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How to make your Android phone chime every hour

Android phones have no built-in hourly chime. You can set an alarm for every hour, build one with an automation app, or use an app that rings the hour in the background. Whichever you choose, set its battery use to Unrestricted so the phone's battery saver does not delay it.

Three o'clock

Counted the way a church clock counts it, one toll for each hour.

Option 1: An alarm for every hour

In the Clock app you can add one alarm per hour. It works, but each alarm takes over the screen and waits to be dismissed, it pauses whatever you are listening to, and you end up managing a long list of alarms.

Option 2: An automation app

Automation apps such as Tasker, or the routines built into some phones, can play a sound at set times. It is flexible, but you need a separate rule for each hour, and adding quiet hours or weekdays only takes some fiddling.

Option 3: An app that rings the hour

This is what BELFRY was made for. It strikes the hour the way a church clock does, three tolls at three and twelve at noon, or a single toll if you prefer, with optional half-hour and quarter chimes.

Rings in the background, with the app closed and the screen off.
Mixes with music and podcasts and never interrupts a call.
Quiet hours overnight, and weekday-only ringing.
Real bells: church bell, Big Ben and monastery bell free, and seventeen more with the unlock.
No ads, no account, no subscription. Free to use, with one optional Lifetime Unlock. Android 7 and later.

Keep the battery saver from silencing it

Android, and Samsung phones in particular, can put apps to sleep to save battery, which can make a chime late or skip it. To keep the hours on time:

Open Settings and go to Apps.
Choose the chime app, for example BELFRY.
Tap Battery and choose Unrestricted.
On Samsung, also check that the app is not on the Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps list under Battery settings.

Why an hourly chime helps

People who use one tend to say the same things: it keeps you aware of time without looking at a screen, it is a gentle cue to stand up, drink some water or take a breath, and it helps with time blindness, which many people with ADHD describe. For a lot of people it is simply a lovely sound to have in the house.

Questions people ask

Can an Android phone chime every hour?

Not with a built-in setting. You can set an alarm for each hour, use an automation app, or install an app such as BELFRY that rings the hour in the background.

Why is my hourly chime late or missing on Android?

The battery saver may be putting the app to sleep. Open Settings, Apps, choose the app, then Battery, and set it to Unrestricted. On Samsung phones, also remove it from Sleeping apps.

Is there an hourly chime app for Android without ads?

Yes. BELFRY is free to use with no ads and no subscription. It strikes the hour on real recorded bells, with an optional one-time Lifetime Unlock.

Will an hourly chime app ring when my phone is locked?

BELFRY does. It rings the hours with the app closed and the screen off, and mixes with whatever else is playing.

Can I stop the chime at night?

Yes. BELFRY has quiet hours you set yourself, and can ring on weekdays only.

Hear it on your Android

BELFRY strikes the hours on real recorded bells, with the app closed and the screen off. Quiet hours overnight. Free on Google Play and the App Store, no ads, ever.