How to use the online alarm clock
While you keep an eye on the clock for the evening BBC News bulletin, an alarm set for 11:38 pm lets you wait without repeatedly checking the time. It marks the moment to switch over, with 22 minutes still available before 12:00 am if the programme or its follow-up coverage continues towards midnight.
Because the reminder is needed late in the evening, check that the phone or laptop will remain awake until it fires and keep the browser running. If the device falls asleep beforehand, the browser alarm may stay silent and the BBC News bulletin could begin without your reminder. Set the volume at a level you can hear from where you are sitting, then leave the alarm page undisturbed while you wait.
As the bulletin approaches, household and street noise may be fading, so a loud alert at 11:38 pm can feel sharper than it would earlier in the evening. Reduce nearby background sound first, such as a television in another room, and choose a moderate alarm volume. That should make the signal distinct without letting it carry unnecessarily through a quiet home close to midnight.
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.
Cookie policy