Q&A
Quick answers to the questions we hear most. Can't find yours? Email support@waky.ca and we'll get back to you fast.
Most asked
MOST ASKED My alarm didn't go off — where do I start?
Walk through these checks one by one. Most alarm problems are fixed by the first three:
- Turn your Ringtone & Alerts volume all the way up. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and drag the “Ringtone and Alerts” slider to maximum.
- Make sure Waky has alarm permission. Go to Settings > Waky and check that Alarms is turned ON.
- Add Waky to your Sleep Focus allow list. Go to Settings > Focus > Sleep > Allowed Notifications > Apps, and add Waky.
- Turn off Low Power Mode before bed. It slows your phone down and can delay or weaken the alarm.
- Unpair or disconnect AirPods and Bluetooth speakers at night, so the alarm plays through the phone speaker instead.
- Open Waky at least once a day. When you open the app, it checks that your alarm is still properly set up and fixes any issues automatically.
MOST ASKED Why can't I add custom alarms like in the Clock app?
Waky is purpose-built for one job — helping heavy sleepers wake up at a consistent time and stick to that habit. The weekly schedule on the Alarm tab gives you exactly seven slots, one per weekday, each with its own time and sound. That's it by design.
Apple's Clock app already handles ad-hoc alarms beautifully, so we leave those to it. Use Clock for one-off reminders like a meeting, a friend stopping by, or laundry — none of those need to be tied to your Waky device.
There's a real safety reason too. The whole point of Waky is that you have to physically tap your Waky device to stop the alarm. If you set an alarm for an afternoon meeting and forgot your Waky device at home, the alarm would ring with no way to dismiss it short of force-quitting or uninstalling the app. By keeping the schedule to a fixed wake-up routine, we make sure alarms only fire when you're at home with your device — first thing in the morning.
For one-time countdowns, use the Timer tab. It also requires a scan to stop, but you decide when it starts.
MOST ASKED My alarm is acting up or behaving unusually
If your alarm is doing something it shouldn't — firing at the wrong time, ringing twice, going off when no day was scheduled, or anything else that feels off — try these in order:
- Make sure you're on the latest version of Waky. Open the App Store, search for Waky, and tap Update if a newer version is available. Most alarm bugs are fixed in the latest release.
- Go to Settings > Reset & Sign Out. This wipes every alarm currently registered in the background and signs you out — but your streak count, best streak, and consistency board are kept. Re-scan your Waky device when prompted, then go to the Alarm tab and toggle your wake-up days back on. Each day rebuilds a fresh alarm at the correct time and sound.
- If the issue still happens after steps 1 and 2, please report it to support@waky.ca. Include what you saw, when it happened, and which day of the week if it was a weekly alarm. We read every report — detailed reports help us fix it faster.
Your streak is preserved through any reset, so you can run it without worry.
Alarm not working?
My alarm is going off a minute or two late
This usually happens because your iPhone is in deep sleep when the alarm is supposed to fire. iOS needs a few seconds to wake up before the alarm can play.
To reduce the delay:
- Turn off Low Power Mode at night. Low Power Mode can add up to a minute of delay.
- Keep your iPhone plugged in and charging overnight. A charging phone wakes up faster than one running on battery.
- Avoid putting the phone in a very cold place (like near an open window in winter). Cold phones also wake up slower.
A small delay of a few seconds is normal on iPhone and can't be fully removed — this is how iOS handles alarms from deep sleep.
Waky notifications are being silenced during Sleep Focus
The alarm itself will always ring, even during Sleep Focus. But the extra reminders (like the 5-minute streak motivation or snooze nudges) are silenced by Sleep Focus by default.
To fix it:
- Open iPhone Settings.
- Tap Focus.
- Tap Sleep.
- Tap Allowed Notifications.
- Tap Apps, then add Waky.
Now all of Waky's notifications will come through even while Sleep Focus is active.
My alarm is playing on my AirPods or Bluetooth speaker
When AirPods or a Bluetooth speaker are paired and nearby, iOS sends the alarm sound to them instead of your phone speaker. This can make the alarm hard to hear.
Fixes:
- Put your AirPods in the case and close the lid before bed. This disconnects them from the phone.
- Turn off Bluetooth at night. Swipe down to open Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon.
- Or forget the Bluetooth speaker entirely: Settings > Bluetooth, tap the (i) next to the speaker, then Forget This Device.
After any of these, the alarm will play through your iPhone speaker at full volume.
A Focus mode (Work, Driving, Do Not Disturb) is silencing my alarm
The main alarm sound will still ring, but some Focus modes can hide Waky's notifications and Live Activity.
To let Waky through any Focus:
- Open Settings > Focus.
- Tap the Focus you use (for example, Do Not Disturb or Work).
- Tap Allowed Notifications > Apps.
- Add Waky.
Repeat this for every Focus mode you regularly use.
My alarm went off at a completely different time
Waky alarms follow the clock on your iPhone. If your phone's time or time zone is wrong, the alarm will fire at the wrong real-world time.
Checks:
- Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and make sure “Set Automatically” is turned ON.
- If you recently traveled to a new time zone, your alarm stays at the same clock time in the new zone (for example, a 7 AM alarm stays at 7 AM local time). If you want a different time, edit your goal or alarm.
- On Daylight Saving Time change days, the alarm follows the new clock — so in spring it feels like it fires an hour earlier.
Sound & audio
Why is my alarm not playing any sound?
Waky uses your iPhone's Ringtone & Alerts volume, not the media volume. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider all the way up. Also make sure the “Change with Buttons” toggle is turned off so the volume buttons don't accidentally lower it.
Why is the alarm sound very quiet?
Your Ringtone & Alerts volume is likely set too low. Open iPhone Settings > Sounds & Haptics and drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider to maximum. This is separate from the volume you set with the side buttons when playing music or videos.
Can I use custom alarm sounds?
Waky comes with 10 built-in alarm sounds. You can choose a different sound for each alarm or timer from the sound picker. Custom audio file import is not available yet.
Timer
My timer countdown disappeared after reopening the app. Is it still running?
Yes, the alarm timer continues running in the background even if the countdown animation isn't visible. When the timer finishes, you'll hear the alarm sound and see the notification. If the countdown doesn't appear, try closing and reopening the app.
I paused the timer and closed the app. Will it remember where I left off?
Yes. When you pause a timer and close or kill the app, Waky saves the exact remaining time. When you reopen the app, the timer will restore in the paused state with the correct time remaining.
Waky device & dismissal
How do I stop the alarm?
You need to scan your Waky device to stop the alarm. Tap the notification to open the app, then hold your iPhone near the Waky device. The alarm will keep ringing in a loop until you scan it.
Can I dismiss the alarm without scanning the Waky device?
No. The entire point of Waky is to make sure you physically get up to scan the device. There is no snooze button or bypass. The alarm will keep ringing every few seconds until you scan.
My Waky device scan isn't working. What should I do?
Make sure you hold the top of your iPhone (near the earpiece) directly against the Waky device. Keep it still for 1–2 seconds. If it still doesn't work, try removing any thick phone case and try again. Scanning requires close contact.
Screen Time & app blocking
Why are my apps still blocked after scanning?
If you have Morning Focus enabled in your goal settings, apps will stay blocked for the configured duration (15 or 30 minutes) after scanning. You can end the focus early by tapping the “End Focus” button on the Goal tab.
How do I change which apps are blocked?
Go to Settings > Focus Block > Apps to Block. This opens Apple's app picker where you can select individual apps or entire categories to block during alarms and focus timers.
Apps are blocked but I didn't set a timer or alarm. How do I unblock?
This can happen if the app was killed during an active alarm session. Start a new timer for a few seconds on Easy mode without app blocking, then cancel it. This will clear the stale Screen Time shields.
Streak & goals
I scanned in time but my streak didn't count. Why?
Make sure you scan within 10 minutes of your goal alarm time. The 10-minute window starts from when the alarm fires, not when you wake up. If you miss the window, the streak is lost.
What happens to my streak if I go on vacation?
Use Break Mode in the Goal tab. Tap the pause button to start a break. Break days appear in blue on your consistency board and don't break your streak. Remember to resume when you're back.
General
Does the alarm work if I force-quit the app?
Yes. Waky uses Apple's AlarmKit framework which runs at the system level. Your alarm will fire and play sound even if the app is completely killed. When you open the app again, any active timer state will be restored.
Can I use Waky without the Waky device?
No. A registered Waky device is required to use the app. You need to scan it during setup and every time you dismiss an alarm or timer. This is by design to help you build better wake-up habits.