How to use the online alarm clock
Waking at 8:36 pm gives you a quiet moment to shake off sleep before the evening BBC News begins. Set the alarm for the point when you need to sit up, switch on the television and get settled; by 9:00 pm, you can be fully awake and ready for the bulletin rather than searching for the remote as it starts.
Because the BBC News alarm matters at a precise moment, test its sound now, while there is still time to adjust the volume. Choose the same tone and level you intend to use, then run a brief trial and check that it is clearly audible from where you are resting. Keep the browser running and the screen awake: if the session closes or the phone sleeps, the BBC News reminder may never sound, leaving you to miss the opening headlines.
After an evening nap, keep anything you eat or drink simple while you wake up. A glass of water and a small snack can fit into the 24 minutes before 9:00 pm without turning the interval into another task. Leave a full meal, lengthy preparation or a hot drink that needs watching until after the bulletin, so you are not carrying plates or waiting by the kettle when the programme begins.
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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