Pixel reminders not going off? Fix it

If reminders on a Google Pixel ring late or not at all, the cause is almost always one of four settings: battery use for the app is not Unrestricted, Pause app activity if unused has taken its permissions back, Alarms & reminders is not allowed, or notifications are off. Pixels run stock Android, so there's no extra power manager to fight with.

Buzzley is the example below. The same settings apply to any reminder or alarm app on a Pixel.

Why a Pixel can delay reminders

Stock Android is gentler with background apps than most phone makers' versions, but it still saves battery in two ways that can hit a reminder app:

• Battery optimization. An app on Optimized can have its background work postponed. Unrestricted lets it run when it needs to.
• Pause app activity if unused. If you don't open an app for a long time, Android removes its permissions and can stop its notifications. A reminder app is easy to forget about, which is the point of it.

On top of those, Android 12 and later need the Alarms & reminders permission for an app to ring on the minute.

How to fix it on a Google Pixel

Labels below are from recent Android versions on Pixel phones. Older versions use slightly different words, but the pages are in the same places.

1. Set battery use to Unrestricted

Open Settings > Apps > Buzzley > App battery usage and choose Unrestricted. On some versions, first make sure Allow background usage is on, then pick Unrestricted below it. Adaptive Battery in the main battery settings can stay on.

2. Turn off Pause app activity if unused

On the same app info page (Settings > Apps > Buzzley), scroll down and switch off Pause app activity if unused. Android then never takes Buzzley's permissions back because you haven't opened it in a while.

3. Allow Alarms & reminders

Open Settings > Apps > Special app access > Alarms & reminders, pick Buzzley and turn on Allow setting alarms and reminders.

4. Allow notifications and full-screen alerts

In Settings > Apps > Buzzley > Notifications, allow notifications. On Android 14 and later, alarm-style reminders also need permission to show full screen. Buzzley's "Alarms can't fill the lock screen" check tells you if it's missing, and its Fix button opens the page.

What Buzzley does on a Pixel

Buzzley's Android app checks these settings itself. Its Alarm not ringing? screen runs four checks: "Notifications are off", "Reminders may ring late", "Alarms can't fill the lock screen" and "Battery saver may delay reminders". Each failing check has a Fix button that opens the matching settings page.

Under Still not ringing? it shows Steps for Google Pixel phones: the first two steps above, with Open settings buttons that open Buzzley's app info page.

Open the screen from Settings > Full-screen alarms > Alarm not ringing?. If notifications are off or exact alarms are not allowed, Buzzley also shows a banner on its home screen that you can't dismiss until it's fixed, because those two stop every reminder.

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

The alarm shows at the top of the screen instead of full screen

That's expected while you're using the phone. Full-screen alarms appear when the screen is locked; when it's unlocked, Android shows the alarm as a notification at the top, and a tap opens the ring screen.

Does a reminder ring on silent or in Do Not Disturb?

Reminders in Buzzley's Alarm style ring on the alarm volume and through Do Not Disturb. Simple reminders are ordinary notifications, so silent mode and Do Not Disturb mute them.

What if the phone restarts overnight for an update?

Buzzley sets its alarms again after a restart, and they ring even before you unlock the phone.

Other phones close to stock Android

Motorola phones use nearly the same menus. Samsung and most other brands add their own battery managers; the general Android battery guide links to each one.