aka Alarm review
A free, open-source Android alarm with noise-based smart wake and simple controls.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
aka Alarm is an Android alarm app for people who want a wake time that can respond to room noise rather than ring at one fixed moment. During a configurable wake-up window of up to 30 minutes, it builds a rolling ambient-sound baseline and rings when the sound rises above that baseline; if it detects no increase, it rings at the window’s end. This makes it a focused option for solo users who want a noise-based smart wake without a paid plan. It does not include sleep tracking or wake challenges, so people seeking a broader sleep-management app should look elsewhere.
Its wake behavior is adjustable through a sound-level threshold, and the alarm tone fades in gradually over 60 seconds. Motion-driven snooze lets a user silence an alarm temporarily by moving the phone, while swipe-up dismisses it. A foreground service is intended to keep the alarm running overnight. Dark and light modes cover basic display preferences. According to the F-Droid listing, audio is processed in memory and discarded on the device, and the app is open source under the MIT license.
aka Alarm is free and runs on Android, with no paid tiers to weigh against its core features. The platform fit is deliberately narrow: it is a mobile alarm app rather than a cross-platform sleep service, and its feature set centers on sound-triggered waking and alarm controls. Android requirements may depend on release: the F-Droid listing’s latest version states Android 8.0 or newer, while the GitHub README describes the current Android build as requiring Android 14. That variation makes checking compatibility for the intended release important. Choose it for an open-source, noise-responsive alarm; choose another app if sleep tracking or a wider set of wake features is essential.
aka Alarm pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Uses a rolling room-noise baseline to trigger within a 30-minute window
- Offers gradual 60-second fade-in and motion-driven snooze
- Keeps alarms running overnight with a foreground service
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on alarms rather than sleep tracking
- Available on Android only
- Android minimum version may vary by release
aka Alarm fact sheet, pricing and score →
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