Calendar Alarms You Can Hear, Feel or See on Android

A calendar alarm should get your attention in a way that works for you. In Always On Time on Android, you can choose spoken alarms, stronger vibration or flashing alerts, then adjust how you stop the alarm and when its Join button appears.

We make Always On Time. These are features in our app, and this guide covers its Android version.

Choose how the alarm gets your attention

Open Settings > Accessibility in Always On Time. The settings are grouped around getting your attention, stopping the alarm and joining a meeting. Spoken alarms are available with Sound and vibration; vibration patterns are available with Sound and vibration or Vibration only.

If a sound alone is easy to miss, try a different combination:

• Spoken alarms can say the event name and how soon it starts. Choose the details you want to hear, then preview the announcement.
• Vibration pattern: Strong uses long, full-strength buzzes. Rising starts gently and builds to full strength.
• Flash alerts blink the screen and, when available, the phone's flashlight while the alarm rings. They are optional; leave them off if flashing light is uncomfortable for you.

When Also speak over other alarm sounds is on, your chosen tone goes quiet while the meeting name is spoken. It is on by default for new setups.

Use Try your alarm to check the result before depending on it for an appointment. Test with the phone where you normally keep it: a vibration on a desk feels different from one in a pocket.

Make stopping it easier

The alarm's usual dismiss control uses a drag gesture. If that is awkward, turn on Tap to dismiss to stop it with one tap on the circle.

You can choose what the volume buttons do while an alarm rings: dismiss, snooze or do nothing. With TalkBack on, those buttons always control volume. The alarm also gets quieter while you explore its screen with TalkBack, so its sound does not compete with the screen reader.

Give yourself time to join

If you use captions or an interpreter, you may want the meeting open before its start time.

Set an alarm early enough for that setup, then check Show Join button in Accessibility. Choosing When the alarm rings makes the button available at that early alarm, rather than waiting until closer to the meeting.

The event needs a supported Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex link. The button opens that link; it does not turn on captions or arrange an interpreter for you.

For appointments away from your desk, travel alarms can tell you when to leave. If you would rather ask an assistant about your alarms, there is also an optional MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT.

Get Always On Time on Google Play. It is free to download, with no ads.