How to use the online alarm clock
Preparing the studio early for a BBC morning broadcast gives you room to check microphones, levels and running notes before anyone needs them. Set the alarm for 2:08 am as a firm point in that preparation, leaving the remaining work clearly defined before 3:00 am rather than letting the night drift.
The studio surroundings should determine which alarm sound you choose. A gentler tone suits a quiet control room when you are already nearby and need a discreet cue; a more insistent one makes sense if you may be absorbed in testing audio or reading the programme brief. Set a sensible volume and use the preview to judge it against the room’s background hum. Because this browser alarm cannot sound after its page is closed or the computer goes to sleep, it should not be the only safeguard for the studio preparation.
People elsewhere in the house may still be asleep when the 2:08 am alarm sounds, so keep the computer close and lower the volume enough to contain the noise to your room. Shut the door beforehand, move rattling objects away from the speakers, and use vibration on a separate phone as a quieter backup. That reduces the chance of waking everyone while still marking the moment to continue the overnight setup.
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 2:08 am?
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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