Struggling to set an alarm for a specific date? By default, iPhones do not allow setting an alarm for a future date—it can only repeat on certain days of the week. Setting an alarm for 7 a.m. means the next 7 a.m. whenever it occurs, which can be frustrating if you need it to ring on a specific day or date. Let’s see how to set date-specific alarms on your iPhone to avoid these inconveniences.
Unfortunately, you can’t just ask Siri to “wake me up at 4 a.m. on October 2.” Siri can’t set alarms for more than a day in advance. It’s a frustrating limitation with no clear reason behind it which means we’ll have to rely on workarounds.
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Method 1: Set a Date Specific Alarm in Calendar App
While the default Clock app does not allow you to set alarms for a specific date, there’s an easy workaround — set an event in the Calendar app and then create an alert for it. That way, your iPhone will ring on the desired date and time, and you won’t have to worry about missing your flight, meetings, or anything else.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Calendar app on your iPhone.
- Tap the date for which you want to create an alert.
- Tap the + button in the top right corner and give it a name, such as “flight” in my case.
- Then choose the Start time and set it to when you want the alert to ring. The End time can be the same or any duration you prefer.
- Finally, scroll down and tap on Alert.
- Set it to At the time of event.
- Additionally, you can add a second alert (so you don’t miss the event), set to something like 10 minutes before.
- Tap Add in the top right corner.
By default, Calendar events alert you with a simple one-time chime, and if you miss that, it’s gone. I’d recommend changing it to something that persists like an alarm. Here’s how you can change the sound for Calendar alerts:
- Open Settings and go to Sounds & Haptics.
- Scroll down and tap on Calendar Alerts.
- Here, choose the sound of your choice. I’d keep it the same as my ringtone—nothing wakes me up better than my phone’s ringtone.
That’s it. Once the set date and time appear, your iPhone will display the event alert and play the chosen sound. The only problem is that all your Calendar events will now use this sound. Be aware of that.
Method 2: Use a Third-Party Alarm App
Many of the third-party alarm apps I tried (including Alarmy) didn’t support date-specific alarms. Then I came across Midnight. It’s a free, dark-themed alarm app that lets you set alarms for a specific date and even set a date range for your alarms.
Here’s how to use it:
- Download and install the Midnight Alarm Clock app from the App Store.
- Open it. Tap the + icon in the top right to create an alarm.
- Set your time, title, sound, and snooze settings.
- Tap on Schedule > Specific Date and choose the date you want the alarm to ring.
- Once done, go back and tap Save in the top right corner.
You can also add a mission to the alarm, meaning the alarm will only go off when you complete a specific task on your iPhone. If you’re interested, you can also explore other alarm apps that force you out of bed.
Note: When using third-party alarm apps on iPhone, make sure they’re allowed to send notifications, can run in the background (that is, background app refresh is enabled), and that you don’t just leave your iPhone on restart. Unlock it and run the app once if you restart the device to ensure the app is active and will ring the alarm.
Method 3: Choose the Day in iPhone Alarm App
When setting an alarm, the default iPhone Clock app does allow you to choose if you’d like it to repeat on certain days of the week, like every Monday or every Sunday. If the alarm you want to set is within the next 7 days, open the Clock app, and when creating your alarm, tap on Repeat.
Now, figure out what day of the week the date you want falls on. For example, if I want to set an alarm for October 5th and it’s on a Saturday, I’ll simply choose Every Saturday as the repeat option and tap Save. The alarm will ring on the specified date. This method won’t work well if you need to set alarms for dates more than 7 days in the future.
Now that we’ve discussed all three methods, here’s an overview showing the pros and cons of each:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar App | Simple and straightforward | Limited customization options, all events use the same alert sound |
| Third-Party Alarm Apps | More features (e.g., date ranges, custom sounds) | Require additional installation, app may not run as reliably as system app |
| Choosing the Day in Clock App | Easy for alarms within 7 days | Limited to alarms within 7 days, no date-specific option |
If you need a quick and easy solution for alarms within 7 days, using the Clock app’s repeat feature might be sufficient. For more advanced features or alarms beyond 7 days, a third-party alarm app or the Calendar app method would be better options.
Never Miss an Event!
Many things have evolved on iOS over time. For instance, with iOS 18, you have Apple Intelligence, customized home screens, enhanced Photos app, and more. However, the Clock app hasn’t quite kept up.
You still can’t set date-specific alarms, there’s no option to dismiss upcoming alarms like on Android, no pause-and-resume feature for vacations, no gradual volume increase, and the alarm list can feel cluttered. Apple revamped one of their core apps—the Calculator—earlier this year, and it’s high time they worked some magic on the Clock app too. Till then, you can always use the workarounds above.
