5 Things You Didn't Realize Your Android Clock App Could Do
You often take the stock clock app on your Android phone for granted. After all, all it does is tell the time and wake you up. It may also have a stopwatch and a timer, but that's often pretty much it.
But did you know that the Google Clock app has a few more features to help you build your sleeping habits and wake up fresh? Note that this is likely not the stock app on your phone, especially if you have a Samsung or Vivo device.
So, if you want a better clock experience, download the Google Clock app and use it as the primary clock app on your phone. It also has widgets, so you can use it as the primary way of telling the time from your home screen. Unfortunately, this app isn't available on iOS, so you'll have to settle for one of the best smart clocks or other third-party clock apps if you have an iPhone.
Change how you see your clocks
One of the great things about the Google Clock app is the option to choose between analog or digital clock faces. It may look or sound simple, but the ability to choose between these options ensures that the Clock app will suit your taste, whether you're a digital clock user or prefer the old hands on the clock face.
If you work with multiple teams and clients across different time zones, you can quickly add other cities to see who's awake. With just a glance, you can see the time across four locations; you can also add more cities, but you'll have to swipe up to see them. It's also easy to rearrange your added clocks, making it easier to manage, especially if you have multiple time zones on the app.
Frequent travelers will also love the Google Clock app, which can automatically show a home clock when you're away. This feature is especially crucial if you travel across vastly different time zones, as jet lag could cause you to miss changing your watch and mess up your schedule. By doing it automatically, you're guaranteed to see the correct time at home and your location.
Change your alarm to songs from YouTube Music or Spotify
Waking up is often the hardest thing to do in the morning. And if you have a harsh alarm tone, you could wake up in a bad mood. But hearing your favorite song or artist first thing in the morning could lessen the morning heaviness and set you up for success for the rest of the day.
When setting up an alarm, tap the bell icon under Pause alarm to set a custom sound. Under the Sounds tab, you can choose from the 36 default on-device alarm tones to keep things simple. You can also choose Silent if you only need a discreet alarm and don't want to wake up the entire neighborhood with your blaring phone.
But if you want to use the music you made with Copilot, just tap on Add new and browse for the audio file on your phone. You can also select an individual song as your alarm tone by tapping the YouTube Music tab and choosing any track available in YouTube Music's library. But if you want to hear a different tone every morning, like a radio alarm from the 1990s, go to the Spotify tab instead, where you can pick any playlist on the sound streaming platform.
Set a bedtime routine
A consistent sleeping schedule is one of the pillars of healthy living. The Google Clock app can help build this bedtime habit and reduce late-night scrolling with the Bedtime tab. If you're using it for the first time, tap on Get started to set an alarm sound.
After that, set your regular wake-up alarm and choose which days it will sound. You can also tap on Sunrise Alarm, so your phone screen brightens gradually, helping you wake up better. After setting your wake time, you can pick what time you need to get to bed — the app will also show you how many hours of sleep you get with your chosen sleeping time.
If you have difficulty falling asleep, tap Choose a sound under the Listen to sleep sounds to pick a song or sound that will help you get drowsy. The sound will also stop after a set time, ensuring you won't be suddenly awakened by an unexpected track.
You can also sync your calendar with the Google Clock, allowing you to see what's next on your agenda. That way, you're mentally prepared for the next day's event, even before going to bed.
Optimize your phone's alarm for better sleep
Our wake-up routines are as varied as the next person, so you can tailor the Google Clock app to suit your preferences. When you open the app's settings, you can change how long an alarm will sound — it can be as short as one minute or as long as forever. You can also change your snooze length from a minute to half an hour.
You also have the option to change your alarm volume, especially if you have sensitive hearing. And if you hate having a sudden jerking loud alarm coming from your phone, the Gradually increase volume option will let you wake up gently.
The app also lets you use it as a screensaver, especially if you're used to having a clock beside you. And since phone screens can get bright, tapping Night mode under the Screensaver section in the settings menu will ensure you won't get blinded by it.
Another essential feature Google Clock offers is Pause alarm. This lets you pause your current alarm for a few days — perfect if you need to sleep in on sick days or if you need to set a different alarm when traveling. When the Pause alarm setting is over, your regular alarm will revert to active without any intervention, ensuring you won't be late on your first day back at work.
Set how the volume buttons control your alarm
Many of us have woken in horror when we missed our alarm and are already an hour late for work. This could inadvertently happen, especially if we accidentally press the stop alarm instead of the snooze button. So, to avoid this, you can change what the volume buttons do in the settings menu.
You have four options when you press the volume button: Snooze, Stop, Control volume, and Do nothing. Control volume is the default option, but you can set it to Do nothing or Snooze, ensuring you can still be woken up even if you press the volume buttons.
Although many clock apps simply tell the time and wake you up, the features Google added to its Clock app make it very compelling for waking you up and building your sleep schedule. So, if you want to use all these features, it's time to download this app and replace the stock clock app on your phone.