To set an alert in Owaves, tap an activity on My BodyClock, tap Alert in its Event Details and choose one of the four options Owaves’ help pages list: None, At start time, 10 minutes before or 1 hour before. To give every new activity the same alert, set Default Alert Times in Settings under Date & Time.

Key takeaways

  • Owaves’ help page on alerts lists four options for each activity: None, At start time, 10 minutes before and 1 hour before.
  • Default Alert Times, under Settings and then Date & Time, gives every new activity the same alert; a Sleep activity planned at midnight doesn’t send one (Owaves FAQ, March 2023).
  • A text note or photo on an activity arrives with its alert, and a saved Day Plan keeps each activity’s alert timing.
  • Owaves suggests an alert on the block right after morning Sleep as a wake-up alarm, and one on the block before nighttime Sleep as a bedtime reminder.
  • No alerts? In the iPhone Settings app, tap Notifications, tap Owaves and turn on Allow Notifications (Apple’s iPhone User Guide).

How do you set an alert for one activity?

Open the activity and pick a timing. Owaves’ help page on setting an alert (last updated May 2018) describes these steps:

  1. Tap the activity on My BodyClock. Its Event Details open, with an Alert option.
  2. Tap Alert.
  3. Choose an option: None, At start time, 10 minutes before or 1 hour before.

To turn an alert off, choose None. Owaves’ iPad help page (March 2023) lists an alert time among the Event Details on iPad too, so you can set alerts there as well.

Which timing fits? At start time suits blocks you only need to notice, like a meal or a break. Ten minutes before gives you time to wrap up and move, and 1 hour before suits blocks you have to prepare for, such as a workout you need to pack for.

How do you set a default alert time?

Set it once in Settings and every new activity starts with it. Per Owaves’ help page on default alert times (March 2023):

  1. Tap your profile button at the top left to open the side menu.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Under Date & Time, tap Default Alert Times.
  4. Choose None, At start time, 10 minutes before or 1 hour before.

Every new activity you add then carries that alert. You can still change any single activity afterward, using the steps above. One exception is built in: a Sleep activity planned at midnight doesn’t send a notification, so it won’t disturb you.

Can you add a note or photo to an Owaves alert?

Yes. Owaves’ help page on customizing alerts (May 2018) says the text note and photo on an activity accompany its alert:

  • Add a note: tap the activity and choose Notes in its Event Details.
  • Add a photo: tap the activity, tap Edit at the top right, then tap Photo and Tap to add a photo, choosing a new or existing photo.

The photo also does a second job. Owaves’ help page on activity photos (May 2024) says it shows in the center of the circle for as long as the activity runs, and on Apple Watch too. Since version 7.8 (June 2026), you swipe the center between views: Photo and Clock, plus BodyClock Score, Rate My Day and Weather.

Can you use Owaves as an alarm clock?

Yes, for a gentle start and a bedtime cue. Owaves’ help page on using Owaves as an alarm clock (May 2018) suggests setting an alert on the activity that follows your morning Sleep block, which it calls a morning notification alarm; a note or photo on that activity turns it into a daily motivator. It also recommends an alert on the activity just before nighttime Sleep, as a reminder to start winding down.

An Owaves alert is an iPhone notification, so iPhone settings decide how it arrives. Apple’s iPhone User Guide says a Focus delays notifications to prevent interruptions, so if you lean on Owaves to wake you, check that a sleep or other Focus isn’t holding the alert back. For keeping the wake time itself steady, see How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule.

If you shift Sleep in steps before a clock change, you move those two blocks with it, so check both alerts on each shift day (How to Adjust Day Plans for a Clock Change in Owaves).

Do alerts carry over to saved Day Plans and Apple Watch?

Yes to both. Owaves’ help page on saving activity settings (May 2018) says a Day Plan saves each activity’s alert and its timing, along with text notes, photo notes and custom titles. Set your alerts once, save the day, and they come back whenever the plan repeats (How to Save and Repeat a Day Plan in Owaves).

On the wrist, Owaves’ help page on notifications on Apple Watch (May 2018) says Apple shows your Activity Alerts on the watch automatically when Owaves is installed there; to change an alert from the watch, open the activity and scroll down to its alert options. The version 8.0 release notes on the App Store (13 August 2026) add that Apple Watch alerts sync back to your iPhone. More in Does Owaves Work on Apple Watch?

Why am I not getting Owaves alerts?

Usually it’s an iPhone notification setting. Apple’s guide to notification settings on iPhone gives the checks:

  1. Allow notifications. Open the Settings app, tap Notifications, tap Owaves in the app list and make sure Allow Notifications is on. Owaves’ own help pages give the same fix.
  2. Choose where they appear. Under Alerts, pick the Lock Screen, Notification Center or banners.
  3. Check Scheduled Summary. If you use it, choose Immediate Delivery for Owaves under Notification Delivery, so alerts arrive at their time.
  4. Check your Focus. A Focus delays notifications on iPhone, per Apple.

