You saw it on X, Threads, Instagram or TikTok: an iPhone alarm that wakes up your friends if you sleep through yours. Now you want it on your own phone. Here is what is real, and how to get the same thing tonight.
The short answer
The iPhone "accountability alarm" that went viral in April 2024 was a mock-up, not an Apple feature. The Clock app still can't share an alarm or tell anyone that you overslept.
You can get the same idea with a shared alarm app: one alarm rings for you and a friend at the same time, and both of you see who got up on time, who snoozed and who missed it.
What is an accountability alarm?
An accountability alarm brings a second person into your morning. If you don't get up, someone knows. That is the whole trick: a promise to yourself at 6 a.m. is easy to break, a promise to a friend is not.
There are three common ways to set one up:
- A shared alarm. The same alarm rings for everyone in it, and everyone sees each other's result afterwards.
- An alarm that reports to a friend. Your friend gets told when you snooze or miss it, but doesn't wake up with you.
- A friend who calls you. Free and simple, but it only works as long as your friend remembers, every single morning.
Where the viral idea came from
In April 2024, a mock-up of a new iOS alarm setting spread across X, Threads and Instagram. The idea: if you sleep through your alarm, your friends get woken up instead. People loved it, and many went looking for the setting in their Clock app.
It was never there. Apple didn't add it in any iOS version since, and the Clock app still has no way to share an alarm with someone. To get an accountability alarm on iPhone, you need an app.
How to set up an accountability alarm on iPhone
We built RingLink for exactly this. It is a shared alarm app: you make one alarm, invite your accountability partner, and it rings on both phones at the same time.
- Get RingLink from the App Store. Your partner gets it too.
- Add each other as friends by RingLink username.
- Create an alarm, pick the time and the days, and invite your friend.
- Your friend accepts the invite. From now on, the alarm rings for both of you.
- Add a wake-up challenge, so neither of you can turn it off half asleep.
What your friend sees
After the alarm rings, everyone in it shows as on time, late, snoozed or missed. Stats keep a group streak and show how much of the group was on time each day. Knowing that "missed" will sit next to your name is a strong reason to get up.
Make it hard to cheat
To stop the alarm with a wake-up challenge, you have to solve math, type a phrase, take a photo of a spot you chose (like the bathroom sink), walk, play a memory game, keep your face on screen or shake the phone. If you ignore the alarm, it rings again.
What RingLink doesn't do
RingLink doesn't call your friend or ring their phone when you sleep through. That part of the viral mock-up isn't in RingLink. Your friend sees that you missed the alarm and can call or text you, which most accountability partners do anyway.
RingLink is free to use. The free plan includes the Math challenge and one shared alarm with a friend. RingLink Pro adds every challenge, unlimited shared alarms and bigger groups. RingLink needs iOS 26 or later.
Who an accountability alarm is for
- Accountability partners who made a pact to get up early.
- Gym and running partners who meet before work.
- Study groups with an early start before exams.
- Couples who want to start the day at the same time, even in different cities.
- Anyone who snoozes and knows one alarm alone won't do it.
Other ways to get an accountability alarm
RingLink is one option. If it doesn't fit, these can work too:
- Another social alarm app. Some apps let a friend set an alarm on your phone, and some tell a friend when you snooze. Our list of the best social alarm apps compares seven of them, and RingLink vs Galarm covers Galarm, the better pick if you or your friend use Android.
- A morning check-in. Agree to text each other a photo within ten minutes of your alarm. It costs nothing, but nothing reminds you if you forget.
- A wake-up call. Ask an early riser to call you. Fine for one big morning, hard to keep up every day.
Still waking up to five alarms? Read how to group alarms on iPhone, and why one alarm can be enough.
Questions people ask
Is the iPhone accountability alarm real?
No. The iOS accountability alarm that went viral in April 2024 was a mock-up, not an Apple feature. The iPhone Clock app still can't share an alarm or tell anyone if you overslept. A shared alarm app gives you the same idea.
What is an accountability alarm?
An alarm that brings another person into your morning, so someone knows if you didn't get up. Usually it is a shared alarm that rings for you and a friend at the same time and shows each of you who was on time, who snoozed and who missed it.
Does RingLink wake up my friend if I sleep through my alarm?
No. RingLink doesn't call or ring your friend's phone when you miss an alarm. Your friend sees "missed" next to your name in the alarm and can call or text you.
Is RingLink free?
Yes, RingLink is free to use. The free plan includes the Math challenge and one shared alarm with a friend. RingLink Pro adds every challenge, unlimited shared alarms and bigger groups.
Does RingLink work on Android?
Not yet. RingLink is an iPhone app and needs iOS 26 or later, so you and your accountability partner both need an iPhone. Our guide to group alarm apps for iPhone explains how shared alarms work.
Get up. Someone's checking.
Make one alarm, invite your accountability partner and see who is up.
Free · iPhone