- Bedtimeeyes closed
- Before wake-upeyes half open and glowing, 30 minutes before
- Wake-up timea green light for an hour
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon offers a free 30-day Prime trial, with free delivery on eligible items.
Prices and stock are set by the retailer and change without notice. We print no price of our own.
The tradeoff: At wake-up time it glows and plays a song, so it is not the clock for a silent morning, and there is no nap mode.
From Core Innovations / Pinkfong’s own pages and manual: the sources.
Set this clock up
- Twist the tail counterclockwise and pull it up to reach the charging port, and charge the clock with the Micro-USB cable for 3 to 3.5 hours (the wall adapter is not included); the red light on the tail goes off when it is full. Hold the Power button to switch the clock on.
- Press the Clock button: you hear “Clock Setup”. Set the hour and the minutes and confirm each.
- Press PREV/NEXT until you hear “Set Up Sleep Time” (the display shows SLP) and set the bedtime; press the Clock button and you hear “Set Up Wake Time” (UP on the display): set the wake-up time and press the Clock button again. Hold the Clock button to save and leave.
- Set both times: out of the box the clock reads 9:00 am, with bedtime at 10:00 pm and wake-up at 8:00 am, and a time you skip keeps its default.
- What your child sees: half an hour before bedtime the eyes close halfway, at bedtime they close for the night, half an hour before wake-up they open halfway and the clock glows, and at wake-up time it glows and sings the Baby Shark song; the green light then stays on for an hour.
- Hold Pause/Play to switch the parent lock on or off (every button stops working while it is on). Hold the shark’s fin to dim the night light, and the Brightness button to dim the display and the eyes. A full charge lasts about 12 hours, so charge it in the day or leave it plugged in at night; the display shows LO when it needs charging.
The manual warns of flashing lights in the Baby Shark light show, which plays by default; press the fin twice to switch it off.
Check the age warning and whether your child is ready separately, and see how to set an OK-to-wake clock for other clocks.
Setup and everyday controls
You set it with the buttons on the clock. No app is needed, and no account.
- How you set it
- Set on the clock
- Buttons on the clock
- Yes
- Change it from your phone
- No
- Account needed
- No
When grandma, a sitter or the other parent sets it
Anyone can use the buttons on the clock; there is no app to share. Show the next grown-up how to change the times, how to switch the light on and how the lock works.
Schedules, light and sound
Switches on by itself every day.
What you can schedule on this clock
- Bedtime light at a set timeYes
- Wake-up light at a set timeYes
- Nap timerNo
- Different weekend timesNo
Wake-up light at a set time- Yes
- Bedtime light at a set time
- Yes
Nap timer- No
Weekday and weekend times- No
Several light or sound changes a night- No
- Can also start it by hand
- No
- Silent wake-up light
- No
Alarm sound- Yes
- Sound machine
- Yes
- Dimmable light
- Yes
- Shows the time
- Yes
- Dimmable time display
- Yes
- Time display can turn off
- Yes
- Child lock
- Yes
- Bluetooth speaker
- Yes
Features the maker’s manual doesn’t mention aren’t listed here, so the clock matcher won’t suggest this clock for them.
An “almost time” light comes on 30 minutes before the wake-up time.
A nap timer and a nap wake-up time work differently. The planner keeps them separate.
Clocks changing, or an early riser? Move the wake-up light in small steps with the clock-change planner.
Without Wi-Fi or a phone
It has no app and needs no Wi-Fi: you set and change everything on the clock, and it runs by itself.
Power, and what happens in a power cut
Plugged in
Runs on battery · Micro-USB charging cable; wall adapter not included
Its rechargeable battery runs the clock for about 12 hours on a full charge, Core Innovations says.
- Runs on battery?
- Runs on battery
- Battery capacity
- 2000 mAh
- Power connection
- Micro-USB charging cable; wall adapter not included
- Battery life
- About 12 hours on a full charge, Core Innovations says
See why a battery that keeps the settings is different from one that keeps the light on.
Subscription and included parts
No subscription: everything works on the clock.
In the box
- Baby Shark Clock
- USB cable
- User manual
- Quick start guide
- Warranty card
When your child outgrows the light
Core Innovations Baby Shark ALM204 can play a sound at its wake-up time, which you switch on or off. It has no alarm with a time of its own, so on school mornings the light and the sound come together. When to move on to a kids’ alarm clock.
Check it in your home
While you can still return it, try the buttons you will actually use. These are checks for you to make; we have not tested this clock.
- Find how to change the times and switch the wake-up light on, then check it shows the light and sound you chose.
- Check the brightness, the volume and where the clock stands, using the maker’s placement advice. Check what the lock stops and which buttons still work.
- Use the clock’s own preview or test, if it has one, rather than unplugging it or resetting it to see what happens.
- Show the other parent, a grandparent or the sitter the buttons. Read what to do after a power cut before you need it.
Agree on what the light means and what to do if it does not come on, then keep the manual or the maker’s help page with your plan.
Show your child what this clock’s light means, and leave a note for the sitter.
If the light does not come on, check the time, the mode and the power before you reset the clock.
Questions about the Core Innovations Baby Shark ALM204
Does the Core Innovations Baby Shark ALM204 need an app?
No. You set it with the buttons on the clock, and no account or Wi-Fi is needed. App or buttons? →
What does my child see on the Core Innovations Baby Shark ALM204?
Bedtime: eyes closed. Before wake-up: eyes half open and glowing, 30 minutes before. Wake-up time: a green light for an hour. See the drawing →
What happens to the Core Innovations Baby Shark ALM204 in a power cut?
Keeps running on its battery. Its rechargeable battery runs the clock for about 12 hours on a full charge, Core Innovations says. Battery or memory backup? →
Can the Core Innovations Baby Shark ALM204 do naps?
No. Its manual describes no nap timer and no separate nap wake-up time. Nap timers vs nap wake-up times →
Can I set a different time for weekends?
No. It has one wake-up time for every day, so change it on Friday night if you want a later weekend. Plan a new wake-up time →
Does the Core Innovations Baby Shark ALM204 have an alarm?
It can play a sound at the wake-up time, which you switch on or off. It has no alarm with a time of its own. Kids alarm clocks →
Can grandma or a sitter change it?
Yes, with the buttons on the clock; nobody needs an app or an account. Sharing a clock →
The maker’s pages
Details can differ between versions and countries. Dates show when we last checked something that changes, like stock or a recall. Every source we use
- Core Innovations: Baby Shark Alarm Clock and Bluetooth Speaker · checked on 7 September 2026
- Core Innovations: ALM204 User Manual