How to use the online alarm clock
You are halfway through something else when 1:57 pm needs to pull you away to meet the sightseeing boat at the canal lock. The alarm marks the moment to stop, gather what you need and head to the agreed spot. With 2:00 pm close behind, there is little room for finishing one more job before leaving.
While you check directions or messages, the alarm page may slip behind another tab. It can remain there while the browser is active, although background pages are sometimes given fewer resources, so make sure the sound is audible beforehand. If you close the page or let the phone or laptop sleep, the alarm cannot sound, and the boat may reach the canal lock while you are still occupied.
A lockside meeting near midday can put you in hard sunshine, shifting cloud or glare reflected from the water. Before returning to your task, note which side of the canal offers shade and place sunglasses or a peaked cap with the things you are taking. Keeping the screen brightness high enough to read outdoors also avoids searching for directions at 1:57 pm.
Common questions
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
Can I use this on a phone?
It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.
Does the alarm still work if I close the tab?
No. Everything runs inside this page, so closing the tab — or quitting the browser altogether — ends the countdown there and then. Leaving it open in the background is all it asks, and switching to another tab makes no difference.
What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 1:57 pm?
The tab sleeps along with it and the alarm will not sound on time, if at all. If you are relying on it, change the power settings so the machine stays awake, or keep a phone alarm running as well.
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