OnePlus reminders not going off? Fix it

When reminders on a OnePlus phone ring late or not at all, OxygenOS has usually stopped the app in the background. Turn on Allow background activity for the app, allow auto launch, and lock it in recent apps. Then make sure it may set exact alarms.

Buzzley is the example below, but the same settings apply to any reminder or alarm app on OnePlus.

Why OnePlus phones delay reminders

Recent OnePlus phones share their system software with OPPO (ColorOS), so they also share its battery management. It does two things a reminder app doesn't like:

• It limits what an app may do in the background unless you allow background activity for it.
• It stops apps from starting by themselves unless auto launch is allowed, so an app that was closed can't wake up to ring.

Older OxygenOS versions used Android's battery optimization list instead. The steps cover both.

How to fix it on a OnePlus phone

Menus differ between OxygenOS versions. If an option isn't where this guide says, search Settings for its name.

1. Allow background activity

Open Settings > Apps > Buzzley, tap Battery usage and turn on Allow background activity. On older OxygenOS versions this switch doesn't exist; open the battery optimization list, pick Buzzley and set it to Don't optimize.

2. Allow auto launch

Turn on auto launch for Buzzley. Depending on the version it's on the same Battery usage page or under Apps > Auto launch. Auto launch lets Buzzley start after a restart or after the system closed it, so it can set its alarms again.

3. Lock Buzzley in recent apps

Open the recent apps screen, tap the menu on Buzzley's card and choose Lock. Clearing all apps then leaves Buzzley running.

4. Allow exact alarms

Search Settings for Alarms & reminders, pick Buzzley and allow it. Without this, Android may hold a reminder back by a few minutes.

5. Check notifications

In Settings > Apps > Buzzley > Notifications, allow notifications, banners and lock screen notifications.

What Buzzley does on a OnePlus phone

Buzzley's Android app recognises OnePlus phones and shows the first three steps in its Alarm not ringing? screen, under Steps for OnePlus phones. Its Open settings buttons open Buzzley's app info page and, where the phone allows it, the auto launch list. Not every OxygenOS version lets an app open that list, so on some phones the button lands on the app info page and you go on from there.

The same screen checks four things and offers a Fix button for each one that fails: "Notifications are off", "Reminders may ring late", "Alarms can't fill the lock screen" and "Battery saver may delay reminders". You get there from Settings > Full-screen alarms > Alarm not ringing?, or from the Help button on Buzzley's home-screen banner.

After that, reminders in the Alarm style ring full screen on the alarm volume, through silent mode and Do Not Disturb. See reminders that ring like an alarm for how the styles differ.

Test it with a two-minute reminder

After changing the settings, check them with a real reminder. In Buzzley, add a reminder for two minutes from now and set its Notification style to Alarm. Lock the phone, put it face down and wait. It should ring full screen on the alarm volume at the minute you set. If it rings late, open Alarm not ringing? again and look for a check that still fails. If it rings on time with the screen locked, also try once with the phone left alone for a longer stretch, for example a reminder an hour from now, because some battery savers only step in after the phone has been idle for a while.

Common questions

Does closing Buzzley from recent apps stop reminders?

On most phones, no. Once it's locked in recents, clearing all apps leaves it alone. Force stop in app info is different: it cancels Buzzley's alarms until you open the app again.

Do reminders survive a restart?

Yes. Buzzley sets its alarms again when the phone starts, and they ring even before you unlock it. Auto launch (step 2) helps on OnePlus because it lets Buzzley start after the restart.

The steps match my OPPO or realme phone too. Is that right?

Yes, they use the same system menus. There's a separate page for OPPO and realme with their own wording. For other phones, start with the general Android battery guide.