Online Timer
A simple countdown timer for cooking, workouts, study sessions and meetings. Set hours, minutes and seconds or tap a preset, then pause, resume or reset as you go. An optional beep tells you when time is up.
Ready
The countdown is measured from the time you press Start, so it stays accurate even if this tab is in the background. Some browsers delay sounds in background tabs, so keep the tab open if you rely on the alarm.
How to Use the Online Timer
- Enter hours, minutes and seconds, or tap a preset such as 5 min or 15 min.
- Press Start. The remaining time also appears in the browser tab title, so you can check it from another tab.
- Press Pause to stop the countdown and Resume to carry on. Reset takes you back to the time you set.
- When the countdown reaches zero, a Time’s up message appears and, if Play a sound is ticked, you hear three short beeps.
Examples
Pomodoro study session
- Input
- 25 minutes
- Output
- 00:25:00 counts down to 00:00:00, then beeps
Quick break
- Input
- Preset: 5 min
- Output
- 00:05:00 countdown
About the Online Timer
A countdown timer helps you stay on schedule: boiling eggs, holding a plank, practising a presentation, sitting a mock exam or working in focused 25-minute Pomodoro sessions. This one works in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers, with large digits that are easy to read from across a room.
Instead of subtracting one second at a time, the timer records the moment it should finish and compares that with the current time several times a second. Browsers slow down timers in background tabs, but because of this approach the countdown is still correct when you come back.
The alarm is three short beeps made with your browser’s Web Audio API, without audio files or external services. Some browsers and phones silence web audio in background tabs, in silent mode or when the screen is locked, so for anything critical keep this tab visible or use your device’s built-in alarm as well.
The timer runs entirely in your browser and needs no account. It stops if you close or reload the tab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. The countdown is based on the time it is due to finish, so it stays accurate in a background tab. The display catches up as soon as you return.
Why didn’t I hear the alarm?
Check that Play a sound when time is up is ticked, your volume is turned up and the tab is not muted. Some phones block web audio when the screen is locked or in silent mode.
How long can the timer run?
Up to 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds.
What is the difference between a timer and a stopwatch?
A timer counts down from a set time to zero. A stopwatch counts up from zero to measure how long something takes. Use the Stopwatch if you need lap times.
Does the timer work offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, the timer runs entirely in your browser and does not need an internet connection.
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