Few things bring my teammates at Savinly together quite like our shared affection for sleep.
It’s the manner of waking that reveals our differences.
Writer Grace Schweizer eases sunlight into her room while she scrolls the web for a bit.
Editor Sushil Cheema stretches the snooze button for as long as possible.
Writer Carson Kohler programs three alarms every night and confesses that even that sometimes fails to get her moving as quickly as she’d like.
I’m a bit particular and favor being roused softly — blaring alarms and endless snoozing aren’t for me.
Alarm Clock Apps: A Complicated Relationship
One thing we all share is reliance on alarm apps on our phones to tell us when it’s time to rise, whether we’re thrilled about it or not.
While alarms aren’t beloved, we accept they’re a necessary nuisance that helps us arrive on time and keep our positions.
With so many different tastes, it’s unsurprising there are hundreds of smartphone wake-up apps to suit almost every preference or whim.
Below are nine alarm apps we like, grouped by the style of wake-up they deliver so you don’t show up late to work.
Loud and Annoying
For those who struggle to get moving in the morning, sometimes a harsh, grating alarm is exactly the push needed to drag you out of bed.
1. The Rock Clock
The Rock Clock earns my pick for one of the most entertaining options available today. Actor Dwayne Johnson — The Rock — packed 15 unique alarm sounds into this amusing app.
Let The Rock strum you awake with a tune or repeat “BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP” until you finally silence it.
His dog Hobbs might bark you out of bed, or you can pick the sound of grenades detonating.
If you’re truly committed, select Rock Time. It syncs with The Rock’s clock so your alarm mimics his — which occasionally means waking at 2:59 a.m.
2. Loud Alarm Clock
This iPhone-only app lives up to its name.
With labels such as “Big Horn,” “Car Alarm,” “Danger” and “Emergency,” the creators of Loud Alarm Clock claim it’s “impossible” to snooze through these boosted-volume alerts.
Like many entries here, the app is free, with extra alarm tones available via in-app purchases.
If the included sounds don’t do the trick, try “EKG Freakout,” “Machine Gun,” “Nails on a Chalkboard” or “World War 3.”
Just don’t be surprised if household members start tossing slippers at you every morning.
3. Super Loud Alarm Clock
Not to be mixed up with the previous app, Super Loud Alarm Clock is for Android users who want to blast their eardrums awake.
This app keeps things simple: an alarm plus a set of jarring sounds.
Choices include an air horn, fire alarm, noisy street ambiance and one odd option — a space elephant — which apparently made sense to the developer.
If you find the tones appealing, they can be assigned as ringtones and notification sounds so you’ll hear them more often.
Grueling and Slightly Mean
Some prefer to kickstart their minds with a bit of physical or mental activity. These apps act like drill sergeants of wakefulness.
4. Mathe Alarm Clock
Mathe Alarm Clock is so cunning it might succeed where other apps fail.
The only way to silence this alarm is to answer the multiple-choice math question shown on-screen.
If you’re not a math whiz, you can pick the difficulty level — easy, medium or hard — for each problem.
Android users, take note: this app is iPhone-only, but you’ll find many comparable choices on Google Play.
5. Alarmy
If you can handle using your phone’s camera without being blinded by the flash, check out Alarmy.
During setup the app asks you to photograph a room or item in your house. When the alarm sounds, you must retake that same photo to turn it off.
If you select this app, photograph immobile objects so prank-prone roommates can’t hide what you captured and send you on an unwelcome scavenger hunt the next morning (something I would definitely do).
If photos feel like too much, the app can also quiz you with math problems or be set to Shake Mode, forcing you to shake your phone for 30 seconds to silence it.
6. Morning Routine
Morning Routine is the app I’d most like to watch other people try just for the comedy of it.
One disabling method makes you scan barcodes of products you registered during setup to stop the alarm.
Imagine someone fumbling in the dark trying to align a can of shaving cream to their phone while muttering — it cracks me up.
There’s also an option that prevents retreating to bed: after a preset snooze period the alarm returns and forces you to complete another task to silence it.
Morning Routine is available on Google Play, and here’s a similar App Store alternative.
Soft and Soothing
Some of us (myself included) become irritable if abruptly awakened. These apps ease you out of sleep gently.
7. Sleep Cycle
Sleep Cycle is a favorite of mine because it’s adept at picking the right moment to rouse me.
Instead of jolting you at a precise time, Sleep Cycle starts waking you within a 30-minute window before your set alarm.
“Sleep Cycle alarm clock tracks your sleep patterns and wakes you up during light sleep,” the developers explain. “Waking during light sleep feels like waking naturally rested without an alarm clock.”
I can’t quantify how much more refreshed I am versus other apps, but I do appreciate being gently nudged awake by a chosen vibration, sound or both rather than assaulted by a harsh ringtone.
8. Wakie
Wakie is a bit odd, but ideal for people who like being awakened by conversation (yes, those folks exist).
The Wakie app is a free, anonymous service that pairs you with people worldwide who will talk to you at the moment you wake.
Set the alarm and your phone will ring at the scheduled time.
Pick up to speak with a stranger for up to 20 minutes as you wake and sip your coffee. (A block feature exists if needed.)
Community-sourced waking at its peak.
9. Wave Alarm
Some people struggle so much upon waking that they can’t even press the off button.
The alarms in Wave Alarm for Android and iOS are so simple to snooze or dismiss that you merely wave your hand near the phone.
This app offers handy touches like real-time weather integration and a clean interface, but the motion control is its standout feature.
It’s ideal for anyone who can’t summon the energy in the morning to do more than vaguely gesticulate toward their nightstand to mute an alarm.
Your Turn: What type of alarm nudges you out of bed?
Alexandra Porter is a staff writer at Savinly. She’s holding out for an alarm app that gently plays distant llama bleats. Could someone make that exist, please?
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