# Rise & Shine Lite — user reviews > 50 indexed App Store user reviews of Rise & Shine Lite by Peter Matthews, rated 3.20/5 from 42 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rise-and-shine-lite/id406853371/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rise-and-shine-lite/id406853371.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 17 · 4★ 6 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 15 ## Newest reviews (15 of 50) ### 1/5 — Dissapointment *2018-11-06, version 3.2* Tested this app out tonight, because I wanted to see the fade up of light before trying it out overnight. There was no fade up. Even though I had selected a 10-minute fade all it did was turn my flash on and start playing sounds at full volume. I played with all the settings and couldn’t get it to work. Uninstalling. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work at all *2018-10-25, version 3.2* What more can I say. Tried several times and the alarm doesn’t go off. ### 1/5 — Works 1/7 days *2016-02-29, version 3.2* Stops working when: - I get a notification from my calendar -I get a notification from my messenger/Whatsapp/texts -I get a notification about a missed call - I get any notification - and sometimes when don't get any notifications ### 2/5 — Unreliable *2015-10-19, version 3.2* This 'Light' version contains no instructions at all on how to use the app. I thought I'd check function by setting an alarm for 10 mins time... nothing happened & it just started counting down from 24 hours again! I don't trust it to wake me up in the morning so I've deleted it! Total waste of time!!the two stars I'm giving are for appearance and having lots of nice looking options... if only there was guidance on what they're all for...! ### 1/5 — I hate the new upgrade :( *2015-01-06* Everything was changed and I hate it. I liked it just the way it was and I am frustrated that it was upgraded without my choosing. Every setting is different and more complicated, if I keep this app I would need to get used to a new sound (don't like the new wind chime sound), take extra steps to set/turn on the alarm, adjust to different lighting/fade in, and lastly, the "snooze" and "cancel" buttons used to be different colors and farther apart-- now they are written smaller, are the same color and are closer together--making it easier to confuse the two when half asleep/just waking up. Very disappointed. I used to love this app and told others to try it. Now I'm thinking of deleting it :( ### 1/5 — Not a fan *2014-12-12, version 2.8* I'd love an app with a dawn simulator for treating Seasonal Affective Disorder - this isn't it. I don't like any of the sounds so I am deleting it. ### 4/5 — Best free sunrise alarm clock app out there 🙏 *2014-11-26, version 2.8* Too many gloomy mornings brought me here. Going to try this before I want to invest in a sunrise clock. ### 1/5 — Terrible! *2014-09-20* The screen stays lit to a certain degree all night!!! This defeats the purpose of awakening peacefully from a dark room into gradual light. Don't install this app unless you are looking for a night light. ### 2/5 — Too bad *2013-10-11* Almost a good app but the screen stays on and there is Avery bright icon visible. Defeats the purpose of having a dark environment gradually light up to wake you. ### 4/5 — Very good but does drain the battery *2013-09-18, version 2.8* Well worth using ### 4/5 — Very Content *2013-05-17* Works great for me. Most mornings, it will wake me up about 5 minutes before I am scheduled to, but in a very gradual and easy way. On mornings when I am not facing in the direction of my phone, the option to use the gentle sounds of birds chirping in the distance works just as well. Can't imagine having to go back to an alarm clock. I only wish it would run in the background so that my screen could go completely dark. ### 3/5 — Good app, some flaws *2013-03-11* This app really wakes you up, does its job well. The backlight all night kept me awake, but I see now the paid version can turn this off, so I'm going to try that instead. The sounds are terrible, my partner and I spent the ten minutes the birdsong was running for laughing over how awful it was. Try your own music. Otherwise very effective app. ### 1/5 — Terrible *2013-02-03, version 2.8* The worst sunrise alarm I have ever come across. It's enough to frighten you half to death, not wake you up lightly! ### 1/5 — Whatever App *2013-01-04, version 2.8* No functionality for phone when app is activated. Doesn't wake me up at all. ### 3/5 — Pretty good *2013-01-01* Great app but drains battery.. Wish it could run in the background ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Alarm doesn’t work *2025-03-20, version 5.2* Thanks to this app, I have missed my meeting as the alarm didn’t go off…. So frustrating. