Short answer
The best Galarm alternative is PingPal. You send a real alarm to a friend's iPhone or Android with your voice or a song, it rings even on silent, and they send a wake-up selfie so you know they're really up. It's free to start.
Galarm made "send an alarm to someone else" popular: buddy alarms, group alarms and a chat on every alarm. But it's built as a reminder and planning tool, so people often look for something else when they mainly want to wake someone up, want an app that is simpler to share, or only use iPhones.
Below we compare four apps that can make an alarm ring on another person's phone, plus free options already on your phone. Full disclosure: PingPal is our app. We say clearly where Galarm or another app is the better choice.
Switching from Galarm to wake someone up? Try PingPal free on iPhone and Android.
Galarm and 4 alternatives compared
| App | Phones | How the alarm reaches the other person | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PingPal Our pick | iPhone, Android | You send an alarm with your voice or a song, a photo and an optional wake-up mission; it rings even on silent | Free, in-app purchases | Waking up a friend, partner or teen |
| Galarm (for reference) | iPhone, Android | Buddy and group alarms between Galarm users, chat on each alarm, you're told if a buddy misses it | Free; Premium $0.99/month, $9.99/year or $24.99 once | Families and teams sharing reminders |
| AlarmShare | Android (Google Play) | You share a link by WhatsApp, SMS or email; the listing says the other person doesn't need the app | Free, premium features | Reminders for family: medicine, birthdays, meetings |
| Send Alarm: Wake a Friend | iPhone (iOS 26+) | The other person accepts, then their iPhone sets a real alarm that rings through Silent and Focus | Free up to 5 alarms a day; Pro $4.99/month | iPhone-only friends who want a consent step |
| Snooze Squad | iPhone (iOS 26+) | You set your own alarm and invite friends who pick the sound and record a voice message | Free | Friend groups who wake each other up for fun |
Galarm vs PingPal
The two apps both send alarms to other people, but they're built for different jobs:
| PingPal | Galarm | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Waking someone up | Reminders and group plans |
| What they hear | Your voice or a song you pick, plus a photo or video | A ringtone (your own music is possible) and the alarm text |
| Proof they're up | A morning selfie, a pose or a short dance video | They mark the alarm done; you're told if they miss it |
| Silent mode | Rings even on silent and Do Not Disturb | Can ring on vibrate with its "Ring on Silent" setting |
| Group reminders and chat | Not the focus | Group alarms with a chat on each alarm |
| Phones | iPhone, Android | iPhone, Android |
| Price | Free, in-app purchases | Free; Premium from $0.99/month |
Bottom line: to wake someone up and know they're really up, use PingPal. For medicine reminders or a team schedule, Galarm does that job well.
What Galarm does well
Galarm (Alarms and Reminders) is a mature app on iPhone and Android with a 4.7 rating from about 4,500 reviews on the US App Store. Its main ideas:
- Buddy alarms: you create an alarm for someone else. They're reminded at that time, and you get a notification if they miss it or mark it done.
- Group alarms: the alarm rings for everyone at the same time; people confirm, decline and chat about it.
- Reminder features: hourly to yearly repeats, auto-snooze, alarm history and your own music as the ringtone.
If that is what you need, for example medicine reminders for a parent or a shared schedule for a team, you probably don't need to switch.
Why people look for an alternative
- They want to wake someone up, not remind them. A reminder app tells you a task is due. Waking a heavy sleeper works better with a familiar voice, a loud song and a way to check they're really up.
- Setup feels like too much. Group alarms in Galarm need everyone to install the app and sign in with a phone number.
- They only need one simple thing: a link that drops an alarm on someone's phone, or an iPhone-only app that uses Apple's own alarm system.
1. PingPal (our pick): send a wake-up alarm with your voice
PingPal is built for one job: waking someone up. You choose the time, record a voice message or pick a song, add a photo or video, and send it. The alarm rings on their phone at that time like a normal alarm, even when the phone is on silent or Do Not Disturb, and it works between iPhone and Android.
You can also add a wake-up mission: a morning selfie, copying a pose, or a 10-second dance video. You see whether they sent it, so you know they're actually up and not back asleep. (More on how PingPal works.)
- Good: made for waking up (voice, songs, wake-up proof), cross-platform, free to start.
- Keep in mind: both of you install PingPal. It isn't a to-do or reminder app; there are no checklists, team schedules or yearly reminders like in Galarm.
