How to set an alarm in Windows 10 Mobile

By Mark Guim
last updated

Setting an alarm on Windows 10 Mobile is really easy. When you swipe towards the app list, Alarms & Clock is usually on top, so it's hard to miss. We'll show you how to set an alarm whether you need to set it every day for work or need to make sure to wake up after a quick nap.

  1. Open Alarms & Clock and tap or click the Alarm tab.
  2. Tap the new button at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, you can edit an existing alarm in the list by tapping it.
  3. Set the name, time, repetitions, sound, and snooze time for the alarm and then tap save.

Alarm

How to set an alarm with Cortana

You can also set an alarm using Cortana on Windows 10 Mobile. Here's how to do it:

  1. If you have Hey Cortana enabled, first say "Hey Cortana." Alternatively, you can tap and hold the search button.
  2. Say, "Set an alarm for [time]" or "Wake me up at [time]"

Cortana Alarm

That's it! Cortana automatically adds the time in the Alarms & Clock app. Do you use Cortana to set your alarms, or do you prefer to use the app? Let us know in the comments!

Note: Cortana is only available in certain countries/regions, and some Cortana features might not be available everywhere.

Mark Guim
Mark Guim

Mark Guim is Video Editor at Windows Central. He switched to Windows because the MacBook Pro isn't Pro enough. You can follow him on Twitter at @markguim.

