap on the 3-dot menu and Uninstall updates.
6. Restart your phone and try setting an alarm again.

6. Reset app preferences

Finally, if none of the previous steps worked and the Android alarm is still not going off, try resetting app preferences. This can usually be done within the Reset options menu in System Settings, but on some Android skins, you’ll need to navigate to Settings > Apps > All apps > 3-dot menu > Reset app preferences.

Once you do it, restart your device and the problem should be gone. If not, consider reporting the issue either to OEM support or Google.

That should do it. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts about this and other similar problems in the comments section below. Your feedback is always welcomed.