- Best for: waking a friend, partner, teen or yourself (ask someone to send you the alarm); couples in different time zones.
Want to wake someone up tomorrow with your voice? Get PingPal free.
2. AlarmShare: alarms you share as a link
AlarmShare focuses on reminders for other people. You create a one-time or repeating alarm, optionally add a voice note, and share it by WhatsApp, SMS or email. According to its Google Play listing, the other person taps the link and the alarm is saved, with no app needed to receive it. It also has group alarms, advance reminders for yearly dates and small tools like a Pomodoro timer.
- Good: the easiest way to share a reminder, voice notes, many repeat options.
- Keep in mind: we found it on Google Play (Android); check the iPhone situation before you rely on it. It's a reminder tool, with no wake-up check.
- Best for: medicine, birthday and meeting reminders for family or a team.
3. Send Alarm: Wake a Friend (iPhone only)
Send Alarm is a newer iPhone app built on Apple's AlarmKit. You pick a person, a time and a label. They get a request with your name and photo and can accept once, always accept alarms from you, decline or block you. If they accept, their iPhone schedules a real alarm that can ring through Silent mode and Focus.
- Good: uses Apple's own alarm system, clear consent for every alarm.
- Keep in mind: iPhone only and needs iOS 26 or later. The free plan allows 5 alarms a day; Pro is $4.99/month or $39.99/year.
- Best for: friends who all use recent iPhones and just want a plain alarm.
4. Snooze Squad: friends choose your alarm
Snooze Squad turns it around: you create your own alarm and invite friends as "Wakers" with a code. They choose your alarm sound and record a voice message that plays when it rings, and they get a notification when you hit snooze.
- Good: fun for friend groups, snooze notifications add some accountability.
- Keep in mind: iPhone only (iOS 26 or later) and very new, with few reviews so far. Your friends can't start an alarm for you; you set it up.
- Best for: iPhone friend groups who want to wake each other up for fun.
Free options without a new app
Your phone can't send a real Clock alarm to someone else's phone, but a few built-in tools come close:
- Shared calendar event: add an event to a shared Google or iCloud calendar with an alert. It shows as a notification, not an alarm, so it's easy to sleep through.
- Call twice: on iPhone, a second call from the same person within three minutes can ring through Do Not Disturb or a Focus when "Allow Repeated Calls" is on.
- Emergency Bypass: if they turn it on for your contact on their iPhone, your calls ring even on silent.
For waking someone up, these work only if the other person set them up in advance. Our guide on how to send an alarm to someone's phone explains each option, and here are 12 ways to wake someone up, including over the phone.
Which one should you pick?
- You want to wake someone up and know they're really up: PingPal, our pick for most people switching from Galarm.
- You want to send reminders by link, mostly on Android: AlarmShare.
- Everyone has a recent iPhone and you want a plain alarm with consent: Send Alarm.
- Your friends want to pick your alarm sound: Snooze Squad.
- You need group reminders, chat and yearly repeats for a family or team: stay with Galarm.
Many people use two: Galarm or AlarmShare for everyday reminders, and PingPal on mornings that really matter, like a flight, an exam or a partner's first day at a new job.
FAQ
Is there an app like Galarm for waking someone up?
Yes. PingPal works like a buddy alarm made for mornings: you send an alarm with your voice or a song to their iPhone or Android, it rings even on silent, and you can ask for a wake-up selfie as proof.
Is Galarm free?
Galarm is free to download. On the US App Store, Premium costs $0.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $24.99 once (checked October 12, 2026).
Can I send an alarm to someone who doesn't have the app?
Most apps, including Galarm, PingPal and Send Alarm, need the app on both phones. AlarmShare says on Google Play that the person receiving the alarm doesn't need the app. A shared calendar event works without any app but is only a notification.
What is the best Galarm alternative for iPhone?
PingPal. It works on iPhone and also between iPhone and Android, so it doesn't matter which phone your friend has. If everyone has iOS 26 or later, Send Alarm and Snooze Squad are iPhone-only options.
Related: send an alarm to another phone with PingPal · best alarm apps for heavy sleepers · apps for long-distance couples · all blog posts
Sources: each app's App Store or Google Play listing and the developers' own descriptions, checked on October 12, 2026. We did not test the other apps; PingPal is described from first-hand knowledge, because we make it. Features and prices change; check the store page before you pay.