65 Comments
  • Do people not know how to do this??
  • Some may not.. Good article for google hehe...
  • I'm waiting for the article on how to double tap. I've heard about it but am scared to try it without direction. I hope they make a video.
  • We're doing one on how to post lame comments next. No worries, you have that skillset down :P
  • Hahaha
  • Is 'Hey Cortana' Feature Available in Alpha version.?
  • My phone's region is set to US and language to UK English (because that's what our schools teach us) but Cortana claims she can't speak my language! What am I doing wrong? Interestingly my wife's phone is on the same configuration but Cortana shows no attitude to her. Cortana a lesbian or something?!
  • Can you please make tutorial how to send message using new messaging app...Its so confusing.
  • Good one Daniel! lol BTW, have you noticed the Alarm sounds in Windows 10 really suck! It's like you can barely even hear them and for a sound sleeper like me, they aren't loud enough to wake me up. I had to set the sound to a loud music sound! Do you know where we can download the Windows Phone 8.1 alarm sounds?
  • Sweet!
  • The lame article could expand upon choosing a custom sound, which is the most confusing part of setting an alarm... Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • You couldn't resist eh? Why don't you just ignore it, dude, its more professional...
  • This is starting to feel like the "short bus" version of a tech site.....touch of downs, anyone? Come aboard, and read this article about how to sit down!
  • Funny to say that because I've had family who said they couldn't figure out how to make a call when first got the phone and it had the giant phone icon pinned to the top. Of course for this article to do the most good the Windows Central app would need to be installed by default. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Custom tones are broken again in this build. For alarms and notifications. Nothing added shows in the tone options.
  • This article is for the iPhone users that will buy a Microsoft 950 instead of an iPhone 6S
  • If you don't know how to do this, maybe you shouldn't be running the insider build
  • No vibrate yet waste of time
  • You need a story for how to get to the app list on WM10.
  • Right?
  • I need that, please make it. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • where the hell "Vibrate Only" Alarm ???????????????????
  • Are one time alarms set by Cortana finally getting deleted after a day or so? Because afaik you can't have more than about 30 alarms before you have to delete them all again ...
  • Yes I'd like them to auto delete after, been that way since Cortana was released so at least its not a bug in the preview.
  • OMG O_O really?
  • Sadly The App has not worked for me in the last 2 builds.  Not sure why.
  • I want alarm Icon displayed on top like battery life,time and network strength
  • Use the feedback app to suggest such an option. I can see some people would need a visible reminder that they had or have an alarm already set.
  • It was available in Windows Mobile 6.1
  • Feedback app? I'd like that if it was optional otherwise I don't like to have things too crowded up there.
  • Does hey Cortana is available for windows 10mobile? I have a 1520 but the option disappear when I upgrade to win 10
  • The app looks like a direct copy of the Clock app in iOS.
  • Must be Microsoft's revenge for Apple trying to copy Surface Pro and failing miserably.
  • This app came way before the new iPad.
  • @Mark Guim, you can also say "Wake me up in 8 hours" to Cortana to set an alarm works very well, I usually use it to take naps!
  • Those are long naps :P.
  • Yeah really long naps!
  • best naps ever
  • My alarm on the last two build will work for a few days they it doesn't go off. I am now using my bedside radio clock as alarm.
  • How to serch porn with cortana? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Doesn't have vibrate only :'(
  • So a Band could come in handy ;)
  • I usually ask Cortana to show me my alarms then I modify one manually. Indeed, if you just ask Cortana to set one for you, it'll create a different alarm each and everytime which will quickly result in a mess in your Alarm app!
  • I would like the ability to set timers with Cortana. Seems very basic.
  • I don't use use Cortana because she doesn't let you choose what tone to use. The default one is like a lullaby to me.
  • I can't get Hey Cortana to work in latest mobile build. :/
  • Still can't set an mp3 ringtone even though its on the phones ringtone folder and shows in the available sounds list.
  • Since updating to build 10536 the tile lost the ability to show the next alarm. I've submitted it through the feedback app. And there's still no icon on the lockscreen like in 8.1.
  • I miss the alarm system I had with my Nokia N8 under Symbian, set the alarm for 7:00 am, turn off the phone and in the morning the N8 would turn itself on and sound the alarm, Windows cannot seem to do that.
  • In the latest build alarms are not functioning properly. Doesn't sound , simply gives a non snoozeable notification in the action center (unless set by Cortana, which can't set recurring alarms). Alarms set by Cortana sound with the default alarm and are snoozeable. But if you set regular recurring alarms they will only appear as a notification in the action center and are dismissed when acknowledged.
  • I concur, even now I am having issues with recurring alarms.
  • Flip to postpone pls...
  • Seeing that timers are now in the same app (about time..), is it possible to start a specific timer with cortana?
    I am currently using "SuperTimer" to do that, but would love to use the integrated feature. Not on the insider builds here, hence I'm asking.
  • Actually, the app has an idiotic and unintuitive extra step that seems completely unnecessary to me. If you tap + or an existing alarm and then set or change the time and then the save icon, it does NOT save it. You have to the tick mark under the time rolls first and in addition. Why?!?!? Furthermore, while the save icon is Greyed out when changing the time of an existing alarm until you tap the tick mark, as it should, you can still tap the greyed out save icon and it will take you to the previous screen and you are like "what the f, why did it not save it?". And in a new alarm, the save icon is not even greyed out. Finally, Cortana STILL asks which one to turn off even if you have only one turned on... Come on MS!
  • Open the pod bay doors, Cortana.
  • question is: will the alarm start when the phone is switched off? currently win8.1 does not fire alarm when the phone is off...very fustrating.
  • No. No smartphones do this.
  • No, my old android phone was able to do that...
  • Setting alarm is not a big deal.give the superb locking features better than a android phone then see.
  • I always use Cortana..!!! It's so fun %& easy
  • Looking forward to whole package on release with plenty of third party offerings also. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Setting Alarm only works when connected to internet.
    Why doesn't it work, when being offline?
  • Sorry Daniel but... Did people need to be shown how to do this ?  Really ? WIndows Phone 7 even had Alarms built in and pretty much worked the same way as Alarms & Clocks does in WIndows 10 Mobile and is in the exact same spot in the start menu as it was back then.  
  • Hey guys, I gotta stick of gum - wanna show me how to chew it? And a tamborine - wanna show me how to shake it? Next week: "We show you how to launch an app from the Start menu" :-)
  • Cortana is state of the art. Just sayin. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android