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Android alarm not working? Battery settings are usually why

Android alarms usually fail because manufacturer battery optimisation killed the app. Device-specific fixes for Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus and stock Android.
AndroidLast updated

The short answer

On Android, a third-party alarm that does not fire is usually being killed by manufacturer battery optimisation. Set the app to Unrestricted battery usage, enable Autostart where the manufacturer offers it, and grant the Alarms & reminders permission.

The universal fixes

  1. 1Settings → Apps → your alarm app → Battery → set to Unrestricted.
  2. 2Settings → Apps → Special app access → Alarms & reminders → allow your alarm app. Recent Android versions require this for exact alarms.
  3. 3Check the Alarm volume stream specifically by pressing a volume key and expanding the sliders.
  4. 4Confirm the app is not in any "sleeping" or "restricted" list your manufacturer maintains.

Manufacturer-specific settings

  • Samsung: Settings → Battery and device care → Background usage limits. Remove the app from Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps. Also disable Adaptive battery if alarms fail intermittently.
  • Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO: Settings → Apps → Manage apps → your app → enable Autostart, and set Battery saver to No restrictions. Also lock the app in the recents view so the task killer skips it.
  • OnePlus and Oppo: Settings → Battery → Battery optimisation → set the app to Don’t optimise, and disable Deep optimisation and Sleep standby optimisation.
  • Huawei: Settings → Battery → App launch → set the app to Manage manually and enable all three toggles.

What a well-built alarm app does instead

All of the above is a workaround for apps that keep their schedule inside their own process. An app that registers alarms with the system alarm manager and posts a foreground service when ringing does not depend on staying alive in the background, which removes most of this class of failure.

That is how Roosta is built on Android. The settings above are still worth applying — manufacturer skins are unpredictable — but they should not be the difference between waking up and not.

Frequently asked

Why does my Android alarm only work when the app is open?

The app is scheduling alarms inside its own process, and Android is killing that process when it is not in the foreground. Set the app to Unrestricted battery usage and enable Autostart if your manufacturer offers it.

Why do Samsung phones miss alarms?

Samsung’s Background usage limits feature puts unused apps into Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps, which stops them scheduling work. Remove your alarm app from both lists in Settings → Battery and device care.

An alarm that cannot quietly fail.

Roosta registers alarms with the operating system rather than scheduling them itself, and nothing on the alarm path needs a network. Most of the failures on this page cannot happen to it.

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