diff --git a/apps/alarm/app.js b/apps/alarm/app.js
index d5379f469..45edd83f5 100644
--- a/apps/alarm/app.js
+++ b/apps/alarm/app.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 Bangle.loadWidgets();
 Bangle.drawWidgets();
 
-var alarms = require("Storage").readJSON("sched.json",1)||[];
-// An array of alarm objects (see README.md)
+var alarms = require("sched").getAlarms();
+// An array of alarm objects (see sched/README.md)
 
 // time in ms -> { hrs, mins }
 function decodeTime(t) {
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function getCurrentTime() {
 }
 
 function saveAndReload() {
-  require("Storage").write("sched.json",JSON.stringify(alarms));
+  require("sched").setAlarms(alarms);
   require("sched").reload();
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/alarm/metadata.json b/apps/alarm/metadata.json
index 726e2461c..fe82e04c9 100644
--- a/apps/alarm/metadata.json
+++ b/apps/alarm/metadata.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   "name": "Alarm & Timer",
   "shortName": "Alarms",
   "version": "0.17",
-  "description": "Set and respond to alarms and timers",
+  "description": "Set alarms and timers on your Bangle",
   "icon": "app.png",
   "tags": "tool,alarm,widget",
   "supports": ["BANGLEJS","BANGLEJS2"],
diff --git a/apps/qalarm/metadata.json b/apps/qalarm/metadata.json
index 326ba33a7..2039af4bf 100644
--- a/apps/qalarm/metadata.json
+++ b/apps/qalarm/metadata.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   "shortName": "Q Alarm",
   "icon": "app.png",
   "version": "0.04",
-  "description": "Alarm and timer app with days of week and 'hard' option.",
+  "description": "[Not recommended - use 'Alarm & Timer' app] Alarm and timer app with days of week and 'hard' option.",
   "tags": "tool,alarm,widget",
   "supports": ["BANGLEJS", "BANGLEJS2"],
   "storage": [
diff --git a/apps/sched/boot.js b/apps/sched/boot.js
index 15c332ad7..c772a135e 100644
--- a/apps/sched/boot.js
+++ b/apps/sched/boot.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // check for alarms
-(function() {
-  if (Bangle.ALARM) {
-    clearTimeout(Bangle.ALARM);
-    delete Bangle.ALARM;
+(function() { // run in closure to ensure allocated vars get removed
+  if (Bangle.SCHED) {
+    clearTimeout(Bangle.SCHED);
+    delete Bangle.SCHED;
   }
   var alarms = require('Storage').readJSON('sched.json',1)||[];
   var time = new Date();
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@
     will then clearInterval() to get rid of this call so it can proceed
     normally.
     If active[0].js is defined, just run that code as-is and not alarm.js */
-    Bangle.ALARM = setTimeout(active[0].js||'load("sched.js")',t);
+    Bangle.SCHED = setTimeout(active[0].js||'load("sched.js")',t);
   } else { // check for new alarms at midnight (so day of week works)
-    Bangle.ALARM = setTimeout(() => {
-      eval(require("Storage").read("sched.boot.js"));
-    }, 86400000 - (Date.now()%86400000));
+    Bangle.SCHED = setTimeout('eval(require("Storage").read("sched.boot.js"))', 86400000 - (Date.now()%86400000));
   }
 })();
diff --git a/apps/sched/lib.js b/apps/sched/lib.js
index 9d9744b1f..4b645aede 100644
--- a/apps/sched/lib.js
+++ b/apps/sched/lib.js
@@ -2,15 +2,24 @@
 exports.getAlarms = function() {
   return require("Storage").readJSON("sched.json",1)||[];
 };
+// Write a list of alarms back to storage
+exports.setAlarms = function(alarms) {
+  return require("Storage").writeJSON("sched.json",alarms);
+};
 // Return an alarm object based on ID
 exports.getAlarm = function(id) {
-  var alarms = require("Storage").readJSON("sched.json",1)||[];
-  return alarms.find(a=>a.id==id);
+  return exports.getAlarms().find(a=>a.id==id);
 };
+// Given a list of alarms from getAlarms, return a list of active alarms for the given time (or current time if time not specified)
+exports.getActiveAlarms = function(alarms, time) {
+  if (!time) time = new Date();
+  var currentTime = (time.getHours()*3600000)+(time.getMinutes()*60000)+(time.getSeconds()*1000)
+                    +10000;// get current time - 10s in future to ensure we alarm if we've started the app a tad early
+  return alarms.filter(a=>a.on&&(a.t<currentTime)&&(a.last!=time.getDate()) && (!a.date || a.date==time.toISOString().substr(0,10))).sort((a,b)=>a.t-b.t);
+}
 // Set an alarm object based on ID. Leave 'alarm' undefined to remove it
 exports.setAlarm = function(id, alarm) {
-  var alarms = require("Storage").readJSON("sched.json",1)||[];
-  alarms = alarms.filter(a=>a.id!=id);
+  var alarms = exports.getAlarms().filter(a=>a.id!=id);
   if (alarm !== undefined) {
     alarm.id = id;
     if (alarm.dow===undefined) alarm.dow = 0b1111111;
@@ -22,7 +31,7 @@ exports.setAlarm = function(id, alarm) {
     }
   }
   alarms.push(alarm);
-  require("Storage").writeJSON("sched.json", alarms);
+  exports.setAlarms(alarms);
 };
 /// Get time until the given alarm (object). Return undefined if alarm not enabled, or if 86400000 or more, alarm could me *more* than a day in the future
 exports.getTimeToAlarm = function(alarm, time) {
diff --git a/apps/sched/sched.js b/apps/sched/sched.js
index f42a15fc3..a19c85717 100644
--- a/apps/sched/sched.js
+++ b/apps/sched/sched.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // Chances are boot0.js got run already and scheduled *another*
 // 'load(sched.js)' - so let's remove it first!
-if (Bangle.ALARM) {
-  clearInterval(Bangle.ALARM);
-  delete Bangle.ALARM;
+if (Bangle.SCHED) {
+  clearInterval(Bangle.SCHED);
+  delete Bangle.SCHED;
 }
 
