How to use the online alarm clock
You are halfway through something at home when the 11:27 pm alarm needs to pull you away for the neighbourhood patrol. Setting it now gives you a clear stopping point, with enough time to put away what you are using, collect your torch and keys, and be ready before 12:00 am. The signal marks the change from your current task to heading outside, so you do not have to keep checking the clock.
Your patrol reminder may seem unusually quiet if the sound has been routed to headphones without you noticing. Before relying on it, check the browser’s audio destination and play a brief test while the headphones are disconnected or placed where you can hear them. Keep the volume audible but appropriate for the late hour. The patrol alarm cannot alert you after the browser session has ended or the computer has gone to sleep, so use a separate alarm if either could happen before 11:27 pm.
Leaving for a patrol late in the evening can affect everyone else in the house even when they are staying behind. Put your keys, coat and torch near the door earlier, and avoid searching through drawers once the alarm sounds. A moderate alert volume, followed by a quiet departure, reduces the chance of waking someone while still giving you a distinct cue to stop what you are doing.
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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