3 minute timer
Three minutes is a classic steeping time for black tea and a common length for a round in boxing.
Ready
Ends 3 minutes after you press Start.
Free, no sign-up — runs in your browser. Nothing you set is sent anywhere.
Keyboard: Space start or pause, R reset, F full screen.
3 minutes in other units
- Seconds
- 180
- Share of an hour
- 5%
- 1/20 of an hour
- On the timer
- 03:00
- Back to back
- 480 a day
- fit exactly into 24 hours
What a 3 minute timer is good for
- Tea. Many black teas are steeped for three to five minutes; green teas usually take less.
- Instant noodles. Most instant noodle packets say three minutes in boiling water.
- Boxing rounds. Professional boxing rounds last three minutes, with a minute of rest between them.
- Egg timer. Three minutes is the traditional "egg timer" length for a soft-boiled egg.
Timing a transition in class? The classroom timer shows a large ring that changes color as time runs low. Open the classroom timer
Other timers
Timer modes
About this timer
The countdown runs against your device's clock from the moment you press Start, so it stays accurate in a background tab. The line under the digits shows the local time it will end. Pick one of ten alarm sounds, all generated in your browser (hear them on the countdown sounds page), and use full screen to read the time from across a room. Need a different length? Set a custom timer.
Related
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a timer for 3 minutes?
This page is already set to 3 minutes. Press Start, or the Space bar, and the countdown begins; when it reaches zero, the alarm sounds and the page shows Time's up. Pause stops the clock and Reset takes it back to 3 minutes.
How many seconds are in 3 minutes?
180 seconds, or 1/20 of an hour.
How long should I steep tea?
It depends on the tea: black tea is often steeped for about three to five minutes and green tea for two to three. The packet usually gives the best guide.
Will the alarm go off if I switch tabs or lock my phone?
In a background tab on a computer, yes. The countdown is worked out from the real clock and the alarm is scheduled with the browser's sound engine when you press Start, so it stays on time. Phones often pause web pages while the screen is locked, so the sound may wait until you unlock; keep the screen on (the timer asks the browser to do that where it can) and the volume up. You can also turn on "Notify me when time's up" for a system notification. When you come back to the page, it shows the right state straight away.