Can you set an alarm on someone else's phone?
Not with the clock app that comes with the phone: its alarms are set on that phone. To make someone else's phone ring from yours, both phones need an app built for it. For a one-off, there are simpler ways.
| Option | Rings like an alarm? | Can you change it from afar? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set it on their phone by hand | Yes | No | A fixed daily alarm, when you're together |
| A WhatsApp message or call | No | Yes | One-off nudges to someone who checks messages |
| A shared calendar invite | No, a notification | Yes | Someone at ease with a calendar |
| A smart speaker | It speaks aloud | Depends on the setup | Someone at home, near the speaker |
| Galarm or Remind | Yes | Yes | Friends, families and teams who are at ease with apps |
| Thoughtbell | Yes | Yes | Someone who finds phones hard |
Set it by hand
If the time never changes, this is the simplest choice and costs nothing. It stops working the first time the time needs to change and you aren't there.
Message or call
Everyone knows how, and a call also tells you they're fine. But messages get buried, and calling every day wears on both of you.
Shared calendar
Free, and it works from afar. It relies on someone noticing a notification, which is easy to miss.
Smart speaker
Needs no phone skills, because the reminder is spoken aloud. It needs the device and Wi-Fi, and the person has to be nearby.
Apps that ring another phone
Galarm is the established one, with over 5 million downloads on Google Play. Its “buddy alarms” ring on someone else's phone and tell you if they missed it. You register with a phone number. It's free with ads and limits, and Premium costs ₹79 a month in India. It's on Android and iPhone, in 13 languages, though none are Indian. Choose it if you both use apps comfortably, or you need iPhone.
Remind is a newer free app built around groups and team tasks, on Android and iPhone, in English.
Thoughtbell is ours, so weigh this accordingly. It's for helping someone who finds phones hard: a simple screen, huge words or pictures, and your recorded voice. It tells you when a reminder didn't ring. It's Android only for now, you can't send to a group, and it's still in early testing. Join the early families to try it.
One thing to do with any of them
Make sure the other person agrees, and test it together first. Many Android phones stop apps to save battery, so ring a test after the phone has been idle for a while. Alarm apps can miss reminders until those settings are changed.