Abstract: A wake-up and reminder system for a telephone takes advantage of the attention-drawing characteristics of the telephone ringer to awaken and/or remind a person of various tasks or appointments. The wake-up and reminder system for a telephone is provided with modular jacks for connecting between the telephone and the wall jack. A timer is provided for establishing an alarm time, and a relay responsive to the timer is provided for disconnecting the telephone temporarily from the telephone line. The system includes a ringing device for ringing the telephone at a predetermined rate and an off-hook detection circuit for detecting when the telephone has been taken off the hook. In addition, a second relay is provided responsive to the off-hook detection circuit for disconnecting the telephone from the ringing device and connecting the telephone to a recorder which plays a pre-recorded message.