Songs that stop your alarm: why Pixies' song Where Is My Mind disables alarms on Google phones - explained

Google smartphone users have been blaming songs like Where Is My Mind by Pixies for oversleeping
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Google users were ecstatic when the tech giant rolled out a groundbreaking feature for its Pixel smartphones. Gone are the days when you had to drag your tired body out of bed to press snooze on your early morning alarms, as a simple shout of 'stop' or 'snooze' would be picked up by the impressive Google Assistant to guarantee you extra shuteye time - but this is not always the case thanks to a hilarious new glitch.

For those who get awoken by the sounds of their favourite songs, or maybe you have your Spotify on shuffle-mode, people have been reporting days when their alarms have not gone off properly and have overslept as a result. A number of experts have been investigating the problem and the results will lead you down a bottomless pit of laughter.

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Here is everything you need to know about the problem affecting Google users worldwide. This includes a summary of the songs that cancel your alarms and the reason behind it explained.

What is the issue - why are songs stopping alarms on Google phones?

Google smartphone users have been blaming songs like Where Is My Mind by Pixies for oversleeping - Credit: AdobeGoogle smartphone users have been blaming songs like Where Is My Mind by Pixies for oversleeping - Credit: Adobe
Google smartphone users have been blaming songs like Where Is My Mind by Pixies for oversleeping - Credit: Adobe

The issue was first reported by a Reddit user who has since started a full-fledged investigation to get to the bottom of why his alarms were not going off on certain days. It turns out that he has popular band Pixies to blame.

They found that the Google Quick Phrases feature - which listens to everyday commands from users such as 'call mum' or in this case 'stop' - was picking up lyrics from songs. For those familiar with the track Where Is My Mind, it opens with a 'ohh' before someone screams 'stop'.

Having left their Google smartphone alarm sounds on shuffle play, the user found that whenever that song was used for his alarm, it would not go off properly. This is because the Google Assistant was recognising the word 'stop', thinking it's the owner of the device, and cancelling the alarm.

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In a Reddit post, the user explained how on random days of the week, his alarm would either not go off as planned or turn itself off within a matter of seconds. In a bid to 'crack the code', they found that as the alarm sound was Spotify music on shuffle, whenever Where Is My Mind? by Pixies played and the first line 'stop' was said clearly, his Pixel device picked it up and would then cancel the alarm.

What songs cancel your alarms and what ones do not affect it?

At the time of writing, only Where Is My Mind? by the Pixies has been confirmed to cancel Google users' morning alarms. Other songs that prominently feature the words 'stop' or 'snooze' in their lyrics were found to keep it playing.

According to a test from experts at Android Police, the following songs do not cause alarms to be canceled:

  • U Can’t Touch This - M.C. Hammer
  • Stop Stop Stop - The Hollies
  • Stop! In the Name of Love - The Supremes
  • Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
  • Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen
  • Stop - Jane’s Addiction

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