 // time in ms -> { hrs, mins }
@@ -12,25 +12,11 @@ function decodeTime(t) {
   return { hrs : hrs, mins : Math.round((t-hrs*3600000)/60000) };
 }
 
-// time in { hrs, mins } -> ms
-function encodeTime(o) {
-  return o.hrs*3600000 + o.mins*60000;
-}
-
 function formatTime(t) {
   var o = decodeTime(t);
   return o.hrs+":"+("0"+o.mins).substr(-2);
 }
 
-function getCurrentTime() {
-  var time = new Date();
-  return (
-    time.getHours() * 3600000 +
-    time.getMinutes() * 60000 +
-    time.getSeconds() * 1000
-  );
-}
-
 function showAlarm(alarm) {
   var msg = alarm.timer ? formatTime(alarm.timer) : formatTime(alarm.t);
   var buzzCount = 10;
@@ -54,7 +40,8 @@ function showAlarm(alarm) {
       }
       if (!alarm.rp) alarm.on = false;
     }
-    require("Storage").write("sched.json",JSON.stringify(alarms));
+    // alarm is still a member of 'alarms', so writing to array writes changes back directly
+    require("sched").setAlarms(alarms);
     load();
   });
   function buzz() {
@@ -72,15 +59,9 @@ function showAlarm(alarm) {
 }
 
 // Check for alarms
-var day = (new Date()).getDate();
-var currentTime = getCurrentTime()+10000; // get current time - 10s in future to ensure we alarm if we've started the app a tad early
-var alarms = require("Storage").readJSON("sched.json",1)||[];
-var active = alarms.filter(a=>a.on&&(a.t<currentTime)&&(a.last!=day) && (!a.date || a.date==time.toISOString().substr(0,10)));
-if (active.length) {
-  // if there's an alarm, show it
-  active = active.sort((a,b)=>a.t-b.t);
+var alarms = require("sched").getAlarms();
+var active = require("sched").getActiveAlarms(alarms);
+if (active.length) // if there's an alarm, show it
   showAlarm(active[0]);
-} else {
-  // otherwise just go back to default app
+else // otherwise just go back to default app
   setTimeout(load, 100);
-}