How to use the online alarm clock
Pause halfway through preparing the fireplace for a cold night and set the alarm for 11:15 pm, so the task does not quietly stretch towards 12:00 am. That gives you a clear point to step away from arranging kindling, checking the hearth and making sure the fireguard is ready. Once the alarm sounds, finish only what is safely in hand rather than starting another job beside the fire.
A fireplace task suits an alarm tone that matches how absorbed you are likely to become. Choose a softer sound if the room is quiet and you only need a gentle cue; use a more persistent tone if crackling logs, conversation or the television could mask it. Set the volume before returning to the hearth, then leave the alarm running and the phone awake: otherwise the fireplace reminder may never sound, and you could miss the intended stopping point.
While working by firelight at 11:15 pm, keep the display from becoming the brightest object in the room. Lower its brightness before setting the alarm, use a warmer screen setting if available, and place the phone where the time remains readable without repeated close checks. This reduces harsh contrast for your eyes while still letting you confirm that the alarm is active.
Common questions
Do I need an account or an app?
Neither. Choose a time and a sound, press Start, and it runs in this browser tab. Nothing is downloaded, nothing is registered, and closing the page leaves nothing behind on the device.
Can I change the sound?
Yes, there is a short list of tones to pick from before you press Start. Softer sounds are easy to sleep through, so a firmer bell tends to be the safer choice for anything early in the morning.
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.
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