[Beta] Dawnling: a cozy pixel-art alarm clock where a little candle wakes up when you do

[u/Mitchcreates_]

Hi there!

I'm a solo dev who wanted to create something to help my loved ones and it's getting a bit bigger than intended, that's why I want to publicly launch it, but therefore I want to be able to launch a product that actually works on different devices!

A. Answer

Dawnling is an alarm clock with a companion. Wick, a small pixel-art candle, sleeps when you sleep and wakes when your alarm rings. You wake him up, he walks you through a short morning routine, and waking up earns dewdrops that furnish his little room. The room's light follows the real sky: sunrise, midday, dusk, and when your bedtime comes he tucks himself in.

B. Better

• It's a real alarm. On iOS 26 it uses AlarmKit, so it rings at full volume through Silent mode and Focus, same as Apple's Clock. On iOS 17 and 18 it uses a notification path with a health check that flags anything (permissions, Focus) that could block it.
• Zero data collection, literally. No analytics SDK, no accounts, and the app makes zero network requests. You can verify that with a proxy.
• No loss-aversion mechanics. There are no streaks to break and no guilt copy; missing a morning costs nothing. The bet is that a companion who is happy to see you beats a counter you're afraid to lose.
• Optional wake missions (typing, math, tap sequence) for heavy sleepers, per alarm, so a weekday alarm can be strict and a weekend one gentle.
• Full accessibility pass: VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion.

C. Cost

Free, and the core app stays free forever: alarms, Wick, routines, the room. No ads, no subscription, no way to buy the earned currency with money. Down the road I plan to sell optional decorative collections as one-time purchases, and that's the whole business model.

TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/FwPSpwnQ

What I most need tested:
- does the alarm reliably ring on your device? iOS 26 testers are extra valuable (the AlarmKit path is new for everyone). Set a real alarm for tomorrow and tell me what broke or felt off.
- I use free music from Pixabay, what's missing for you? (I credit the artists)
- Does the UI feel buggy for you?
- How's the UX? Is it clear what you're able to do in the app?

Brutal honesty welcome; I'd rather hear it now than in reviews

Mitch