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2025-01-28* You need your phone to stay on ALL NIGHT to set an alarm, the whole point of an alarm is so you don’t have to be alert until later. That defeats the whole point. Save your time and patience just try a different one. ### 1/5 — Failed to Wake Me Up *2021-01-11* This app sounded like what I was looking for, but then I woke up an hour after my set alarm...no light came on, no sound. Not sure what else I need to configure, but this didn’t work like I thought it would or it says it would. Maybe you need to keep your phone unlocked and on for it to work, but who does that? My phone locks after a couple of seconds... **Developer response:** Yes your phone must be unlocked for this to work. This is as per Apple design - application can't unlock your phone. This is stated in both the help and also as a notification when you lock your phone after starting the alarm. ### 1/5 — Can’t see alarm set time *2021-01-03* It looks like they have purposefully made the alarm set time impossible to see, to make it unusable. The colour scheme is also pretty hard to read. I get that all of this is probably so that you buy the paid version, but if I can’t use the trial version then I can’t know whether the paid one is worthwhile **Developer response:** This has been updated and should work as expected. There were issues with the colours in dark mode which may have been the issue. ### 1/5 — Can’t work out how to use it *2020-10-05, version 4.7* Great idea with poor execution. I have played with it for an hour and can’t set the alarm. Will delete ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work. *2020-05-06, version 4.6* I have set the alarm a few times as a test. Even left the phone unlocked with the app running. Doesn’t work. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2020-01-22* Tried to test it and it did not work. No sound no light at the set time. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2019-10-10* Can’t get the sound or lights to work, even leaving the app open and turning off the sleep mode on my iPhone... **Developer response:** I can’t recreate the fault you describe. The application appears to work how it should. Please contact me if possible with some more information and I will work to solve this issue. ### 1/5 — There’s no fade up option - your flashlight wakes you up. What!? *2019-01-22* Nothing calming about it - your flashlight blaring wakes you up. Why is that’s good thing?! There’s No fade UP option on the lite version. Not buying the other version to test it either. Disappointed. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2018-11-10, version 3.2* I tested this app tonight, twice, and it doesn’t work. Hopefully the developer can fix whatever the issue is. Cool concept. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Rise and shine *2013-12-21, version 2.8* My days are brighter everyday ### 5/5 — Rise and shine *2013-05-21, version 2.8* Brill very sedate at waking me up ### 5/5 — Good *2013-05-11, version 2.8* Good app ### 5/5 — Love it *2013-03-14* I love this app. Wakes me slowly and more naturally. I don't use the sound and I have it plugged in next to the bed. I activate it just before going to sleep. Works as well as dawn simulators which are super expensive. ### 5/5 — Great app *2012-10-26, version 2.7* I love that I can use my own playlists and that the screen doesn't act as a "nightlight". ### 5/5 — Great app *2011-11-28* Totally does what it says... Can't wait to try it on my iPad so that I can have more light when I wake up; I need it! ### 5/5 — Great! *2011-05-24* I've been hunting forever for an alarm app that fades in like this. Makes for a much more peaceful and relaxed awakening :) ### 5/5 — Brilliant! *2011-05-06, version 2.0* Massive improvement on the last free version. Loads of new features. Love the new interface and ability to select a song from you iTunes - nice touch! ### 5/5 — It actually worked!!! *2011-02-06, version 1.11* I didn't think that it would have worked on something as small as my iPod, but it did. I woke up bit confused, but that was all my fault; I set to go off at 2:00 a.m. I would recommend it to anyone who has a hard time waking up. ### 4/5 — Thanks for fixing *2019-05-22, version 4.6* The app is good.the devs Fixed the flaw I had with it. You gotta play around with the settings a decent amount to get to something that you’re good with though. Other than that great app --- *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 2026-06-10.*