One of our readers, Adam pointed us to an Apple Discussions thread where users are reporting that the alarm clock is not working on their iPhone come New Year’s Day 2011.
It looks like the iPhone alarm bug affects only non-recurring alarms.
Forum member, Lijith first reported the issue:
iPhone 4 iOS 4.2.1 alarm not working since 01.01.2011. Tried different settings such as turning off automatic update and changing location. Nothing seem to be working. Any solution?
Though the discussion thread isn’t too long currently, there are other forum members and tech blogs reporting the same issue. You may remember that Apple had fixed the Daylight Saving Time bug in iOS 4.2.1. But it looks like the iPhone alarm bug is not limited only to iOS 4.2.1 as users are reporting the issue on iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.0.2 as well. We're assuming that the issue will also affect iPod Touch users.
9to5Mac claims that the issue gets resolved after January 3rd, 2011 and can be avoided by setting the alarm as a recurring alarm.
To avoid the issue until then you need to set the alarm as a recurring alarm rather than a one time alarm by following these steps:
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Launch Clock app
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Tap Alarm
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Tap Edit
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Tap the appropriate alarm
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Tap Repeat
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Set a repeat interval
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Tap Save
If you depend on the iPhone alarm clock then please be aware of the issue and the workaround to resolve the issue (at least until January 3rd).
Thanks Adam for the tip!
Update 1:
Macworld has just reported that Apple has confirmed the iPhone alarm bug:
Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison confirmed to Macworld that Apple is aware of the problem. "We're aware of an issue related to non repeating alarms set for January 1 or 2," Harrison said. "Customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning January 3.
Update 2 (January 3rd, 2011): iPhone Alarms Still Not Working For Some Users As always, please don’t forget to leave a comment to tell us if you hit the issue and whether the workaround resolved it.[via Apple Discussions, 9to5Mac]
Now Apple will launch 4.3 and Dev team will say unlock will come when 4.3 comes.
I agree,once again Apple creates the issue and screws up the new jailbreak.
Time to move towards Android.
definitely I will change to Android
yeah you re right hahah
again we will have to wait for the solution. Dont be disappointed . For latest on iPhone,iPod,iPad,Apple, Android and Jailbreak visit http://www.enewsplus.com and become its facebook fan for latest updates. Thanks
omg so thats why my alarm didn’t go off today, when i woke up and checked the time it was 10:50 am and i put my alarm at 7:50 am
lolz oh well btw im on ios4.1
yh the same thing happened to me as well i put the alaram for six but it didnt go off
I was late to work because of this, my alarm didnt go off and i ended up coming at 9 rather than 8…and the walkaround doesnt solve the problemj
Get an alarm clock if you want to get up for work tardo.
WOW..who would of thought of that…ure a genius
!!!! thanks for the advice
why name calling? The iphone alarm works better than most bedside alarms and isn’t subjected to problems connected to power outages. This is a temporary glitch – according to Apple. I have used my iphone for over two years and never had a problem till this morning.
Same here I am on 4.1 I woke up at 8am instead of 6am so I am well late for work the work around not working so I downloaded an app called alarm clock and that works…. If I remember the repeat alarm was fixed in 4.2.1 but for those on 4.1 now have no alarm clock at all, apple can’t get nothing right
Mine didn’t work this morning. I sleep in at work and only woke when my missus called me 40 minutes after alarm should have gone off.
Yes thank you very much, I JUST FOUND OUT.
(I’m SO late, fuuuuu—-)
Damn!!!! Apple and it’s iOS. Is it possible they create such a great tool and OS but they actually do not know anything about how to make cellphone software??!!!!
@#$%!
Thank Goodness I had called for a ride to the airport cuz when my driver called to say he was outside, I was still sleeping since the alarm didn’t go off!!! Definitely could have been bad if I was driving myself there – missed flights, connections & vacation!! Wonder is Apple would have covered my new flight?!?!?! Hahaha!! Thanks for the info tho!!
damn, this happened to me too, got an old 3g, at least I only was 1 hour late waking up, thank god it was on saturday. well I guess I learned my lesson about trusting a phone for an alarm clock.
We were late getting up too, both relying on iPhone to get on the road early back home.. thanks apple.
