Math
MathThe alarm that makes you solve math before it stops
A math alarm clock won't go quiet until you have solved a few arithmetic problems. In the WakeOps Math mission that means 3 correct answers on Easy or Medium and 5 on Hard, typed on a keypad. A wrong answer keeps the same problem on screen and adds one more to the total, so guessing only makes the morning longer. It needs nothing but the screen, so it works in the dark and in a shared room.
How it works
- 1
Choose Math as the alarm's mission and a level: Easy, Medium or Hard.
- 2
When the alarm rings, tap Start mission. A problem appears above a number keypad.
- 3
Type the answer. Get it right and the next problem appears. Get it wrong and the screen tells you “A wrong answer adds another problem,” and you try the same one again.
- 4
The last correct answer stops the alarm and records the morning. Swiping the alarm away or pressing the system Stop button doesn't count: it rings again until the sums are done or the wake-up window closes.
What you can set
- Level: Easy, Medium or Hard (see the table below)
- Still-awake check (per alarm: off, 5, 10 or 15 minutes): after you win, a “Still up?” alarm rings that many minutes later, and one round of easy sums stops it
- Mission chain: up to five missions on one alarm, such as Math and then a mission that moves you. Only the last win stops the alarm.
- Ring during missions (per alarm, on by default): switch it off and the alarm goes quiet while you solve
Easy, Medium or Hard: what each level asks
| Level | Correct answers | Kind of problem | Answers up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 3 | Add or subtract numbers from 1 to 20, like 14 + 7 | 40 |
| Medium | 3 | Two-digit add or subtract (63 - 28), or a times table (7 × 8) | 200 |
| Hard | 5 | Three numbers with a multiplication (34 + 6 × 9), or two digits times one (27 × 6) | 1000 |
Answers are never negative. Start on Easy for the first week: the point is to make you pay attention, not to test your math, and a level you dread is a level you will end up switching off. Move up when the sums start to feel automatic.
Why math alone may not get you out of bed
Math proves you are awake enough to think. It doesn't prove you are up: every problem can be solved lying down, and some people solve them and fall straight back asleep. Three ways round it:
- Turn on the Still-awake check, so a second alarm catches you 5, 10 or 15 minutes later.
- Chain it: Math, then Photo of the bathroom sink or Steps. Only the last win stops the alarm.
- Put the phone across the room, so you are standing before the first sum.
The trade-off between thinking and moving is covered in puzzle alarm vs photo alarm, and the other screen missions are on the puzzle alarm clock page.
Math is also the way out of every other mission
If a mission can't run because the camera, microphone or motion access is refused, it offers Math straight away, never the easier Simple mission. With Offer Math when stuck switched on for an alarm, any other mission offers Math after 15 seconds too. Math itself needs no permission, so it always runs.
Free to download for iPhone (iOS 17.6 or later). Setting alarms needs WakeOps Premium, an in-app subscription. Every mission can be tried for free.
Common questions
What if I'm bad at mental arithmetic?
Use Easy: single-step sums with answers up to 40. If numbers still aren't for you, Word scramble, Memory and Odd shape stop the alarm the same way without any.
Does a wrong answer reset the mission?
No. You keep your progress and the same problem stays on screen, but one more correct answer is added to the total, so guessing can't get you out faster than solving.
Is it quiet enough for a shared room?
The mission is silent and needs only the screen. The alarm sound is the loud part: switch off Ring during missions for that alarm and it goes quiet while you solve, coming back if you leave the mission unfinished.
Can I solve it and go back to sleep?
You can, which is why the Still-awake check exists: a second alarm a few minutes later that one round of easy sums stops. Or chain Math with a mission that gets you out of bed.
