Everyone has that one event they absolutely cannot miss — a flight, a job interview, a bill deadline. The iPhone’s built-in Reminders app has a handy trick for exactly this: on top of the main alert, you can add an extra early notification that pings you minutes, hours, or even weeks before the event. Here’s how to set it up.
Unlike the Clock app’s alarms — which are great for urgent wake-ups (see our guide to setting an alarm for urgent reminders in iOS 26) — the Reminders app is built for events with dates attached. And the early-reminder feature means you get two chances to notice: one nudge ahead of time, and the main alert when the moment arrives.
What the extra reminder does
Every reminder with a date and time can carry an additional “Early Reminder” notification. When you set one, your iPhone alerts you twice: once at the early interval you choose — anywhere from 5 minutes to a month before — and again at the actual due time. You can even make the reminder repeat, so the safety net keeps working for recurring events.
Set an extra reminder, step by step
Step 1: Create a reminder with a date and time
Open the Reminders app and tap New Reminder. Name it — “Dentist appointment,” “Flight to Chicago,” whatever it is — then tap the Details (ⓘ) button and switch on Date and Time, setting them to when the event happens. An early reminder needs a due date to count down from, so this step is essential.
Step 2: Add the early reminder
In the same Details screen, tap Early Reminder. Choose how far ahead you want the extra nudge: the options run from 5 minutes up to 1 month before the due time. Pick what fits — five minutes for a meeting across the hall, a day for a flight, a week for a bill.
Apple documents this option on its Reminders details support page, and this quick video walkthrough shows the Early Reminder setting in action.
Step 3: Make it repeat (optional)
Still in Details, tap Repeat if this is a recurring event. You can set the reminder — early nudge included — to repeat hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or on a custom schedule. Handy for medication, weekly meetings, or monthly bills.
Step 4: Save and you’re covered
Tap Done. Your iPhone will now alert you twice: once at your chosen early interval, and again when the event is due.
Pair this with a proper alarm and you’re covered twice over. If you ever sleep through swipe-to-dismiss, our guide to bringing back the alarm stop button in iOS 26 is worth a read.
If it still doesn’t work
- Check notification permissions. Go to Settings → Apps → Reminders → Notifications and make sure Allow Notifications is on — otherwise the early alert will never appear.
- Confirm the reminder has a date and time. The Early Reminder option only appears for dated reminders.
- Look in the right list. If you use several reminder lists (iCloud, Gmail, and so on), make sure the reminder lives in a list that actually syncs to your iPhone.
- Silence the noise, not the alert. If notifications feel overwhelming, learn to silence adaptive power notifications in iOS 26 rather than switching everything off.
Frequently asked questions
How early can the extra reminder be?
Anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 month before the due time. You choose the interval when you create or edit the reminder’s details.
Does the early reminder work for shared reminders?
Yes — the early notification fires on your device based on your reminder’s settings, and anyone you share the list with can set their own early reminders too.
The bottom line
The Reminders app’s Early Reminder is the simplest insurance against forgetting: create a dated reminder, open its details, tap Early Reminder, and pick a heads-up from 5 minutes to a month out. Two alerts beat one — especially for the events that truly matter.
