- Google Clock has been updated to version 8.5
- This includes a new option to dismiss alarms by swiping instead of tapping
- You can still stick with the faucet approach if you prefer.
If you use Google Clock on your Android phone, chances are you have or will soon receive an update that could help you not fall asleep while your alarms are ringing.
Now, instead of being presented with big ‘Snooze’ and ‘Stop’ buttons when an alarm goes off, you can choose to have a slider, which will snooze the alarm if you slide it to the left and stop it if you slide it to the right.
Because having to swipe in a specific direction is a more complicated gesture than simply tapping the screen, you’re less likely to accidentally stop the alarm when you want to snooze it, or vice versa.
An optional approach
However, this change, which was first spotted by 9to5Google, is optional, so if you prefer buttons and aren’t in the habit of sleeping through alarms ringing, you can stick with that approach. To decide which method to use, head to the Google Clock settings screen, where you’ll find a new option to “Dismiss alarm with a,” which lets you toggle between taps and swipes.
This change is very reminiscent of one that Apple implemented with iOS 26.1, which also meant that you now have to swipe to turn off alarms, although in Apple’s case the implementation is slightly different, since stopping the alarm requires a swipe, while snoozing the alarm only requires a tap.
In any case, this is a small but potentially useful update that will roll out as part of Google Clock version 8.5. That said, it appears to be a gradual rollout, as 9to5Google only started seeing the change days after updating to that version. So if you don’t see these options yet, keep checking back as they will probably appear soon.
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