# LightWake Alarm Clock — user reviews > 37 indexed App Store user reviews of LightWake Alarm Clock by Säflund Designers, rated 2.10/5 from 15 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightwake-alarm-clock/id377389675/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightwake-alarm-clock/id377389675.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1 · 4★ 3 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 8 ## Newest reviews (11 of 37) ### 1/5 — Save your money *2014-07-22, version 2.0.1* My 'Nature Light and Sound' clock broke and I really missed it. I thought this app sounded very similar but is not. It does light up but not enough to wake a person up unless they are very light sensitive. Fortunately, my backup alarm does the job. I don't like the iPad screen being "on" all night. That has to have a negative long term impact on the screen but I have no statistics to back that thought up. I don't like this app. I don't see how it would help anyone that wants a gradual light wake up. ### 1/5 — Needs updating *2013-12-02, version 2.0.1* Great idea but doesn't work so can only give 1 star. As mentioned by other reviewers the glow in dark mode is too bright next to the bed. It used up about 30% of the battery on my iPad Air which is no problem. The instructions say turn the brightness up to max and yet in the morning the screen doesn't get up to full brightness. It didn't wake me probably because I had gotten used to the bright screen during the night. Missed potential. ### 2/5 — Ehh not worth the money *2013-11-02, version 2.0.1* Does what it says but is terrible for battery life and the "off" screen is still very bright at night. ### 1/5 — not much good *2013-04-02, version 2.0.1* It doesn't get light enough to wake you up ### 1/5 — Truly Disappointed *2013-03-25, version 2.0.1* This application was a complete failure. Set the alarm and selected the "Activate Dark Screen mode" and stayed dark until the sound I had selected started to play. The volume on the sound was so low I could barely hear it and I had the volume on the iPad at maximum. Finally the backup alarm did not go off either. I want my money back! ### 1/5 — Rip off *2013-02-20, version 2.0.1* Don't be fooled! This app does not wake you to a gradually brightening yellow sunrise-like screen. Instead the screen brightens from dark grey to light grey. Not a great way to wake up. Do not buy. ### 2/5 — Good Concept..Well Executed..BUT *2012-12-29, version 2.0.1* The iPad simply cannot get bright enough for this app to be effective. If you are in a totally dark room with zero ambiant light it may be somewhat effective but in my opinion the light at wake up time would be a good starting point for the gradual wakening light. ### 1/5 — Worst night sleep *2012-10-25, version 1.3* I swear the back light on my iPad got brighter in the night waking me at 4 in the dam morning, complete waste of time and money. And when it did brighten to max, it was still my radio alarm that woke me. Unless someone can Come up with a way of running an app with zero backlight this style of alarm is never going to work properly. Now of o work feeling like death warmed up. ### 1/5 — Awful. Waste of money. *2012-10-11, version 1.3* Doesn't work. At all. Even a little. Waste of money. ### 1/5 — No. No. No. *2012-03-13, version 1.3* Even at its dimmest, the dark screen is too bright. Try again. ### 1/5 — Needs to work better *2012-02-04, version 1.3* Not surprisingly doesnt operate in background, and screen is still too bright during night, before alarm is due to start. Being light sensitive, hence the reason for trying this app, it doesnt work for me. Also cant get back into app once its been activated. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Great App but... *2017-09-25, version 2.0.1* This was a really awesome app that helped me wake up refreshed every day. However, due to IOS 11 being released I can no longer use the app. It is too outdated and needs to be updated ASAP. ### 1/5 — Плохо *2017-09-10, version 2.0.1* Не работает с ios 11 😭 обновите приложение!!! ### 1/5 — Dim *2017-01-25, version 2.0.1* I woke up on my own 10 minutes past the alarm time. It was on, but you couldn't tell. I think it might be fine in a completely dark room, but we have night lights that cast a little bit of light. ### 1/5 — Super buggy! *2016-11-30, version 2.0.1* I really liked the Relax sound but I couldn't get the dark screen button to work, no idea what's happening with this app but it's unusable. ### 1/5 — Seems cool but doesn't work *2016-10-20, version 2.0.1* I can set the alarm and choose sound but I'm never able to press "activate dark screen mode" and therefore can't use it. ### 1/5 — Doesn't work with current update :( *2016-10-19, version 2.0.1* Can't turn on an alarm any more...liked it when it worked.... ### 1/5 — No rising light in the morning *2016-09-22, version 2.0.1* The light did not come up in the morning... The sound played but not light. ### 1/5 — Does not work too well *2016-05-04, version 2.0.1* In fact it wakes you up in the middle of the night with untimely lighting. ### 1/5 — Фигня *2015-02-15, version 2.0.1* В