It’s January 3rd, iOS alarm clock bug fix nowhere to be seen

Has the world come to rely on their intelligent cellular telephonic devices to wake them on time for work, school, and life in general, all day and every day?

Apparently.

The iOS alarm clock bug that caused an outpouring of rage through Twitter on January 1 and 2 is taking its sweet time with a fix.

This is funny. This is uproariously funny, because Apple released the following statement yesterday:

We’re aware of an issue related to non repeating alarms set for January 1 or 2. Customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning January 3.

Yeah, guess what, Apple!? It’s January 3, and there’s no fix for this bug!

I myself was one of thousands affected by the bug this morning. Last night, buffeted by Apple’s promise that all alarms would be operable today, I set my regular ol’ 7:15 AM ET alarm before sleep. This morning, I woke with a jerk at 7:20 AM ET, wondering why my alarm didn’t go off. I was lucky to wake up at the time I did, I know.

The worst part of the whole situation? Until Apple releases a patch for iOS (versions 4.2.1, 4.1 and 4.0.2), no solid workaround exists. Current knowledge suggests setting a new, recurring alarm. If it actually works, you can switch it off until the following night. However, there is no solid evidence for this solution.

Of course, quite a few alarm clock apps are available through the App Store. There’s plenty of free ones, but below are a couple worth their weight in time.

  • Clock Pro (Alarm Clock Company): Not just an alarm clock, but also has chess clock, metronome, egg timer, GPS positioning and countdown clock functions.
  • Radio Alarm (EnSight Media): I love retro styles, and this app is modeled after a 1950s wooden radio. You can choose to wake up to iPod tunes, a radio station, or “sounds of nature”. Additionally, for the heaviest sleepers, you can choose the “shake to wake up” function, which forces the user to physically shake the iPhone in order to shut off the alarm. (Please don’t break your phone!)

Also, in the meantime, if RadioShack hasn’t shuttered in your area, you can go buy a standalone alarm clock. Who can afford to be late two days in a row?

Good night, and good luck.

Have you been affected by the iOS alarm clock bug? Does the recurring alarm fix the issue? Let us know your stories in the comments!

Update: According to Mac Stories, rebooting your iOS device seems to fix the issue. It seems to have worked on an iPod touch here at Macgasm HQ, but your mileage may vary. – Editor

Article Via Engadget

Photo Credit: Engadget

Lisette is a former Apple retail employee (Specialist, to be exact!) She graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Journalism/Media Studies. Currently living in New York City, Lisette is ready to be the writer she always dreamed of… and to spill the beans about the Apple retail experience. You can follow her on Twitter.