How to use the online alarm clock
Break off from your moorland walk when the 7:42 pm alarm sounds, leaving enough time to turn back before mist begins to obscure the path. That alert gives you a clear stopping point while you are still absorbed in the walk, rather than relying on another glance at your watch. With 8:00 pm approaching, you can use the remaining daylight for the familiar route home instead of pressing farther across open ground.
Your surroundings should shape the alarm sound: a gentle tone may be sufficient on a quiet stretch of heath, while a more persistent one is less easily missed beneath wind, conversation or a rustling waterproof. Set the volume before heading out and check that the chosen sound is distinct from ordinary notifications. This browser alarm cannot interrupt your walk if its page has been closed or the phone has gone to sleep, so use a separate phone alarm when you cannot keep it active.
As the evening light fades, identify the last clearly lit junction or landmark on your outward route and plan to be heading back before it becomes difficult to distinguish. At 7:42 pm, avoid depending on the phone screen alone: reduce its brightness beforehand to preserve your view of the ground, and have a charged torch accessible rather than buried at the bottom of a rucksack.
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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