9 Best Fixes for Alarm Not Working on Android Phones
Smartphones have replaced most traditional gadgets, and an alarm clock is one of them. Our phone does a fantastic job as an alarm clock by allowing us to keep multiple alarms, change the alarm tone, customize the snooze time, etc. What happens if this amazing feature breaks – the alarm no longer rings? Scary, right? Several Android users are experiencing the same problem. If you are one of them, this article will suggest various fixes to get your alarm back on track.
Imagine keeping an alarm for an early morning theft and it never rings. Even the thought of it sends shivers down my spine. If the problem occurred once with you, correct it as soon as possible. You don’t have to wait for this to happen again.
Fortunately, the problem is easy to fix and this mainly happens due to some changed settings. Let’s see different ways to fix the alarm that doesn’t ring on Android phones.
1. Restart the phone
As always, the first troubleshooting solution should be to restart your phone. So stop everything you do and hit the restart button.
2. Check the alarm volume
Some Android phones, especially those running Android, come with a separate setting to control the volume of the alarm. If this volume is silent, you will not hear your alarm. Increase the volume of the alarm.
To do this, go to Settings then Sound. Here you will find various volume sliders. Increase the slider next to Alarm volume. If the sliders are not available directly, you will find the Volume option. Press it and you will have the volume sliders.
You can also press the volume up or down button on your phone. A software volume slider opens. Tap the options icon to go directly to the other volume sliders. Increase the alarm volume.
Pro tip: If your phone does not have a separate alarm volume, increase the volume for all available options.
3. Check the alarm tone
Sometimes the chosen alarm tone does not work, either because of a corrupt file or because the file has been moved. In such cases, when the alarm goes off, you hear nothing. So check whether the alarm tone works or not.
To check and verify the alarm tone, open the Clock app. Click on your alarm. You will find the tone option. Press the tone and see if it plays without any problems. If you are trying to use a tone that you have downloaded or added from anywhere, try using a system tone for alarms instead.
4. Check the sound settings
In most cases, the Clock app notifications have been silenced accidentally. This happens because you can easily turn off notifications for any application directly from the notification panel by swiping on it.
You must activate the Clock app notifications in the settings. To do this, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Settings on your phone and go to Applications or Applications & Notifications.
2nd step: Look for Clock under All apps. Tap it.
Step 3: Tap Notifications. If the Show Notifications button is disabled, enable it.
If it is already activated, tap the options available in the notifications such as upcoming alarms, bedtime, etc. Make sure notifications are turned on for each setting. In addition, if you see the Priority parameter, the alarms should be kept at a high priority.
5. Check Do Not Disturb settings
While Do Not Disturb (NPD) is a cool feature in smartphones, it is mostly notorious for causing problems in other apps. The reason is that users are not properly checking NPD settings. Even if the alarms do not sound, a setting of the DND may be involved.
Here are the steps to resolve it.
Step 1: Open Settings and go to Sound.
2nd step: Tap Do not disturb. On some phones, you can find the Do not disturb setting in Settings> Notifications.
Step 3: Tap View all exceptions or Allow exceptions. Here you will find the Alarm option. Make sure that the rocker next to it is activated.
6. Disable switching to Shhh (pixel phones only)
Google Pixel phones have a “Flip to Shhh” feature that activates Do Not Disturb mode. If activated, turning your phone upside down will activate DND mode and eventually deactivate the alarm.
Allow alarms as mentioned above or disable this function. To do this, go to Settings> System> Gestures> Return to Shhh. Turn it off.
7. Clear the cache and data
Clearing the Clock app cache and data has been helpful for many Android users. The downside of using this fix is that if you erase data, you will lose your old alarms. Take a screenshot of existing alarms so you can easily recreate them or write them down.
To clear the Clock app cache and data, go to Phone settings> Applications> Clock. Tap Storage. Here you will find Clear cache and Clear storage / data button. First press Clear cache. Restart your phone. If the problem persists, tap Clear Storage.
8. Uninstall updates
The Clock app cannot be completely uninstalled from your phone. But you can delete recent updates and restore them to the factory version. This has become practical for several users experiencing the same problem.
To do this, go to Settings> Applications> Clock. Tap the three-dot icon at the top and select Uninstall updates. Once installed, go to the Play Store and update the Clock app from the My app section. If no update is available, wait a while, the application will update automatically.
9. Reset app preferences
If nothing works, you need to go ahead and reset the app preferences. This will not delete any personal data. However, it will reset all of your phone’s settings to their default values. If a parameter disturbed your normal alarm operation, it should be corrected with this method.
To reset the app preferences, go to Settings> System> Reset options> Reset app preferences. On some phones, the setting may be available under Settings> Applications. Find out the exact location of the setting and what happens when you reset the app preferences in detail in our guide.
Look for the little things
Sometimes we fail to check small things. For example, Bluetooth must be turned on and sound can go through the connected headset. Even weird, some people expect the alarm to sound when their phone is turned off. It does not happen, my dear friend. Reduce your expectations.
Then:
Does the Clock app store tantrums? Discover 5 amazing alternatives to your Android Clock app from the following link.
Last updated on June 14, 2020
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