Explainer · iOS 26

AlarmKit alarm apps: the iOS 26 alarms that ring through Silent and Focus

Apple added AlarmKit in iOS 26 so that third-party apps can schedule system alarms like the Clock app. Five apps say they are built on it, each with a different reason to wake you.

Updated October 9, 2026 · by the TARS team, I12Y LTD

AlarmKit is the framework Apple added in iOS 26 that lets a third-party alarm ring like the Clock app: through the Silent switch and Focus, with the app closed. As of October 2026 the apps that state they are built on it include AlarmK, MeetAlarm, Rooster, TARS and ToDo Alarm. Alarmy and Sleep Cycle do not say so.

Alarm apps that state they are built on AlarmKit

App	What it does	Price (US App Store)	Rating, last update
AlarmK	8 missions: QR/barcode, math, memory, typing, shake, squats, walk, photo. Chain up to 5. Practice mode. Rings through Silent and Focus with app closed.	No in-app purchases listed.	4.0 from 14 ratings. Updated October 6, 2026.
MeetAlarm	Turns calendar meetings, flights and shifts into real alarms through Silent and Focus. No server, no account.	See its website.	Requires iOS 26. See its website.
Rooster	The alarm is free: rings through Silent, Do Not Disturb and Focus, with the app closed and after a restart. Snooze always rings again. Nap timer, one-tap alarm test.	Alarm free forever. Pro: weekly $2.99 to $4.99, monthly $4.99 to $7.99, lifetime $34.99 to $49.99.	4.4 from 81 ratings. Updated October 6, 2026.
ToDo Alarm	Tasks become alarms. Rings through Silent and Focus. Snooze and complete from lock screen. Streaks.	Free to try. Pro $4.99 a month, $19.99 a year.	No ratings yet. Requires iOS 26.
TARS	British voice says your name and ends with a question. One tap: briefing with date, weather, Calendar events, Reminders, about a minute. TARS+ adds wake-up check that rings again if you are not up.	Free: alarm, spoken wake-up, briefing read by the phone's voice. TARS+: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year, 7-day free trial.	Released September 2026, no ratings yet. Updated September 28, 2026.

We make TARS, so read that row the way you would read any vendor's list. Facts about the other apps come from their US App Store pages and websites on October 9, 2026. Prices change.

What AlarmKit changes

Until iOS 26, third-party alarms were notifications with a short sound, or apps that played audio while staying open. The Silent switch or a Focus mode could mute a notification, and iOS could close the app. AlarmKit, added in iOS 26, lets third-party apps schedule system alarms like the Clock app. An AlarmKit alarm is not a notification. It rings through the Silent switch and Focus modes, appears on the lock screen, and the app can be closed. The user grants a separate alarms permission. Volume follows the iPhone's ringer; no app can be louder than that.

The apps built on AlarmKit, and the ones that only require iOS 26

Apps that state they are built on AlarmKit: AlarmK, MeetAlarm, Rooster, ToDo Alarm and TARS. Weky and Wakup! require iOS 26 but do not state AlarmKit on their App Store pages. Alarmy, Sleep Cycle, Rise and AVA support older iOS versions and cannot use AlarmKit on those versions, even if they might ring in other ways.

How to tell if an alarm app uses AlarmKit

Minimum iOS 26. AlarmKit does not exist on older versions.
A separate alarms permission prompt, not only Notifications.
The alarm shows on the lock screen the way the Clock app's does, with the app closed.
Test with the Silent switch on and a Focus active. An AlarmKit alarm rings anyway.

What AlarmKit cannot do

The alarm sound must be a file shipped inside the app or prepared before the alarm time. iOS plays that file at the ringer volume with the app closed. In our experience building TARS, this means a personal spoken message is either recorded ahead of time or prepared in advance; nothing can be generated at the moment the alarm rings. After you tap or dismiss, the app is open and can play whatever it likes, which is where the TARS briefing lives.

Which one to pick

AlarmK if you want missions and want to keep trying new ones. Eight missions, chainable to five.
Rooster if you want a free alarm for heavy sleepers with a snooze that always rings again.
ToDo Alarm if you want your to-do list to wake you up at the right time.
MeetAlarm if you want calendar meetings and flights to turn into alarms, on the lock screen, with no server and no account.
TARS if you want a voice to greet you by name and read your day in about a minute. See the heavy sleeper alarm guide and best AI alarm apps.

FAQ

What is AlarmKit?

AlarmKit is the framework Apple added in iOS 26 that lets third-party apps schedule system alarms like the Clock app. They ring through the Silent switch and Focus, appear on the lock screen, and the app can be closed.

Do AlarmKit alarms ring on Silent and in Focus?

Yes. An AlarmKit alarm is a system alarm, not a notification. It rings through the Silent switch and Focus modes the same way the Clock app's alarm does.

Does Alarmy use AlarmKit?

Alarmy does not state it on its App Store page. Alarmy supports iOS 17 and later, so it could use AlarmKit on iOS 26 and later, but it has not announced that it does. Test with the Silent switch on to check how it behaves on your iPhone.

Can an AlarmKit alarm wake me with a voice?

Yes, if the voice is a file prepared before the alarm. TARS wakes you with a recorded phrase in the agent's voice stored on the phone. Anything generated for that morning, such as a briefing, plays after you tap.

Why does an alarm app ask for a separate alarms permission?

AlarmKit alarms are system alarms, so Apple requires a separate permission from Notifications. The prompt tells you the app wants to schedule alarms that ring through Silent and Focus.

A system alarm with a voice

TARS wakes you by name and reads your day in about a minute. Free alarm, AlarmKit, no account, no ads, no trackers. iOS 26.1 or later.