Clucky's new alarm app wakes you up with a crowing rooster

Clucky joins a growing category of alarm apps, including Alarmy and Awake, that use challenges to keep people from simply silencing their alarm and going back to sleep. Its rooster option is the app’s most attention-grabbing feature, but the broader strategy is to make dismissing an alarm irritating and ridiculous enough that users have no choice but to fully wake up. For those who prefer something more conventional, Clucky also offers gentle chimes, peaceful birds, and a classic digital beeping sound, plus an “Extra Loud Mode” that cranks up the volume as soon as the alarm goes off.

The app’s wake-up missions include solving math problems, memorizing and tapping tiles in the correct order, typing what Clucky says, shaking the phone, walking, doing push-ups, tilting a ball toward a goal, and completing an AI camera challenge. A detailed stats section tracks the average number of seconds an alarm rings before a mission is completed, how many missions a user has beaten, and total wake-ups, alongside a weekly “Rooster Report” that grades wake-up performance. Another feature lets users form a “Nest” or “Flock” with friends or family — private alarm groups that let people wake up at the same time and hold each other accountable.

Clucky was founded by Adrian Angelo Abelarde, a former software engineer at Fanatics, who did not respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment. The app is available on the App Store now, with a pro subscription priced at $39.99 per year.

Why it matters

Clucky’s approach reflects a broader shift in habit-focused consumer apps toward gamified friction — making the easy path (hitting snooze) actively unpleasant rather than simply reminding users of their goals.