There have been quite a few significant changes and added features in iOS 14, which is available now as Developer and Public betas. On the other hand, some apps within the mobile operating system have seen only minor tweaks. One of those involves how you set an alarm in the Clock app. Gone is the rotating dial to set your alarm time. Instead, there’s a more efficient number pad, but it brings a couple of confusing aspects.
An Easier Way to Set an Alarm in iOS 14
When you configure the Sleep/Wake Up options in iOS 14, you’ll get a default alarm (or several) for your optimal wakeup time. If you wish to set another alarm, though you can do so by tapping the orange + icon at the top right of the Alarm tab in Clock.
The time for the alarm will be automatically highlighted, and the keypad active. Just type in the time you wish to wake up. You can leave out the 0 for hours between 1 and 9 (730 instead of 0730).
If you’re using 24-hour time, type in the alarm setting accordingly (1630 for 4:30 p.m.) Otherwise, select the AM/PM toggle.
One annoying idiosyncrasy is that Clock automatically starts your alarm at the current time. This means, for example, that if you set an alarm at 8:30 p.m. for the following morning, you’ll need to be sure to set the AM/PM toggle to AM.
Next, select any of the other options (Repeat, Label, Sound, Snooze) to your liking.
Once you set an alarm in iOS 14, it will make your selected noise the next time that time comes around, and on any other days you have the alarm set for.
Editing an Alarm in iOS 14
Once you’ve got your alarm set, you will need to be careful if you try to change it by tapping the orange time. By default, the entire time will be selected and the numeric keypad active.
If you tap on the orange time, though, Clock will select just the hours digits. Since the app doesn’t switch over to minutes after you type the hours, you could end up overwriting the time you are trying to set.
The Missing Bedtime Tab
Apple has removed the Bedtime tab from Clock. Instead, you can configure your bedtime in the Health app. To get there, tap the orange Change text from within your automatically-created alarm. You’ll see a very user-friendly menu with a dial and several toggles to customize your sleep and wakeup times just the way you want them.
It wasn’t broke so why fix it?
“You can leave out the 0 for hours between 1 and 9 (730 instead of 0730).
No, it is 0730, so as not be confused with 1930.
Developers are running us ragged “fixing” things that weren’t broke. I’m exhausted from having to go to a forum to RE-learn how to do some basic thing that was fine before. I really don’t get it. I’m an early Apple customer, since the late 80s and the speed of change-for-change’s-sake is getting as nutty as our political world. Apple was originally known for its simple, intuitive approach. No more.