Google Clock Update Makes It Harder to Accidentally Dismiss Alarms With Swipe-to-Dismiss Option

Google is rolling out a meaningful improvement to its Clock app for Android that aims to make alarms harder to dismiss by mistake — a common frustration for users who unintentionally silence alarms while half asleep. The change comes with version 8.5 of the Google Clock app, which is currently rolling out to devices worldwide.

New Swipe-to-Dismiss Gesture for Alarms

The updated app introduces a new setting that lets users choose how they want to dismiss alarms: the traditional tap method or a swipe gesture. Under the new approach, users can swipe left to snooze an alarm and swipe right to stop it. Because swiping requires a more deliberate gesture than simply tapping a button, it helps prevent accidental dismissal of alarms — especially useful on early-morning wake-ups when reflexive taps can easily silence an alarm unintentionally.

In effect, users now have a “Dismiss alarm with a…” option in the Clock app’s settings, where they can toggle between tap and swipe dismiss gestures based on their preference.

Design Continues to Evolve

This latest feature arrives amid broader design changes to the Clock app, including a shift toward Google’s Material 3 Expressive design language that refreshes the interface with updated UI elements and visual improvements. While earlier versions of the Clock app had already experimented with different alarm layouts, the addition of a swipe option reflects Google’s responsiveness to user feedback on accidental alarm dismissals.

Why It Matters

For many Android users, accidentally stopping an alarm instead of snoozing it — or vice versa — can lead to oversleeping and missed appointments. By adding a gesture-based dismissal option, Google is aiming to create a more reliable and intentional interaction model for mornings, similar in spirit to alarm dismissal updates seen in other mobile operating systems.

While the swipe feature is currently rolling out server-side and may not appear immediately on all devices, users with the latest Google Clock version should soon see the new option in their settings.