How to use the online alarm clock
An alarm for 10:40 am works well as a backup for anyone who's slept through a phone alarm before: on a desk, on a laptop, wherever the tab's open. Set it, pick a sound you'll actually hear over the kettle, and it'll go off at 10:40 am sharp.
Using it is simple: pick a ringtone from the list, press Start, and leave this tab open in your browser. The alarm runs entirely on this page, so closing the browser will stop it from going off. Come back a minute early if you're not sure you trust it yet.
Some people use this alongside a phone alarm rather than instead of it: a louder backup through laptop speakers, or a way to set a reminder without touching a phone at all. It won't survive the tab closing or the device sleeping, so for anything critical overnight, keep a second alarm running as well. On a 24-hour clock 10:40 am is written 10:40, and spoken aloud it's twenty to eleven in the morning. You'll also see it written 10.40 am — a full stop instead of the colon means the same time. Setting the alarm to 10:40 am tomorrow morning works the same way: if the time has gone for today, the count runs through to it.
Common questions
Why use a browser alarm instead of my phone's built-in one?
Mainly for reliability against silent mode, do-not-disturb, or a phone left charging out of earshot. It's a useful backup or a desk-based alternative, though it depends on this tab staying open rather than running in the background of your phone.
Is there a cost to use this?
No, it's free, with no sign-up and no limit on how many times you set it. It just needs the tab left open until the time you've chosen arrives.
Will the alarm still ring if I close the browser tab?
No. The alarm only runs while this tab stays open — closing it, or closing the browser entirely, stops the countdown before it can ring. Keep the tab open in the background if you need it to go off later.
Does the alarm work if my laptop goes to sleep?
Not reliably. If the device sleeps or the screen locks, the browser tab pauses along with it, so the alarm may not fire on time or at all. Adjust your power settings if you're relying on this over a longer stretch.