How to use the online alarm clock
Waking at 12:38 pm puts you at the very start of getting ready to meet a train at King’s Cross, so treat the alarm as the signal to get out of bed rather than a reminder to postpone. The 22-minute stretch before 1:00 pm can cover washing, dressing and gathering your ticket, railcard and keys before you head towards the station.
For a King’s Cross departure, the browser alarm needs an awake device throughout the run-up. Keep this page active, leave the sound audible and connect the phone or laptop to power if its battery is low. If the device goes to sleep before 12:38 pm, the alarm may not sound, which could leave too little time to meet the train. A separate phone alarm is a sensible fallback when the departure cannot wait.
That newly awake dash to the station leaves little room for a long midday meal. A glass of water and something quick, such as toast or a banana, fit more easily before leaving than a full lunch that delays you. If the train journey is lengthy, pack a sealed snack for later and save any hot drink for King’s Cross, where carrying it through the concourse and onto the platform may slow you down.
Common questions
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 12:38 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.
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.
Cookie policy