How to use the online alarm clock
While you watch the clock for the moment to deliver newspapers along the terraced houses, set the alarm for 8:16 am so the round begins when planned. The alert marks a clear start without making you check the screen every minute. With 9:00 am still ahead, there is time to cover the first stretch before the street becomes busier.
The rumble of a passing bus, a radio in the kitchen or bundles being moved by the door can drown out a quiet alert. Set the volume high enough to hear from where you are waiting, then play a brief test signal before relying on it. Keep the browser running and the phone awake until 8:16 am; otherwise the alarm may stay silent and the newspapers could leave later than intended.
Before setting off in the early morning, have a drink within reach and choose something simple to eat if breakfast cannot wait until the newspaper round is finished. Avoid carrying an open mug between terraced doorsteps, where gates, steps and letterboxes already occupy your hands. A filled bottle or lidded flask is easier to put beside the bundles, while a larger breakfast can wait until after the route.
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 8:16 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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