How to set up a barcode alarm in Orbit Alarm

A barcode alarm only stops when you scan a specific barcode or QR code. Put that code somewhere away from your bed and turning the alarm off means getting up and walking to it. By the time you’ve scanned it, you’re up.

It takes about two minutes to set up.

1. Choose what you’ll scan

Anything with a barcode or QR code works. Pick something that:

Stays in one place, away from your bed. The bathroom and the kitchen are popular.
Won’t run out or get thrown away. A toothpaste tube works well until you finish it. A printed label stuck to a wall or mirror never runs out.
You’d want to be near anyway in the morning, like the kettle or the coffee jar.

No barcode to hand? Print one from our free label sheet. Print two copies of the same code and keep one spare. The app only checks the code itself, so either copy works.

2. Register the code

Open Orbit Alarm and tap the gear icon (top right), then Codes Storage under MORE. You can also get here from inside the alarm editor via ADD OR MANAGE CODES DATABASE.
Type a name in Name (e.g. Bathroom Cup).
Tap SCAN TO CAPTURE and point your camera at the code. The first time, Android will ask for camera permission.
Tap STORE.

Want to change the name later? Tap the code in the list to rename it.

3. Link it to an alarm

On the ALARMS tab, tap + (or tap an existing alarm to edit it).
Scroll to OVERSLEEPING COUNTERMEASURES and switch it on. New alarms don’t have a challenge until you do this.
Choose Wake up QR / Barcode Scan.
Pick the code you registered.
Tap SAVE ALARM.

4. Test it

Tap PREVIEW ALARM in the alarm editor. The alarm rings straight away. Tap ACTIVATE CAMERA SCANNER and scan your code. Do this once in daylight so you know it works before you rely on it at 6am.

When it rings

Tap ACTIVATE CAMERA SCANNER and scan the code. If you scan the wrong one, you’ll see “Scan Verification Failed!” and the alarm keeps going.

You can still snooze up to your alarm’s MAX SNOOZES limit. After that, the scan is the only normal way to stop it.

A word on NO OVERRIDE

Every alarm has an Emergency Dismiss option for real emergencies. It’s a tap game that’s hard to do half-asleep. Switching on NO OVERRIDE removes it, which makes the scan the only way to stop the alarm in the app.

Only do that if you’re confident you won’t lose the item or break your camera. If you do, see I can’t scan my barcode.