An alert at the adhan is no use when you are still at your desk and the masjid is 15 minutes away. MasjidNow counts back from iqama instead, so the alert arrives when it is time to leave.
How the reminder works
Open Notifications, then Iqama Reminder, and set a lead time in minutes or hours. If iqama is at 1:15 pm and you choose 25 minutes, your phone alerts you at 12:50 pm. Jummah has its own reminder, so you can give Friday a longer lead time than the other prayers.
Work out your number
Add up three things, using a slow day, not your best one:
- Travel from your door to the masjid, including traffic.
- Parking and the walk from the car.
- Wudu and finding a place in the row, usually 5 to 10 minutes.
If the drive is 12 minutes, parking and walking take 3, and wudu takes 7, that is 22. Round up to 25 so a red light does not cost you the first rak'ah.
Different prayers, different numbers
Fajr from home may need only 15 minutes. Dhuhr from work may need 30. Jummah often needs more, because parking fills and rows start early. Set each one for where you will actually be when the alert goes off.
Check your quiet hours
Quiet hours silence notifications during the window you choose, such as overnight. If that window runs past the time of your Fajr reminder, you may not hear it. Review the exceptions in the quiet hours settings so Fajr still gets through.
Adjust after a week
Try your number for a week. If you keep arriving after iqama starts, add five minutes. If you spend a long time waiting in the car, take five off.