- Google Clock has been updated to version 8.5
- This includes a new option to dismiss alerts with a swipe instead of a tap
- You can still stick with the print method if you prefer
If you use Google Clock on your Android phone, chances are you’ve either just got or are getting an update soon that can help make sure you don’t sleep through your alarms.
Instead of being presented with large ‘Snooze’ and ‘Stop’ buttons when an alarm goes off, you can instead choose to have a slider that snoozes the alarm if you swipe it left, and stops it if you swipe right.
Since swiping in a certain direction is a more involved gesture than simply tapping the screen, you’re less likely to accidentally stop the alarm when you want to snooze it, or vice versa.
An optional approach
But this change – first spotted by 9to5Google – is optional, so if you prefer the buttons and aren’t in the habit of sleeping through your alarms, you can stick with that approach. To decide which method to use, head to the Google Clock settings screen, where you’ll find a new “Dismiss alarm with a” button, which lets you switch between taps and swipes.
This change is very similar to one that Apple rolled out with iOS 26.1, which also meant that you now have to swipe to turn off alarms, although the implementation in Apple’s case is slightly different, where stopping the alarm requires a swipe, while snoozing still only requires a tap.
In any case, this is a small but potentially useful update rolling out as part of version 8.5 of Google Clock. That said, it appears to be a gradual rollout, as 9to5Google has only started seeing the change days after updating to that version. So if you don’t see these options yet, keep checking back as they will likely appear soon.
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