фоновом режиме не работает ### 1/5 — Light wake alarm clock *2014-09-23, version 2.0.1* I've read the review on the update for the darker screen but to be honest I see no difference when it's pitch black you still get a glow from your screen ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Amazing update *2013-01-14, version 2.0.1* Previously this app was pretty unusable due to the brightness of the 'dark' screen at night. But now, it has been updated to make the screen a lot darker during the night, which makes a huge difference, and this app is now an amazing alarm which helps me wake up peacefully. Well worth it! ### 5/5 — Great app ,but... *2011-12-10, version 1.3* The dark screen definitely needs to be turned off completely as it took over 50 percent of my battery overnight , still this is a brilliant application. ### 4/5 — Works well, but... Needs some tweaking *2019-01-03, version 2.0.1* Best free app I found that works on an old ipad mini. NO ADS that keep the screen lit up! YEY. But a grey to white screen is not really a sunrise simulator. NOTE that the light STARTS coming on at the alarm time you set, NOT before, so if you want to wake to bright light by 6am set the alarm to start 30min before with a 30 min light time. Unfortunately sound will start same time, so I have it on silent and a separate alarm for the sound ### 4/5 — Simple, but does what it says *2016-05-18, version 2.0.1* A bit simplistic, but it does what I was looking for: at a pre-arranged time, brighten from dark to bright light. It worked well on my iPad once I figured out that the alarm time was when it would start brightening, not when it would be fully bright like other apps I had seen. Also, I had to move my reminders so that one was not open on the screen, as that prevented it from working also. There is some light even when in "dark mode" (i.e. overnight), but it is very minor; I actually found it was useful as just enough to make out the furniture if I got up in the middle of the night. I think that is an app limitation, at least for very simple apps. Great app for the price. Thanks! ### 4/5 — Lovely! *2013-01-09, version 2.0.1* The background noise choices are lovely (not sure if those birds would grate after a while) and I like the option to have no accompanying sounds. I appreciate the options for "sunrise" time length and the backup alarm should that be needed. Once the alarm is turned on (I tried this w/o switching the alarm on and it doesn't work, which is brilliant really) click the Activate Dark Screen Mode and the screen goes completely off. Touch the screen to re-edit, ect. I would like the light to look a little more "natural" in color (maybe more yellow?) but otherwise this app is exactly what I wanted. :) ### 3/5 — This has great potential *2013-08-20, version 2.0.1* If a couple of issues could be fixed, it'd be just what I need. First, "dark" mode isn't completely dark, so if you can't stand a little light while you sleep, this won't work for you. Of course, you can't cover it, or you won't see the light when it's wake-up time. Second, the lovely sounds were inaudible at alarm time, though they played loudly enough during setup. ### 3/5 — Great idea, needs polish *2012-04-20, version 1.3* 2 1/2stars : easy to set up, and a great idea Minus 2 1/2 stars: does not use in app brightness control to kick into super-bright at end of sunrise. The flashlight app kick the brightness to max without my intervention this should too. Doesn't go all that dark at it darkest when waiting for sunrise. Again if app used brightness control without my intervention. Please let me chose songs/podcasts etc. as wake up sound. Please update with ios5 features! This app could be my fav. Clock! ### 3/5 — Ok *2012-01-05, version 1.3* It works okay in the morning but I can't get the screen to go completely dark and I don't like the glow all day while I'm trying to sleep. Am I setting it wrong? I want it completely dark. ### 3/5 — OK, but I can't use it. *2011-10-30, version 1.3* The concept is great, and I've been wanting an app like this for a while, but the dark screen is not dark. The iPad sits next to my head all night with a fairly bright glow. Can you please kill the screen so that I can use it? I'll then give it a higher score. :) ### 3/5 — Good intro app *2011-01-08, version 1.2* This is a great idea and works reasonably well but could be vastly improved with the following: 1. Put the time on the display so when you wake up you can see what time it is. 2. Allow user to pick the color of the light I.e yellow for sun, or users favorite color. 3. Add to music options with one of waves crashing on a beach 4. Let user pick own music so they can wake to their favorite artist or song. 5. Design App so it can run in the background. 6. Allow user to pick days of the week with alarms so different alarms can be set based on users work schedule. 7. Add a gps function to set the alarm dynamically based on sunrise time (local area) or an amount of time before or after sunrise. This app could easily get a rating of five with a few of the above changes. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-16.*