How to use the online alarm clock
An afternoon alarm at 5:28 pm works well for anyone who's ducked away for a quick rest and doesn't trust themselves to wake up on their own. Set the time, choose a tone, and leave the tab open. It'll ring at 5:28 pm through your laptop or desktop speakers.
Pick whichever sound you're most likely to actually notice, then press Start. The alarm is tied to this browser tab, so it needs to stay open. Minimising the window is fine, but closing the tab or the browser will stop the countdown before it ever rings.
Because this runs in the browser rather than on the phone's operating system, it sidesteps silent mode and do-not-disturb entirely, useful if your phone alarm has ever failed to go off for exactly that reason. Just be aware it needs the tab open and the screen or laptop lid to stay on to actually ring. On a 24-hour clock 5:28 pm is written 17:28, and spoken aloud it's twenty-eight minutes past five in the evening. You'll also see it written 5.28 pm — a full stop instead of the colon means the same time. Setting the alarm to 5:28 pm 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.