Time Change Alert: Glitch in iPhone Alarm Clock

Turn your clocks back an hour Saturday - if you can!

/ CBS/AP

iPhone users beware: There's a glitch in the alarm clock app that will keep iPhone alarm clocks from recognizing this week's time change in most U.S. states this weekend.

What does that mean? Actually, we're not sure.

You see, a post on CNN's Tech, which includes a quote from an Apple spokesperson, suggests that your alarm clock will go off an hour late - therefore making you late on Monday morning. But that makes no sense, considering the fall time change is when we set our clocks back an hour, getting back the extra hour of sleep that we lost in the Spring.

Daylight Savings time officially ends at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, returning most of the country to Standard time.

If I understand the glitch correctly, your alarm will still go off at 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning - but it will really be 4:30 a.m. But maybe I don't really understand the glitch. Does the clock reset itself for the time change and the alarm clock self-corrects the wrong way? Or maybe the alarm clock resets for the change but the clock doesn't. I have asked Apple for some clarification and will update when and if I get a reply.

Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison told CNN that users who depend on the iPhone to wake them should "set nonrepeating alarms for now and reset after November 7 to resolve the issue." The bug only applies to "repeating" alarm settings, such as those that are set to go off at the same time every day. From Apple's support page about this problem:

Symptoms

In some regions, shortly before or after the daylight saving time (DST) change, repeating alarms created in the Clock app may work incorrectly.

Products Affected

iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (3rd generation), iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (2nd generation)

Resolution

To resolve this behavior for existing alarms, set the repeat interval to Never. You will need to reset these alarms for each day you need them. After November 7th, 2010, you can set your alarms to repeat again.

She also said Apple will release an updated version of its mobile OS later this month, which will permanently fix the glitch. Too bad Apple couldn't have pushed out that update BEFORE this weekend's time change.

Bottom line: if you really need an accurate alarm clock on Monday morning, perhaps your best bet is to run out and get one of those wind-up nightstand clocks - or do as a reader on the CNN post suggested:

Buy an Android.

This story originally appeared on ZDNet.

[aab225]

it's weird, i had the opposite problem. i have my alarm go off every day at 9:30 because I usually start at class at 11 and the week before the time changed my alarm went off at 8:30! It was incredibly annoying and is still kind of glitching now. My 8:30 alarm for Thursdays just didn't go off yesterday...

[mecury69]

Mine worked just fine. Did not even know there was a problem until reading this article.

You can keep that Android knockoff of the real deal.

[rf35]

Hahahahaha! Apple people are funny! Guess that smart phone isn't so smart after all.

[Lboosmommy]

My 8am repeating Sunday alarm just now went off at 9am, so, there is definitely a glitch.

[Circlecftx]

My alarm went off just fine this morning, with no adjustments needed. At least y'all got the story right... CNN BOTCHED it by reporting the risk of bring late...
P. S. I'm posting this from my iPhone....

[to_john]

You are lying. My shiny thing with an Apple on it that cost too much is working fine. You just aren't adapting your life, thoughts, and feelings to those that Apple approves of. My phone's alarm is ringing at the right time, it's all those non-Apple phones that are ringing at the WRONG time.

[Sparkeybird]

It would really help if we hit daylight savings in the US area such as they were talking about.. but it's not hit that time yet so we're not able to see what they're even talking about. Since we haven't hit what they're talking about of course our alarm clocks are working fine. Some will work, some wont work. Yours may work fine, some wont; it's a simple glitch that sucks for alot of Ipod/Iphone users.


/ As for that.. I use the Ipod 4th Gen and use the alarm sometimes, but use my phone most of the time.. I find that using my phones alarm is a better choice, especially when I read this!