The clock on your phone has a bunch of hidden features – 4 to try now

The clock on your phone has a bunch of hidden features - 4 to try now
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The clock on your Android phone’s home screen is great for a quick glance at the time. Tap or click here to see the five best smartwatches you can buy right now. But did you know that the Clock app can do so much more than simply display time?

Almost anything on your mobile phone that relies on time-based actions can be linked to the clock app, and some might even surprise you.

If you don’t have Google’s clock app installed, you can grab it from the Google Play Store. It’s a free download, and after you see what it can do, you’ll be wondering how you managed to live without it.

1. Integrate Google Calendar events

The Clock app can help you stay on track with upcoming appointments and send you reminders closer to the start time. When you add events or reminders into Google Calendar, allow the clock to access the data. Alarms are customizable, but it will blast a reminder 15 minutes before the event starts by default.  

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2. Bedtime schedule/Do Not Disturb option

Getting a peaceful night’s sleep is important for physical and mental health. The Clock app can help you achieve this. By setting up a bedtime schedule, you can review afterward how much sleep you got.

Simply set the time you want to go to bed and when you want to wake up, and the Clock app will do the rest. You also have the option to set up a Do Not Disturb, which will mute calls and notifications during your specified bedtimes. To set this up:

Clock bedtime Android
  • Open the Clock app.
  • Tap Bedtime and look for the Schedule card.
  • Set the desired bedtime and the days when it should be active.
  • For the Do Not Disturb option, tap Bedtime mode.
  • Tap the time under Wake Up and go through the options for your morning routine.

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3. Sync with music apps like Spotify

The default alarm sounds on Android can be a bit jarring first thing in the morning. So, why not wake up to some of your favorite music? This can be done by linking the Clock app (and by default the alarm) to any streaming service like Spotify or Google Music.

To do this, you need to have the music streaming app installed, then:

Clock music wakeup Android
  • Open the Clock app and scroll to Alarms.
  • Tap the plus icon to create a new alarm.
  • After setting the time, tap the bell icon to enter the sound settings.
  • Select Spotify or any other available option.
  • Select the playlist that you want to wake up to. You can also search for a specific playlist or simply create your own.

4. Sync with Wear OS smartwatch

When you set up an alarm on your phone, you can have the notification pop up on your Wear OS smartwatch. This is great when you want to be discreet about it, as it won’t disturb others, and you can quickly see what it’s for.

It’s easy to do, as you simply need to pair your smartwatch with your mobile device. Once that’s set up, all notifications and alarms will be displayed on your wrist.

Tags: Android, apps, Clock app, Do Not Disturb, Google, Google Calendar, Google Play Store, Hidden Features, reminders, Spotify