How To Set and Schedule Alarm Clock on an Apple MacBook Laptop

Setting and scheduling an alarm clock on your Apple MacBook laptop is easy with the built-in Clock app or Calendar app. As a MacBook user and tech writer for over 10 years, I will guide you through the simple process in this article.

Set a One-Time Alarm with the Clock App

The Clock app is the easiest way to set a quick one-time alarm on your MacBook.

  • Open the Clock app from your Applications folder or Launchpad
  • Click on Alarm at the top
  • Hit the plus (+) button in the top right corner
  • Set the desired alarm time using the scroll wheels
  • You can also name the alarm in the Label section
  • Choose an alarm sound under Sound – there are default and custom options
  • Enable snooze if you want the alarm to repeat within 10 minutes
  • Click Save

The alarm will ring at the scheduled time. To stop it, click on the notification or press any key.

Tip: Don’t force quit the Clock app or the scheduled alarms won’t ring.

Set a Recurring Alarm with Clock App

You can also set an alarm to recur daily or on specific days with the Clock app.

  • Follow the same steps to create the alarm
  • Under Repeat, select the days you want the alarm to recur
  • It can repeat Daily, Weekdays, Weekends, or you can choose multiple days
  • Save the alarm

This way, you don’t need to manually enable the alarm every day.

Set Alarm with Siri

Use Siri to easily set a one-time or recurring alarm.

  • Click on the Siri icon in the menu bar or say “Hey Siri”
  • Say “Set an alarm for TIME” or “Set an alarm on DAY at TIME”
  • For example, “Set an alarm for 8 AM” or “Set an alarm on Monday at 10 AM”
  • To set a recurring alarm, say “Set an alarm on Weekdays at 7 AM”

Siri will confirm the alarm details. The alarm will ring on schedule.

Set Alarm in Calendar App

The Calendar app also allows you to set one-time or recurring alarms for events.

  • Open the Calendar App
  • Double-click on the date and time for the alarm
  • Enter a name for the event
  • Scroll down and turn on Alert > Message with Sound
  • Choose when to trigger the alert
  • Can also set it to repeat on certain days

This will create an event with an alarm reminder in your calendar.

Set Alarm to Wake Up Sleeping MacBook

By default, alarms created in Clock, Siri or Calendar will not wake up a sleeping MacBook with the lid closed.

Here is how to ensure the alarm sound plays:

  • Keep the MacBook lid open while sleeping
  • Connect your MacBook to an external speaker
  • The alarm sound will play on the connected speaker

Alternatively, use third-party alarm apps like Alarm Clock for Mac that can force your MacBook to wake up.

Customize and Manage Alarms

Delete an alarm: Click on the alarm and select Delete

Change an alarm: Click on it and edit the time or other settings

Adjust volume: Use the volume buttons on your MacBook keyboard or change system sound settings

Turn off for a day: Hover over the alarm tile and click on the bell icon to disable sound

Get notified before alarm: Enable a pre-alarm notification in Settings

Set auto-snooze duration: Customize in Settings

Set fade-in duration for alarm sound: Choose under Settings

Sync alarms with iPhone and iPad: Sign in to iCloud on all devices

Conclusion

With the inbuilt Clock, Calendar and Siri features, you can easily set one-time or recurring alarms on your Apple MacBook. This lets you schedule timely alerts and reminders without any third-party apps. Use the tips in this article to set alarms that suit your needs. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!