Online timer

How the timer works

Set a length above, or tap a preset, then press Start. The timer notes the exact moment it should finish and counts down against your device's clock, so it stays accurate if you switch tabs. Pause keeps the time that is left, Reset goes back to the length you set, and +1 min adds a minute at any point.

When it reaches zero, the page shows Time's up and plays the alarm you picked from ten sounds generated in your browser — hear them all on the countdown sounds page. Full screen fills the display with the digits, and while the timer runs, the browser tab shows the time left.

Ways to use a timer

In the kitchen

Time eggs, pasta, rice and tea without watching the clock. Keep the tab open and the alarm will call you back — a 3 minute timer covers instant noodles, and a 4 minute timer suits French press coffee.

In the classroom

Put the timer in full screen on a projector for tests, group work and transitions. The large digits are easy to read from the back of the room, and a 45 minute timer matches a typical lesson.

For workouts

Use short timers for planks and intervals — a 30 second timer for work sets or a 4 minute Tabata round — and longer ones for runs and classes.

For focus and study

The Pomodoro technique alternates 25-minute focus blocks with 5-minute breaks. Start a 25 minute timer, work on one thing until the alarm, then take a 5 minute break.