How to Set an Alarm on Windows 10 Computer

Setting an alarm on your Windows 10 PC is handy for reminders, wake-up calls, or timing tasks without needing your phone. Windows 10 includes a built-in Alarms & Clock app that works reliably, and you can even make the alarm play music from your PC. This guide walks you through the steps, from opening the app to customizing the alarm sound and troubleshooting common issues.

What You’ll Need

A Windows 10 PC with the Alarms & Clock app (pre-installed on all versions).
Your PC must be set to the correct time and time zone (check in Settings > Time & Language).
If you want the alarm to sound while the PC is asleep, you’ll need to adjust power settings (explained in Tips).

Step-by-Step

Open the Alarms & Clock app. Click the Start button (Windows icon) in the bottom-left corner, type “Alarms” in the search box, and select the “Alarms & Clock” app from the results. Alternatively, you can find it in the Start menu under “A” or by typing “alarms” in the search bar.
Go to the Alarm tab. The app opens with the Alarm tab selected by default. If not, click the “Alarm” icon (a clock with an alarm bell) in the left sidebar.
Create a new alarm. Click the plus (+) button in the bottom-right corner of the window. This opens a new alarm editing panel.
Set the time. Use the hour and minute fields to set your desired alarm time. You can type the numbers directly or use the up/down arrows. Make sure to select AM or PM correctly (the app uses a 12-hour clock by default; you can change to 24-hour in Settings).
Name your alarm (optional). Click the “Alarm name” field and type a label like “Wake up” or “Meeting reminder.” This helps identify multiple alarms.
Choose the repeat days. Click the “Repeat” drop-down and select which days you want the alarm to repeat. You can choose single days, multiple days, or “Once” for a one-time alarm. The default is “Once.”
Select a sound. Click the “Sound” drop-down and choose from the built-in tones (like “Chimes” or “Radar”). To use your own music or audio file, click “Browse” and navigate to the file on your PC. The file must be in MP3, WAV, or M4A format.
Set snooze time (optional). The “Snooze” drop-down lets you choose how long to delay the alarm when you click Snooze (from 1 to 30 minutes). The default is 10 minutes.
Save the alarm. Click the save icon (a floppy disk shape) in the bottom-right corner of the editing panel. Your alarm now appears in the list.
Test the alarm (optional). To ensure it works, you can set the time a minute ahead and wait for it to sound. When it goes off, you’ll see a full-screen notification with options to Snooze or Dismiss.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to save the alarm: If you close the editing panel without clicking the save icon, the alarm is not created. Look for the save button (floppy disk) before leaving.
Wrong AM/PM: A classic error. Double-check the AM/PM selection, especially for morning alarms.
Alarm not ringing because the PC is asleep: By default, Windows may put the PC to sleep, and the alarm won’t sound. You need to adjust power settings (see Tips).
Silent sound: If you selected a custom audio file that is corrupt or unsupported, the alarm may not play. Stick to built-in sounds or verify your file is valid.
Alarm volume too low: The alarm uses the system volume. If your volume is muted or very low, you might miss it. Ensure the volume is up and not muted.

Tips

Keep the PC awake: To ensure the alarm sounds even when the PC is idle, go to Settings > System > Power & sleep. Under “Sleep,” set “On battery power, sleep after” and “When plugged in, sleep after” to “Never” (or a long duration). This keeps the PC awake, but be aware it uses more power.
Use a custom sound: You can use any MP3 as your alarm sound. Choose a loud, distinctive track so you don’t sleep through it.
Multiple alarms: You can create several alarms for different purposes (wake-up, medication, meetings). Name them clearly to avoid confusion.
Quick access: Pin the Alarms & Clock app to your taskbar for one-click access. Right-click the app icon in the Start menu and select “Pin to taskbar.”
Change time format: If you prefer 24-hour time, go to Settings > Time & Language > Date & time and toggle “Use 24-hour format” to On. The alarm app will follow this.

Troubleshooting

Alarm doesn’t sound at all:

Check that the alarm is enabled (the toggle next to the alarm name is On).
Verify the time and AM/PM are correct.
Ensure the PC is not in sleep or hibernate mode. If it is, adjust power settings as described in Tips.
Check the volume: right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and ensure the volume is not muted and is high enough.
Restart the Alarms & Clock app (close it and reopen). Sometimes the app may glitch.

Alarm sounds but is too quiet:

Increase the system volume. The alarm uses the same volume as other system sounds.
If using a custom sound, try a louder audio file.
Check if the sound is set to “Default” in the Sound drop-down; try a different built-in sound.

Alarm doesn’t show notification:

Notifications might be disabled for the app. Go to Settings > System > Notifications & actions. Scroll to “Alarms & Clock” and ensure notifications are turned on.
If the PC is locked, the alarm should still appear as a full-screen notification. If not, check that the lock screen is not blocking it (rare).

Custom sound won’t play:

Make sure the file is in a supported format (MP3, WAV, M4A).
Check that the file is not corrupted by playing it in another app.
Try a different file or use a built-in sound.

Alarm app won’t open:

Restart your PC. If the app is still not opening, try running the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter: Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Windows Store Apps.
Update the app from the Microsoft Store (search for “Alarms & Clock” and check for updates).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set an alarm that wakes my PC from sleep? Yes, but you need to adjust power settings. Set the sleep timer to “Never” as described in Tips. Alternatively, you can use the Task Scheduler to wake the PC, but that’s more advanced.

Does the alarm work if the PC is locked? Yes, the alarm will sound and show a full-screen notification even when the PC is locked.

Can I set multiple alarms at the same time? Yes, you can create as many alarms as you need. They will all appear in the list and go off simultaneously.

Can I use Spotify or other streaming services as the alarm sound? No, the Alarms & Clock app only supports local audio files. You cannot directly link a streaming service. You could download the audio file if legally permitted and use it as a custom sound.

What happens if I close the Alarms & Clock app? The alarm will still go off because the app runs in the background. You don’t need to keep the window open.

How do I delete an alarm? In the Alarm tab, right-click the alarm you want to remove and select “Delete,” or click the alarm to open it and then click the trash can icon.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →