4 popular Wake Up Alarms smartphone apps
Are you searching for a smartphone app to wake up you like an alarm clock? This article provides information on Android wake up apps. You will get details of each app's unique features, tech specs and where to get it, as also user feedback and reviews.
Father Time waits for nobody, steadily ticking away the seconds, minutes and hours. At some moment or other in our lives (likely more than we would care for!), we have not kept pace with Father Time, horrified to wake up late for an all-important meeting or for keeping our date with a morning fitness/exercise regimen to keep our health in some semblance of an order. Setting an alarm on our bedside clock is often completely pointless – we just shut it off and go right back to sleep.
In today's contemporary times of smart devices we have a plethora of gadgets to help us sleep well, including bedside monitors and wearable devices . Yet others help us wake up. Talking of the latter, there are some really cool apps out there. Check them out…Snap Me Up app
Overview
Developed by Dehun Inc, the Snap Me Up app is ideal for really heavy sleepers. The alarm will ring and not stop unless & until you take a photo of your face, which forces you to get out of bed and turn on the lights. You can't cheat either! The app has a facial recognition software so you cannot shut off the alarm by taking a photo of any object or of somebody else. You have to take a selfie of your own face. Of course, your images are for your own self & totally private - only you can watch them.
How it works
You have to look at the camera, turn on the lights and open your eyes. Instantly, your face is snapped. A timer can also be set by you when required. The alarm does not get dismissed till the time our face is detected on camera + you take a photo of you face. The images taken well get automatically stored in a unique album tagged "My sleepy snaps". You can thus subsequently have a look at the images, add filters and even share them with your friends.
It is important to note here that you must first show your face and be detected before you tap the camera button? If you don't show your face, the app is not going to work. Also, it is necessary to have a stable Wi-fi connection otherwise you are likely to face very slow uploading of the app.
There are 2 options that you can use with this app are:Features
Tech specs
Updates as of this month
The tutorial has been improved for better understanding. The UI has been worked upon as also loading of images and bugs with the volume. The 'create Gif' has been removed and a filter mode added. The clock has been optimized.Reviews
u>App Likes: Quite a few sleepy heads have benefited with this app and even found the pictures of themselves in just-awake mode quite hilarious. It thus automatically starts your day off with a smile! Those who have complained about problems of a dark screen and incomprehensible pictures have been told by the developers that they need to switch on the light to be a visible image on the screen.
App Dislikes: Those who selected the video option are annoyed that it is a paying feature after initial use. Others have been fed up of having the 'my snaps' feature crashing & the subsequent forced closure of app on tapping or dismissing an alarm.
For queries and problems with the app email: dehun.inc@gmail.com
Where to get it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dehun.snapmeup&hl=enWalk Me Up
Overview
This app has been developed by India-based developer Bazzinga Labs. The app literally gets you out of bed because its alarm will not stop ringing till after you get out of bed and take a pre-assigned number of steps. It has inbuilt intelligent algorithms to detect shaking.How it works
You have to set the desired number of steps for which you can enable voice feedback too. You can set the quick alarm in terms of minutes or hours as per your requirement. You can select the option which ensures the alarm will go off even if our smartphone is in silent mode. The app is also smarter than you if you think you are smart enough to do some shaking – this tactic won't work for you!Features
Tech specs
Reviews
App likes: Only a couple of users have liked the app, specifically the no snooze mode. It seems the alarm just won't stop till you take the fixed number of steps, no matter how many times you snooze. It thus does function as a good wake (walk) up alarm!
App dislikes: Quite a number of users have had varied problems with this app, such as constant crashes and problems with the sensors. One complaint was that the app does not work work if the phone is turned off which thus defeats the purpose of having the app in the first place. Another user said it does not work at all on certain smartphones. The developers have taken the trouble to address various issues and have given the instruction that the app will not work in your smartphone is in your pocket. You need to hold the phone in your hand when the alarm goes off and start walking. Also, using the Settings, one must increase the step sensitivity & decrease the shake sensitivity if one finds that the app does not recognize the steps.
For problems: walkmeup@gmail.com
Where to get it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.moosa.alarmclock&hl=en
and for iOS customers: http://bit.ly/walkmeupalarmPuzzle Alarm App
Overview
Developed by London-based Wro Claw Studio Ltd, this app requires a little brain power to shut off the alarm! When your smartphone gives a buzz, you have to wake up and work on a puzzle. The puzzle is random, popping up from the inbuilt selection of puzzles. So basically it ensures that are wide awake & alert to shut off the alarm.
Note that the alarm will not function if you enable a power saving mode. You can purchase an ad-free version of the pay through Google Play billing service. You should also have a look at the permissions. Last update in December last year, that update ensures that your current settings will be saved as default for the next alarms.
The developers have issued 2 important guidelines:Features
Tech specs
Reviews
App likes: One user has rave about, so much so that it has been considered to be the "best technological thing to happen to me in years"! Others have considered the concept of solving a puzzle as being most unique concept of an alarm and regard it as a life-saving app to ensure punctuality to wherever you need to be as it definitely wakes you up. What's more, the alarm is not considered to be as unbearable as one would think and the easy way to customize it gets a thumbs up.
App dislikes: Apparently it works initially for some users, but for some strange reason later started giving problems. It seems it won't really go off or check if the user is really awake while at other times the app won't open at all. Due to various bugs, puzzles not selected by the user pops up or the app works on alarms that the user has not actually set at all in the first place.
For problems contact: support@wroclawstudio.com
Where to get it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wroclawstudio.puzzlealarmclock&hl=enSleep Cycle App
Developed by Sweden-based Northcube AB, the app turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a motion-sensitive alarm clock. An app measures when you toss & turn and determines the various phases of your sleep, using this record to track when you are in lighter sleep, ready to be woken up. The analysis thus ensures that you are waking up in a natural, relaxed manner.
Important Instructions:Features
Tech Specs
Reviews
App likes: The app does indeed wake up the user in a peaceful, gentle manner and the graph analytical data of sleep quality has been found to be pretty useful. A few skeptics about its functionality have been surprised by its workings and one user even rated it as value for money. The option to select one's own wake-up song is also a plus point in this app's favour.
App dislikes: A major problem with the app is that it tracks sleep movements of both people on the bed and not just one even if the smartphone is only next to the one who wants to use the app. There have been complaints too of the alarm not going off.
For problems: support@northcube.com
Where to get it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.northcube.sleepcycle&hl=en
Do give your own feedback on any apps you may have found useful or disliked, whether those mentioned in this article or others. Let's help people out there to keep their date with Father Time!
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