How to use the online alarm clock
You are waking at 3:41 am with the meteor shower over the heathland still ahead of you. This alarm marks the point for getting out of bed, checking the sky and gathering the warm layers you left ready. Reaching the viewing spot before 4:00 am gives your eyes time to adjust to the darkness rather than arriving hurried and missing the quieter opening minutes.
While you pull on a coat and collect a torch, the running alarm page can remain behind another browser tab. It should continue counting there, although browser power-saving settings may restrict background activity. The sound also depends on the page remaining open and the phone or computer staying awake; if either stops running, no alarm will sound and the meteor shower may pass while you sleep. The screen can be dimmed without closing the browser.
A pre-dawn watch on a British heath can leave little appetite for rushing into the rest of the day. Before setting off, note when you need to be back and allow a separate margin for walking from the viewing place, packing damp gear and having breakfast. That reserve keeps the 3:41 am start connected to whatever comes next that morning, even if cloud cover persuades you to wait a little longer.
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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