Frequently asked questions
Why didn't my alarm go off?
BuzzBee uses Apple's AlarmKit, so your alarm rings reliably — full volume, through Silent mode and Focus — even if the app has been fully closed (swiped away in your app switcher). This applies to the whole alarm, including a Wake Window's gentle start, not just the hard deadline. If your alarm didn't ring at all, check: is Do Not Disturb or a Focus mode blocking alerts, and is your ringer/alarm volume up? We recommend testing BuzzBee a few times with your own device and settings before relying on it for anything time-critical.
What is Wake Window, and how does it decide when to ring?
Instead of one fixed time, you set a wake window (e.g. 6:30–7:00 AM) and a hard deadline. BuzzBee starts ringing gently the moment the window opens and gradually builds to full volume by the deadline — so instead of one jarring instant, you ease out of sleep rather than getting yanked out of it, and it never rings later than the deadline you set.
Does BuzzBee record my voice or conversations?
Not unless you ask it to. The microphone is used for the Clap mission and the Buzzzzz mission, but in every one of those cases BuzzBee only reads a live volume/loudness level — it never listens to, interprets, stores, or transmits actual audio content. The one exception is if you use Record Your Own Alarm Sound, which does record real audio — but only when you deliberately tap record, and that recording never goes online: it's saved to your device's local storage only, the same as your other alarm settings, and is never uploaded or shared with anyone. See our Privacy Policy for the full details.
Can I use my own recording as an alarm sound?
Yes. In Choose a Sound (per-alarm) or Settings → Sound & Haptics (your default), tap Record a New Sound, record up to 15 seconds, preview it, and save it with a name. It shows up under "Your Sounds" right alongside the built-in tones, and you can delete it anytime with the trash icon next to it. One thing to know: the alert that fires through Apple's AlarmKit when BuzzBee is fully force-quit can only use sounds bundled inside the app, so that specific ring falls back to the default alert tone instead of your recording — your recording plays normally any other time, including whenever the app is open or backgrounded.
How do I change my alarm's sound or dismiss mission?
Open the alarm from the Home screen, then tap Choose a Mission or Sound — each opens a picker where you can preview and select a new option, including any sounds you've recorded yourself. Changes apply the moment you save the alarm.
Can I snooze, or dismiss without finishing the mission?
No — this is intentional. Snoozing and shortcut-dismissing are disabled by design, since the entire point of a mission is confirming you're actually awake. If a specific mission consistently doesn't work well for you (for example, Clap or Buzzzzz in a noisy room), try switching that alarm to Math or Tap instead, which don't rely on the microphone at all.
How do I turn off Bedtime Reminder or Calendar Auto-Shift?
These are global toggles in Settings → Smart Features — turning one off stops that feature (and its notifications, where applicable) for every alarm.
Is BuzzBee free?
Yes. BuzzBee currently works fully offline with no account, no sign-up, and no paywall.
I found a bug, or have a feature request
We'd genuinely like to hear about it — the more detail the better (what you expected, what happened instead, and your device/iOS version if it's a bug). Reach us using the contact info below.