Is there a way to set an alarm on my Mac?

Wake Up Time - Alarm Clock

By Rocky Sand Studio Ltd.

Open the Mac App Store to buy and download apps.

In calendar, or iCal if you don't have Mountain Lion, make a new event, then right click the event and click get info. uncheck 'all day' if it is. put in the time. put repeat every day or custom if you want. then next to 'alert', put message with sound then click the sound you want. then put on date, and insert the time again. 🙂

Rather than setting sleep to never, which could reduce the screen-life and wear on the internal hardware of the device, it would be more optimized to set the device to wake out of sleep at a certain time, like a few minutes before your calendar alarm is set to go off.

SystemPreferences_EnergySaver_Schedule_StartUP/Sleep_Ok

Hopefully Macs will eventually feature a simple alarm system for everyday consumer needs and lifestyle; most of which will involve requiring the machine to wake up in order to sound the alarm. Simple human necessities are often overlooked in the process designing complex architectures that cater to conspicuous features.

There's quite a few apps in the app store like 'Wake Up Time' but as far as I'm aware they'll only work if your mac is not in Sleep mode.

This works. Thanks!

But Apple should really stick an option right up there in the Date and Time on your actual computer to let you add an alarm. Lots of us get absorbed in work and would like a quick way to just have the computer remind us to stop on time!

Moved back to Mac after a fearful few years on Windows. Do miss alarms. GO HOME --- YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE OFFICE ... VERY IMPORTANT ... YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER LIFE TO LIVE.

Without this, I miss buses, 3 birthday party "surprise". Even a company Christmas dinner! So yeah, I need to be told things.

Hopefully it'll happen.

Were none of the other replies in this thread useful? If not what was lacking?

Personally, I use my iPhone and the "Alarmed" app

<https://itunes.apple.com/app/id371886784>

Or the my perferred calendar app "Week Cal"

<https://itunes.apple.com/app/id381059732>

If you have an Android, I'm sure there are several apps available to provide a similar service. And since you are more likely to have your phone with you, you are less likely to miss the alarm because you are away from your desk.

This is another example of one of my pet peeves: lack of consistency in the Apple platform across devices.

The simple answer everyone would like is for the mac OS to have the same included 'Clock' app as the iPhone and iPad, which includes an alarm function. There is no excuse for not making this the same across devices. I simply do not understand the lack of co-ordination between mac OS and iOS, which seem to be made by two different companies.

The obvious reason for this to be done by Apple is that they can insure that the app wakes you, even if it is asleep.

The solution proposed below of 'message with sound' is really not a substitute, as it gives you one simple sound, like a beep, with no snooze or repetition. Heavy sleepers will just miss this entirely.

Come on, Apple! Give us all the great iOS features on the mac OS. It can't be that hard.

Apple doesn’t routinely monitor the discussions. These are mostly user to user discussions.

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem or a suggestion for change. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem/suggested change solved sooner.

Feedback

Thanks Matt, most helpful and clear to follow.

Much appreciated.

will the alarm still go off while my macbook pro is closed?

System Preferences/Energy Saver - set sleep to never.

cool, thanks!

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

Feedback

I would like to see this sort of functionality but in a different form. Something quick like set alarm built into iCal or just built in to the clock menu item/menu extra. Sending feedback now.