iOS 27 adds a Workdays (including adjusted workdays) alarm option that rings on China make-up workdays like September 20 and stays silent on statutory holidays. Requires iPhone 11 or later; check employer schedules.
Tags:Your iPhone Alarm Finally Understands China’s Make-Up Workdays
A small iOS 27 setting just solved one of the most confusing parts of living and working in China.
On Sunday morning, September 20, something unusual happened on iPhones across China: a weekday alarm rang on a weekend — exactly when it was supposed to.
September 20 was an official make-up workday ahead of the National Day holiday. It was also the first real test of a small but very China-specific feature added in iOS 27: an alarm schedule that recognizes China’s public holidays and adjusted working days.
The alarm that knows when Sunday is a workday
A mainland official-media report said iOS 27 users who had selected the new “Workdays (including adjusted workdays)” option saw their alarms go off as scheduled on Sunday.
Previously, an iPhone alarm set for Monday to Friday would stay silent on a Saturday or Sunday — even when the official calendar said it was a working day. Before every long holiday, users had to remember to create a one-off alarm or change their weekly schedule manually.
The new setting is designed to do both jobs automatically: ring on an official weekend workday and stay silent on a statutory holiday.
The new repeat option reads “工作日（含调休）.”
How to turn it on
Updating to iOS 27 is not enough by itself. An existing alarm may still be using a fixed Monday-to-Friday schedule.
Open the Clock app and create a new alarm, or edit an existing one.
Tap Repeat.
Select “Workdays (including adjusted workdays)” — shown in Chinese as 工作日（含调休）— and save the alarm.
Can’t see the option? First check that your phone is running iOS 27 and look again under the alarm’s Repeat menu.
Apple’s current compatibility list includes the iPhone 11 series and later models, as well as the second- and third-generation iPhone SE. Apple also notes that some features can vary by region and language.
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Why this is such a China-specific problem
China sometimes creates a longer continuous public holiday by designating a nearby Saturday or Sunday as a working day. This is commonly called tiaoxiu (调休), or an adjusted holiday schedule.
For anyone new to China, the result can be confusing: the date looks like a weekend in your calendar, but your office, school or government service may be operating as if it were a weekday.
The official September 2026 calendar marks Sunday, September 20, as a workday.
Dates to remember
National Day holiday: October 1–7
Adjusted workdays: September 20 and October 10
That makes Saturday, October 10, the next date to check whether your alarm is using the new schedule.
One practical warning before you trust it
The feature follows the official mainland holiday calendar. Your employer, school or organization may use a different schedule, especially if you work for an international company or follow shifts.
It is still worth checking your own calendar, testing the alarm volume, and confirming that the alarm is set to the new repeat mode. Apple says Clock alarms will sound even when Silent mode or Focus mode is on, but the alarm volume still needs to be high enough to wake you.
Did your iPhone alarm ring on the Sunday workday — or did iOS 27 still leave you sleeping?
Source: 荆楚网
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