Screen stays dark when alarm goes off in the morning

When I use my iPhone 5 with iOS 9 as my alarm clock to wake me up (iOS clock app), the alarm sounds, but the screen does not light up. This means I have to fumble around in the dark to turn off my alarm. I have found that if I set a different alarm (a minute or two after the original alarm sounds, or an alarm during the day) the screen lights. A new alarm at a different time, if it is the alarm that wakes me, does the same thing where the alarm sounds and the screen stays black.

Is there some deep-sleep function that automatically turns on?

By the way, I have Do Not Disturb on at night, and is still on when the alarm goes off.

Does anyone else have any issues like this with iOS 9? It never did this on previous versions of iOS.

iPhone 5, iOS 7.1.1, A1428

Posted on Sep 23, 2015 5:33 AM

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Oct 26, 2015 5:43 AM in response to Laurent3134

I am not sure if it makes any difference whether it is plugged in or not.

  • If I set an alarm to go off in a few minutes as a test then the screen will come on whether the phone is plugged in or not. (I tried both just now)
  • If I leave it inactive overnight then the screen won't come on with the alarm.
  • I don't know if leaving it unplugged overnight will make a difference as I always plug it in at night.

I'm not even 100% sure it'sjust an alarm issue. If I plug my phone in now, turn the screen off and then unplug it the screen comes on automatically when it's unplugged. If I plug it in at night and then unplug it the next morning it doesn't light up. It seems like the phone goes into some deeper sleep or something when left for a few hours.

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Oct 26, 2015 5:50 AM in response to MrPhilDog

MrPhilDog wrote:


I am not sure if it makes any difference whether it is plugged in or not.

  • If I set an alarm to go off in a few minutes as a test then the screen will come on whether the phone is plugged in or not. (I tried both just now)
  • If I leave it inactive overnight then the screen won't come on with the alarm.
  • I don't know if leaving it unplugged overnight will make a difference as I always plug it in at night.

I'm not even 100% sure it'sjust an alarm issue. If I plug my phone in now, turn the screen off and then unplug it the screen comes on automatically when it's unplugged. If I plug it in at night and then unplug it the next morning it doesn't light up. It seems like the phone goes into some deeper sleep or something when left for a few hours.


This is the exact same results for me. I have run a few tests on the weekends and it seems like if its more than ~4hrs the screen does not wake on the alarm. Less than ~4hrs it wakes.

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Sep 28, 2015 4:25 AM in response to mattm754

I have updated to iOS 9.0.1 and continue to have the same problem of the screen not lighting up when the alarm sounds, as it has always done until the iOS 9.0 update. Needless to say this causes a problem finding the phone to shut it off.

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Oct 2, 2015 3:43 AM in response to Ray56

I have updated to 9.0.2 and continue to experience the same issue, as well. The alarm goes off, but the lock screen remains black. Have to fumble around in the dark to find my phone, then press the home button to illuminate the lock screen in order to snooze or deactivate the alarm.


The problem started with the iOS 9 update.


I'm actually surprised that more people haven't mentioned this. Hope it's addressed in the next update!


Patrick

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Oct 6, 2015 2:42 PM in response to mattm754

I noticed this when I upgraded my iPhone 5s to iOS 9. It followed me to my iPhone 6s Plus. Some mornings, the screen wakes up and I can swipe to silence the alarm. Most mornings, it stays dark. And this is happening right when the alarm begins to sound.


The problem has persisted through 9, 9.0.1, and now 9.0.2.


Deep sigh.

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Oct 8, 2015 8:08 AM in response to mattm754

Well, I suppose I'm happy to hear it's not just my phone and also that it seems related to the OS rather than my new 6s (hadn't updated to iOS9 on my old 4s).


However, I haven't seen anyone chime in with a reliable solution anywhere online. Has anyone found a way to solve this? My impulse to hit the home button (which just turns the alarm off for me) rather than the power/lock button (which apparently will snooze) is not optimal for my ability to get to work on time.

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Oct 8, 2015 8:45 AM in response to Mobydickulous

No solution yet here - and I'm definitely finding that the behavior noted is NOT happening consistently. Not sure why that is. Some mornings, the screen illuminates with the Snooze button as it always has. On other mornings - like this morning - it doesn't. It remains completely black while the alarm is sounding. I've been pressing the Home button in these cases, as well.


Not optimal - certainly hope this gets fixed in the next update.


Patrick

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Oct 12, 2015 4:27 AM in response to mattm754

I am having this same issue. iOS 9.0.2 on iPhone 6S.


It was happening on my new phone upgraded to 9.0.1 and the issue went to intermittent. Just finally upgraded to 9.0.2 and its back to occurring all the time.

My work phone and my wife's iPhone 6 on iOS 9, 9.0.1 and 9.0.2 never had this issue at all.

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Oct 12, 2015 5:15 AM in response to jwerley

I wonder if this has anything to do with the new "feature" where the screen doesn't light up if the phone is face down? Maybe it's an accelerometer glitch? Does anyone know if this feature is only for the newer phones or is on the older ones like mine?

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Oct 12, 2015 8:00 PM in response to mattm754

I have same problem but the strange thing is that it only occurs when the phone has been idle for several hours i.e. first thing in morning when I most need alarm clock to light up. If I test the alarm any other time such as setting 1 minute ahead of current time it will light up always. It does not matter if cord is plugged in or not. I have tried to contact Apple care support but they have no answers. Hopefully either firmware or software update could resolve this aggravation. I am glad to hear that I am not only one with this problem.

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Screen stays dark when alarm goes off in the morning

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