A shift work alarm that follows your work/rest cycle
Your next shift may fall on a different weekday. Set one repeating block of work days and rest days, with the same wake-up time on each work day.
AlarmK is a free mission alarm app for iPhone. Its Shift pattern mode supports cycles such as 2 on / 2 off, 4 on / 4 off and every other day.
Free · No ads · No account · No in-app purchases · iOS 26 or later
Set your cycle in four steps
1. Install and allow AlarmKit
Install AlarmK on an iPhone with iOS 26 or later. Allow System alarm (AlarmKit). If you declined, open Settings › Permissions in the app to reach iOS Settings.
2. Set the wake-up time and shift cycle
Tap + in the Alarm tab, choose one wake-up time, and enable Shift pattern in the repeat section. Set Work days and Rest days, each from 1 to 7.
3. Choose the first work day
Set First day of this work block to the first on-day of your real cycle. That date is day zero: work days come first, followed by rest days, then the cycle repeats.
4. Practise, save and verify
Optionally choose one mission and use Try it before relying on it. Save the alarm and check that it is enabled and that the next ring time matches your rota. Set a manual Clock backup for important shifts.
Three example cycles
In every example below, choose 5 October 2026 as the first work day and 06:30 as the wake-up time. These are example settings; use the date and time from your own rota.
| Pattern | Work / Rest | First cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 2 on / 2 off | 2 / 2 | 5–6 Oct: 06:30 alarm. 7–8 Oct: off days, no alarm from this schedule. Next work block: 9 Oct. |
| 4 on / 4 off | 4 / 4 | 5–8 Oct: 06:30 alarm. 9–12 Oct: off days, no alarm from this schedule. Next work block: 13 Oct. |
| Every other day | 1 / 1 | 5 Oct: 06:30 alarm. 6 Oct: off day, no alarm from this schedule. Next work day: 7 Oct. |
The start date anchors the whole cycle. Choosing the second work day as the first would move the work/rest pattern by a day. Verify the next ring time against your rota, especially when changing the start date or travelling.
When this pattern fits
Use it for one repeating block of consecutive work days followed by consecutive rest days. Both values can be 1–7 days. Every work day in that alarm uses the same wake-up time. Shift pattern replaces weekday repetition or a specific-date schedule for that alarm; the weekday checkboxes do not define the shift cycle. Public-holiday skipping does not apply to shift alarms.
If your rota alternates early and late starts, changes irregularly, or needs different times inside one block, this pattern cannot represent it as one alarm. AlarmK does not offer a drag-and-drop rota editor, rota import or schedule export. For individual exceptions, use separate specific-date alarms and check your existing schedule for overlaps.
Prepare for your first shift
Allow AlarmKit before saving: in 1.3.5, new alarms cannot be saved or enabled without that permission. System alarms ring through Silent and Focus. Existing alarms scheduled before permission denial may use ordinary notifications, which are affected by those settings.
If you add a QR mission, place the code where you can reach it after getting up, then practise the scan with Try it. Start with one manageable mission. Keep the iPhone powered and charged, and open the app regularly to review upcoming alarms. For an important shift, manually set a backup in Apple’s Clock app. Permissions and a saved schedule do not guarantee that you will wake up.
Shift setup and permission guidance checked for AlarmK 1.3.5. Last updated 2 October 2026.