A new iOS app called Awake launched Monday with a mission: force heavy sleepers to actually wake up. Unlike traditional alarms that die with a simple tap, Awake requires users to complete interactive challenges - from push-ups to math problems - before they can silence the sound. The timing isn't coincidental: it's the first app to leverage Apple's new Alarm Kit framework in iOS 26.
The age-old battle between humans and their snooze buttons just got a lot more interesting. Awake, which launched Monday exclusively for iOS 26 users, doesn't just wake you up - it makes sure you stay that way.
The concept is simple but potentially brutal: when your alarm goes off, you can't just hit a button and roll over. Instead, you're forced into a series of interactive missions that range from rotating your iPhone to completing a set of push-ups, tackling math problems, or even working through language lessons. It's like having a personal trainer crossed with a math teacher living in your phone.
Leo Mehlig, the indie developer behind the popular planning app Structured, built Awake after being bombarded with requests from users who couldn't drag themselves out of bed. But he waited for the right moment. That came when Apple unveiled iOS 26's new Alarm Kit framework, giving developers access to full-screen alerts and deeper alarm functionality.
"I just felt like there had to be something better than a standard alarm clock for people who struggle to get up in the morning," Mehlig told TechCrunch. "So we always had [planned for it], but we basically sidelined it. And then when I saw the [Apple] keynote, I saw the Alarm Kit, I was like, 'OK, now we need to build this.'"
The timing couldn't be better for the brutal wake-up market. While competitors like Alarmy and Mathe Alarm have been torturing sleepy users for years, Awake differentiates itself with a suite of additional features that turn your morning routine into something more comprehensive.
The app's "Morning Briefing" delivers a customized information summary that users set up the night before, including weather forecasts and calendar events. There's also Block integration, which prevents access to social media immediately upon waking - because apparently scrolling through Instagram isn't the brain engagement Awake is looking for.