How the online timer works
The page opens with 5 minutes set. Press Start to begin; the same button becomes Pause and then Resume. Reset puts the full duration back, and +1 min adds a minute at any time, even while the timer is running or just after the alarm, when you need a little longer.
To choose another length, type the minutes (up to 999) and seconds (up to 59) and press Set the timer. When time is up, the clock shows “Time’s up!”, a short series of beeps plays and phones that support it vibrate. Press Start again to repeat the same duration.
Under the hood, the timer stores the moment it should end and recalculates the remaining time from your device’s clock on every update. That is why this countdown timer stays exact in a background tab instead of drifting, as timers that simply count ticks can do.
A visual timer for the classroom
Teachers often need a clock the whole room can read. Press Full screen and the page shows only the large digits and a progress ring that shrinks as time passes, which helps younger students who cannot yet read a clock. The screen is kept awake while the timer runs, where the browser supports it, so a projector or interactive whiteboard does not dim halfway through an activity. Common classroom lengths include a 5-minute warm-up, a 10 minute timer for group work and a 45 minute timer for a full class period.
Popular timer lengths
| Length | Typical uses |
|---|---|
| 1–3 minutes | Brushing teeth, drills, short speeches, boxing rounds |
| 4–8 minutes | Tabata workouts, tea and coffee, presentation rehearsals |
| 10–20 minutes | Breaks, tidying up, reading, short naps |
| 25 minutes | One focus block of the Pomodoro Technique, on the 25 minute timer |
| 30–60 minutes | Workouts, homework, exams, baking, meetings |
Each preset has its own page with tips for that length; the list of popular timers sits next to the clock.
Run multiple timers at once
Cooking three dishes, timing several groups or juggling laundry and the oven? Below the main clock, Multiple timers lets you add as many named timers as you need, for example “Pasta 9 min” and “Sauce 20 min”. Each starts as soon as you add it, has its own Start, Pause, Reset and +1 min buttons, and sounds its own alarm with its name announced when it ends. The list is kept in this browser, so running timers survive a reload.
Timer or countdown?
This online timer counts down a duration: 10 minutes from now, whenever now is. To count down to a date and time on the calendar, such as a launch at 9 am next Friday, create a countdown to any date and time instead. To measure how long something takes, counting up with lap times, use the online stopwatch.
Good to know
- Everything runs in your browser. The only thing remembered is your alarm sound preference, stored in this browser.
- Check the volume of your device before an important timing: the alarm plays through the browser’s audio.
- Browsers only allow sound after you interact with the page, which is why the alarm is prepared when you press Start.