Apple’s latest developer update, iOS 26.2 beta 1, adds a small but meaningful feature to the Reminders app. You can now set alarms and timers directly within a reminder, turning urgent tasks into true alerts instead of quiet notifications.
Until now, Reminders only showed notifications that were easy to miss. With this update, users can make a reminder ring like an alarm, complete with Snooze options and a visible countdown on the Lock Screen. The change builds on Apple’s new AlarmKit framework, introduced earlier in iOS 26, which lets apps manage alarms and countdowns more reliably.
When creating a new reminder, an “Urgent” toggle now appears. Turn it on and iOS asks for permission to “schedule alarms and timers.” Once granted, the reminder rings exactly at the set time. It can also break through Focus modes so you don’t miss time-critical tasks.
How It Works in iOS 26.2 Beta
- Open the Reminders app.
- Create a new reminder.
- Set the date and time.
- Turn on the Urgent toggle.
- Approve the permission request to schedule alarms and timers.
After setup, the reminder behaves like an alarm, with Snooze controls and a visible countdown until it rings.
What AlarmKit Enables
- One-time or repeating alarms and countdown timers
- Prominent alerts that can bypass Focus modes
- Snooze and templated system UI similar to the Clock app
- Scheduling, pausing, resuming, and canceling alarms through a shared API
This framework ensures that alarms work on time, with consistent behavior across apps that adopt it.
This upgrade turns Reminders into a more dependable time manager. Instead of relying on silent notifications, users can now create alarms that demand attention when something truly matters. It also marks Apple’s next step toward letting more apps use system-level alarms safely and predictably through AlarmKit.
