The iPhone Clock App Hides a Few Little-Known Quirks
Scrolling through alarm times on the iPhone Clock app hits a dead end at 4:39, and the app icon shows the real time. Apple has not explained the oddity.
Apple's built-in Clock app on the iPhone contains several quirks that many users never notice. Tech site Engadget reports that one of them drew wide attention in mid-2025: the alarm hour and minute wheels only appear to scroll endlessly.
The alarm wheel has an end
If you scroll quickly through the hours and minutes, the wheel eventually stops at 4:39, or 16:39 in 24-hour format. To try it, open the Clock app, go to Alarms, tap the + button and swipe fast. It takes several swipes, which is why most people have never seen it. It does not limit how alarms can be set.
Apple has not commented. Online discussions offer different explanations; one X user links it to a component called Tableview. Engadget treats it as an interesting idiosyncrasy.
The icon tells the time
The app icon is not static: it shows the current time, including a moving second hand. Apple introduced this in iOS 7. On devices running iOS 26.1 or later, Low Power Mode changes the hand's motion from a smooth sweep to a tick once per second, like a quartz clock. It is a visual change only, with no sound.
In the Stopwatch, swiping across the display switches between digital and analog faces. This feature is documented in the iPhone user guide.
A bedside clock
Connecting the iPhone to a charger and standing it on its side activates StandBy mode, which shows widgets, photos or a clock. Swiping left or right changes the clock style. Night Mode gives the StandBy screen a red tint in dark rooms. To keep the screen on, Always-On Display must be enabled in Settings; some older iPhones lack it.
