Reminders and notifications on Android
Let Diurnal's reminders ring on time on Android, use Done, Join and View from a notification, and control Focus from the lock screen.
A task's time is its reminder, on your phone as on your Mac. Reminders ring whether or not Diurnal is open, and after your phone restarts. They stop while you're signed out.
Set a reminder
Type a time on the task, like "call the bank 4pm", or tap the time on a task that has one. On the pad, tap just under a task's ring to open its menu and choose Reminder. A task with no day yet asks you to Pick a day to ring first, then the time.
Allow notifications
On Android 13 and later, Diurnal asks to send notifications when you set your first reminder, or when you tap Allow on the tour's Reminders row.
If notifications are off, Diurnal shows Reminders off while a reminder is waiting. Tap Turn on to open your phone's notification settings for Diurnal. Settings › Notifications says the same, with Open settings.
Make reminders ring on time
Android can hold a reminder back to save battery unless Diurnal is allowed to set exact alarms. On Android 14 and later, that permission starts off.
While it's off and a reminder is waiting, Diurnal shows Reminders may arrive late. Tap Allow exact alarms and switch Diurnal on in the page that opens. Without it, reminders still ring, but can arrive a few minutes late. Dismissing the note hides it on this phone; Settings › Notifications keeps showing it until you allow exact alarms.
Answer a reminder
The notification shows the task and its time.
- Tap it to open the task in Diurnal.
- Tap Done to finish the task. To hide this button, turn off Show “Done” on task reminders in Settings › Notifications.
Reminders have no snooze. To push one later, change the task's time.
Meeting reminders
If you connected Google Calendar, Diurnal reminds you before each meeting, as set in Remind me before events. The notification has a button to join the call when the meeting has a link, such as Join Zoom, and View, which opens your calendar on that day.
Sounds
Choose a Notification sound in Settings › Notifications. Play for keeps a reminder ringing until you look, up to the length you pick, with its own Alarm sound. These follow your account, so your Mac and phone ring the same way.
The Focus notification
While a round or a break runs, a notification counts it down. Tap it to open Pomodoro.
- During a round: Pause (or Resume), +10 min and End.
- During a break: Skip break, +10 min and End.
When a round or a break ends, the notification alerts you with your chime, unless chimes are off. On Android 16 and later it also shows your set's rounds as a bar.
Soundscapes keep playing with the screen off. They pause during a call and carry on after it. To stop them when your headphones disconnect, see Settings on Android.