Hi I didn’t set a alarm but I tried tried the bug out for 5 mins ahead of my current time and the alarm didn’t go off, I know it’s not convinient but I went to the time settings and set it back to 2010, my old alarm went of right away and now all new alarms work it fixes it but it does mean you phone date will be wrong, just to let you know I’m in england on iPhone 4 4.2.1.
I got late to work damm you sucks Steve
I am glad I was able to come across your site through google. Like others my alarm did not work this morning and I do depend upon it daily. I did exactly what you said and programmed in a time to check and it worked, even with the snooze! Thank you so much. I am going to be positive this will fix the issue when I have to get up for work on Monday.
Same issue on my iPod touch 3G. The recurring alarm work-around cured the problem.
I guess Apple assumed that you would be on vacation until Jan 3 and an alarm would not be needed. LOL…..
can we use Alarm Clock Apps? downloading any alarm App could solve the problem.
I’m running iOS 4.1 (mostly because I’m too lazy to upgrade then rejailbreak then reconfigure my phone again) and the workaround worked just fine for me. I set it to repeat for one day of the week and the alarm sounded at the appropriate time.
Missed a meeting cz of ma damn iphone i thought i missed my alarm but thank you iphonehacks for telling us not to trust apple products.
Whats next frm apple no signals on a specific day.
Sighs my 500 pounds :p
Got to get a alarm clock now darn u steve.
We should sue apply for this really….
Iphone 4 on 4.1
Yep.. been late to work today..the alarm never went off..luckily nothing happened..but the problem is indeed avoided if U set the alarm as a repeated alarm!!
mine worked just fine bu old 3g on 3.1.3
omg!! no wonder >.< my iPhone didnt vibrate this morning. btw i have 3GS 4.0
I have also the same trouble as describe in this article. My iPhone 3g (IOS 4.2.1) didn’t ring yesterday evening and also this morning.
I am using my iphone to help me remember when i should take my next medicine because right now i am in a hospital. Thank You for the tip.
IM SO SO SO upset.. i didnt know about this and my husband missed his flights! we lost his flight that cost us $500 and then had to pay another $660 to get on the next one )= SO SO disappointed!! i know there is nothing we can do but this is really not right )=
oMG just read the posts about the people in the hospital )= so sorry to hear and this is just not good enough!!!
Wife woke up late this morning. Alarm bells really did go off!!!! The workaround works, I’ll wait until tomorrow for this problem to be rectified.
Happy New Year to all.
I thought that this only affected 4.1+! nope! we are running 4.0.1 and both my wife’s and my alarms failed to go off. We almost missed our flight but luckily woke up just in time. Apple is simply negligent. This should have been publicized immediately, since it it obviously foreseeable that people with iPhones rely ob and are intended to rely on their alarms on the iPhone.
I was able to resolve the issue yesterday actually. My alarm did sound on time today AND yesterday!
Me and my girlfriend were playing around with our iPhones to find a fix since we didnt have any other alarms to use. Here’s what we found:
Turning auto set time off and changing to 2012 worked. Then changed it back to 2011 but the 3rd instead of todays date (1st). That worked, then back to the 2nd, that worked. Then set it back to auto set and it worked.
NOTE: When testing to see what works, we only tried NEW alarms. We then tried the one already set and it didnt go off. Deleting that alarm and re-creating it solved that issue right away.
PS: Repeat and Non-Repeat alarms both worked.
Walkaround works!!!!!’
I have to say this is VERY disappointing. Considering this is my first phone that is actually from a larger company, I would have to say, and pardon my language, “this sh** is wack!”
From reading some comments, this isn’t the first time this type of thing has happened. I was willing to let go of the poor communication service iPhone has when you actually call someone, and I was also dealing with the many undercover areas in my part, as well as random charges AT&T would refuse to explain to me in lesser terms, but this is a little more than inexcusable.
If I wasn’t such a work a holic, I wouldn’t have made it to work in time yesterday. I randomly woke up 10 minutes before I had to leave, thank goodness!
However, the fact still remains that my mind is set on waiting the two years I have with this shi**y service, buying a gun, and shooting this phone straight through the middle… Then returning to my previous phone service…
iPhone and AT&T, in my opinion, METRO PCS beats the PTERODACTLS out of your phone.
confirmed this morning, january 3rd, that the alarm is still not functioning properly if set normally and not using the recurring function.
third day in no alarm apple get to work.
Thanks, the workaround worked!
The same trouble i’ve got. It make me discomfort.