Then check the activity itself: an alert set to None stays silent, and so does a Sleep activity planned at midnight.

Your day on My BodyClock

How to Set Activity Alerts in Owaves. My BodyClock for Sunday, November 8 in Encinitas: Flow at 6:30 AM (Wake-up alert, get ready); Move at 7 AM (Morning walk); Eat at 7:30 AM (Breakfast); Flow at 8 AM (Commute); Work at 8:30 AM (Focus block); Eat at 12 PM (Lunch); Relax at 12:45 PM (Short walk outside); Work at 1:15 PM (Meetings and email); Flow at 4:30 PM (Commute home); Move at 5 PM (Evening run); Eat at 6 PM (Dinner at home); Love at 7 PM (Call family or friends). Center Photo: A cup of tea and an open notebook on a sunlit bedside table.
Your day on My BodyClock. Build it in Owaves.

The day above on My BodyClock puts alerts where a nudge helps: on the Flow block right after Sleep as a 6:30 AM wake-up, 10 minutes before the focus block and the evening run, and at the start of the wind-down that leads into Sleep at 10:30 PM. Every hour is filled, with Flow covering getting ready, the commute and an evening tidy-up, so each alert lands at a real transition.

Build it in Owaves, set Default Alert Times, adjust the blocks that need more warning and save it as a Day Plan. Start with the Body Clock Quiz to find your Body Clock Type, then download Owaves on the App Store or join the Android waitlist. Each block’s color is explained in What Do the Colors in Owaves Mean?

FAQ

How do I turn off an alert in Owaves?

Tap the activity, tap Alert in its Event Details and choose None. To stop alerts on new activities, set Default Alert Times to None under Settings, then Date & Time.

How early can an Owaves alert go off?

Up to 1 hour before an activity, per Owaves’ help pages. They list four options, of which 1 hour before is the earliest: None, At start time, 10 minutes before and 1 hour before.

Can Owaves wake me up in the morning?

Owaves’ help page says yes: put an alert on the activity right after your morning Sleep block, which it calls a morning notification alarm. It arrives as an iPhone notification, so check that a Focus isn’t delaying it.

Why didn’t my Sleep block send an alert?

If it’s planned at midnight, that’s by design: Owaves’ help page says Sleep activities planned at midnight don’t send a notification, so they won’t disturb you. For a bedtime reminder, set the alert on the activity just before Sleep instead.

Do Owaves alerts work on Apple Watch?

Yes. Owaves’ help page says Activity Alerts show on Apple Watch automatically when Owaves is installed, and the version 8.0 notes (August 2026) say watch alerts sync back to iPhone.

Sources

  1. Owaves FAQ. “How do I set an Alert for an Activity?” owaves.com, last updated 14 May 2018. https://owaves.com/faq/how-do-i-set-an-alert/
  2. Owaves FAQ. “How do I set a Default Alert Time?” owaves.com, last updated 16 March 2023. https://owaves.com/faq/how-do-i-set-a-default-alert-time/
  3. Owaves FAQ. “How do I customize my Alerts?” owaves.com, last updated 14 May 2018. https://owaves.com/faq/how-do-i-customize-my-alerts/
  4. Owaves FAQ. “Can I use Owaves as my alarm clock?” owaves.com, last updated 14 May 2018. https://owaves.com/faq/can-i-use-owaves-as-my-alarm-clock/
  5. Owaves FAQ. “Can I save my activity settings with a Day Plan?” owaves.com, last updated 14 May 2018. https://owaves.com/faq/can-i-save-my-activity-settings-with-a-day-plan/
  6. Owaves FAQ. “Can I get notifications on my Apple Watch?” owaves.com, last updated 14 May 2018. https://owaves.com/faq/can-i-get-notifications-on-my-apple-watch/
  7. Owaves FAQ. “Can I attach photos to my activities?” owaves.com, last updated 30 May 2024. https://owaves.com/faq/can-i-attach-photos-to-my-activities/
  8. Owaves FAQ. “How do I edit my O on my iPad?” owaves.com, last updated 17 March 2023. https://owaves.com/faq/how-do-i-edit-my-o-on-my-ipad/
  9. Owaves, Inc. “Owaves: My BodyClock.” Apple App Store (US), version history (7.8, 2 June 2026; 8.0, 13 August 2026). Read November 2026. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/owaves-worlds-first-wellness/id869648628
  10. Apple. “Change notification settings on iPhone.” iPhone User Guide (iOS 27), support.apple.com. Read November 2026. https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-notification-settings-iph7c3d96bab/ios

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