How to Use Oshi Video Alarm | Complete Guide from Setup to Your First Alarm

What you'll learn in this article:

• The first screen to interact with when you open Oshi Video Alarm for the first time
• Pre-setup permissions — notifications, battery optimization, etc. — to ensure your alarm goes off reliably
• The difference between adding TikTok videos and local device videos
• Three things to check first when your alarm fails to go off
• A final pre-bedtime checklist so tomorrow morning goes smoothly

The bottom line: the key to running Oshi Video Alarm reliably is to spend just the first 5 minutes completing three things — notifications, auto-start, and a test alarm. Trying to configure every setting at once is a recipe for frustration, so start by simply getting it to ring.

Common Mistakes Right After Downloading

When people install a new alarm app, they tend to jump straight to setting a wake-up time and hope for the best. This is the #1 way to fail. If you dismiss the notification permission dialog with "Later," or don't notice your phone's Focus Mode is on, you'll oversleep without ever hearing — or seeing — your favorite video.

Another common issue: trying to paste a TikTok URL, but copying the in-app deep link instead of the share URL, which won't load. For your first test, using a short video from your device's camera roll is the fastest path to a successful alarm.

Initial Setup Steps

After downloading, follow these steps in order. If you get lost, just come back to this sequence.

1. Open Oshi Video Alarm and tap "Allow" on the notification permission dialog that appears first
2. Next, grant permission for "Play in background" and "Play on lock screen"
3. Tap "+ New Alarm" on the home screen and set your desired wake-up time
4. Under "Choose a video," select a short video (about 10 seconds) from your device's camera roll
5. Leave the day-of-week setting on "Every day" for now — you can change it later
6. Save the alarm, set the time to 1 minute from now, and run a test
7. If video and sound play on the lock screen, you're good. If not, see the next section
8. Once the test succeeds, change the time to your actual wake-up time and you're done

Video Selection Tips

Some videos work great as alarms; others don't. From experience, these tend to work best:

• A 15-second clip of the hype moment from your favorite performer's live show — instant wake-up
• A "good morning" video of your pet — lets you wake up gently without spiking your heart rate
• A TikTok dance video — short enough that it stays fresh morning after morning
• A video of family or friends — makes it harder to hit snooze and go back to sleep
• A video of yourself saying motivational words — helps stabilize your mood after waking up

On the other hand, avoid silent videos or videos that start with 3 seconds of black screen — these often lead to "it went off but I didn't notice" situations.

What the App Can Do

• Paste a TikTok URL to register it directly as an alarm video
• Use a video stored locally on your device as an alarm (works even offline)
• Set separate alarms for weekdays and weekends
• Customize snooze to switch to a different video
• Set a separate "wake-up BGM" to play after you get up

Common Problems and Fixes

Problem 1: I skipped the notification permission Go to your device's Settings → Notifications → Oshi Video Alarm → enable notifications. No reinstall needed.

Problem 2: No sound in silent mode Check the physical silent switch on the side of your device. You can enable "Ring even in silent mode" in the app to override the switch, but to avoid accidental triggers, it's safer to manually toggle the switch at first.

Problem 3: Pasted a TikTok URL but it won't load Open the video in the TikTok app, tap Share → Copy Link. Profile URLs or embed codes won't work — make sure you're using the individual video's share URL.

Problem 4: The video was black but audio played the next morning The video file may have been moved or deleted from your camera roll. To be safe, keep videos you use for alarms in a dedicated folder.

Problem 5: The alarm didn't go off without an internet connection Alarms using TikTok URLs require an internet connection. If you plan to wake up on a bullet train, airplane, underground, or anywhere with weak signal, use a local video or save an offline version as a separate alarm.

FAQ

Q. What's the first thing I should do after installing? A. Grant notification permission and, if possible, allow "Always run in background." Doing this first virtually eliminates alarm failures down the line.

Q. I'm worried the alarm won't actually wake me up if it plays a video instead of an alarm sound. A. The app is designed to play video even when the screen is locked. However, strong "Battery Saver" or "Focus Mode" settings on your device can cause delays. For peace of mind, run your first test at 1 minute from now during the daytime on a weekday.

Q. Can I use videos from my own camera roll? A. Yes. In addition to pasting TikTok URLs, you can select videos stored locally on your device. Size and resolution don't matter — both landscape and portrait videos will play.

Q. I set it up but the video won't play. A. In most cases, the issue is one of three things: notification permission, auto-start settings, or silent mode. First, open the notification center and check whether Oshi Video Alarm notifications are showing up. Then turn off the silent switch and test again.

Q. I can't find where the videos are saved. A. The app doesn't import videos internally — it references your device's camera roll or TikTok's cache. If you delete the original video, it can no longer play. We recommend saving your favorites to your camera roll.

Summary

Oshi Video Alarm is an app that lets you use TikTok or camera roll videos as your morning alarm. If you can get through notification permissions and a 1-minute test in the first 5 minutes, you're virtually guaranteed a trouble-free alarm the next morning.

Don't try to configure everything at once. Start by picking just one favorite video and setting it for your weekday and weekend wake-up times. When you're ready to explore further, check out "How to Set a TikTok Video as Your Alarm" and "How to Use It as a Cooking Timer or Work Timer" to unlock a whole new range of uses.