How to Set an Alarm on a Mac

There are countless things that you could do with your Mac. But, not many are aware of simple things that Mac is able to do. Like setting an alarm on a Mac. Yes, if you have a Mac placed in your bedroom, or if you are busy chatting with your girlfriend, you can turn your Mac into an alarm clock and keep a track of time. When you know you will be engrossed with work, remember important appointments by setting an alarm on a Mac. If you are asking can you set an alarm on a Mac, then the answer is a big yes.

Setting an Alarm on a Mac using iCal

You no longer have to worry about getting late for any appointment, meeting or forgetting an important event. All you need to do is turn your Mac into an alarm clock. There are many third-party applications that you could use (deal with this part later), but there is an in-built application that you can use. This means, you can use iCal to its full capacity and turn your Mac into an alarm clock.

First things first, you need to set up a date and time in your iCal alarm. Go to the Applications folder on your Mac and select the iCal application. Once the application is open, you need to double-click on the day you want to set an alarm. When you do so, you will get a window that prompts you to add a title to the activity. When you select the activity, you need to click again on the newly created activity. This action will lead to a new window pop up on your screen.

This window contains several options that you can use for setting an alarm on a Mac. With the help of the cursor, select the option that says, Alarm. Select this option by clicking on it and you will get a drop down menu. The drop down menu contains a number of options that are as follows:

Message
This option will be displayed when the alarm goes off. It will have the priority over any other program or dialog box open or running on your Mac. This means, if you are busy in Facebook land, the alarm window will pop up. The minute you read the message, you will be jerked back into reality and take care of more important things.

Message with Sound
This option is similar to the above option. The only difference is that it will also play a sound. So, if you are busy pondering over the files on your table, the sound will help you realize it is time for lunch. You can select your favorite sound from the list available.

E-mail
Suppose you are away from your desk and are relaxing in the coffee-room. Suddenly, you receive an e-mail notification on your phone. It is sent by your Mac Alarm via email to notify that your break time is over and to get back to work. But, be careful, you need to remember to set instant email notification on your desktop as well as phone to be alerted right away.

Open File
This is an interesting option that you can use as your wake up call. You can use the Open File alarm option to open any song or even a movie or file on your computer. This will help notify you that it is time to do the things you had set the alarm for.

There is another option called Run Script that is really complex and useful for advanced users. For now, the above options will be useful for turning your Mac into an alarm clock. Once you select an option, just click 'Done'. Your alarm is set and you will never be late again.

Can You Set an Alarm on a Mac using Other Applications

Can you set an alarm on a Mac by downloading alarm software? Yes, there are plenty of software that you can use for setting an alarm on Mac. Let me enlist some of the useful and popular alarm clock applications that you can download for your Mac.

• Alarm Clock Pro
• Aurora
• Awaken
• iRooster
• Red Alarm

A few of these are free and some are paid applications that you can download for your Mac. As you can see there are a variety of options that will help you turn your Mac into an alarm clock. Use these instructions and you will find yourself on time, most of the time!