How to Make Your Mac Announce the Time Automatically

When you are deeply focused on work, gaming, or watching a movie on your Mac, it is incredibly easy to lose track of time. Instead of constantly checking the tiny clock in the top-right corner of your menu bar, you can configure macOS to automatically announce the time aloud at regular intervals.

This classic Mac feature has existed for years, but Apple moved its location in the modern macOS System Settings, making it slightly harder to find.

How to Enable Time Announcements

You can set your Mac to speak the time every hour, half-hour, or quarter-hour.

1. Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings.
2. In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Control Centre.
3. Scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the Control Centre menu until you find the “Menu Bar Only” section.
4. Click on Clock Options.
5. A pop-up window will appear. Look for the checkbox labelled Announce the time and tick it.
6. Click the drop-down menu next to it to choose your frequency. You can select On the hour, On the half hour, or On the quarter hour.

Customising the Announcer’s Voice

By default, the Mac will use the standard system voice to announce the time. If you find the default robotic voice jarring, you can customise exactly how the time is spoken.

1. In the same Clock Options window, click the Customise Voice button next to the “Announce the time” checkbox.
2. A new menu will appear showing the current “Voice” drop-down.
3. Click the drop-down to select a different voice. If you want a highly realistic, human-sounding voice, look for voices labelled “Premium” (such as the Siri voices), which you may need to download by clicking the cloud icon next to them.
4. You can also adjust the speaking rate and volume using the sliders below the voice selection.
5. Click Play Sample to hear exactly what the time announcement will sound like.
6. Click OK when you are satisfied, and then click Done to close the Clock Options.

Your Mac will now act like a digital grandfather clock, providing helpful auditory reminders of the time without requiring you to look away from your work.