How to use the online alarm clock
Setting an alarm for 3:38 am while everyone else is asleep can feel like cheating the clock, but it's usually just planning ahead for an early departure or a shift that starts before sunrise. This will sound at 3:38 am through your speakers, whether it's the depths of winter or a short summer night.
Start by selecting a tone from the dropdown, then hit Start to lock it in. From that point the page does the counting, and it'll ring once the time is reached, but only if the tab is still open somewhere on your device. Closing it, or the browser entirely, cancels the alarm.
The advantage of a browser alarm is volume and reliability at a desk: laptop speakers are often louder and easier to hear across a room than a phone left in a bag. The catch is that it depends entirely on the tab staying open; if the browser closes or the laptop sleeps, the alarm won't fire. On a 24-hour clock 3:38 am is written 03:38, and spoken aloud it's twenty-two minutes to four at night. Timetables and rosters may show it as 03:38, and handwritten notes as 3.38 am. If you need it loud, turn the system volume up before you start: the alarm plays at whatever the device is set to.
Common questions
Can I change the alarm sound?
Yes, there's a short list of tones to choose from before you press Start. Pick whichever one you're most likely to actually hear — softer sounds are easier to sleep through than a firm chime or bell.
What happens once the alarm goes off?
It rings through your device's speakers on a loop until you stop it from this page. There's no separate app notification, so make sure your volume is turned up before you rely on it.
Is this alarm accurate across daylight saving time?
It uses your device's local clock, so as long as your computer's time and date settings are correct, it'll adjust automatically when daylight saving time starts or ends.
Can I use this on my phone instead of a laptop?
Yes, it works in a mobile browser the same way, but phones are more likely to lock the screen or sleep, which can stop the alarm from ringing. A laptop or desktop tends to be more reliable for this.