Online Timer

How to use the timer

1. Choose your time. Tap a preset or type hours, minutes and seconds.
2. Check your sound. Under Sound & display, pick Soft chime, Clear beep or Sound off, set the volume and press Test sound. It takes two seconds and saves you from a silent alarm.
3. Press Start. You can pause, resume, or add an extra minute if you need it. Extra time only applies to the current session.
4. When time is up, stop the sound and decide what comes next.

If you want the countdown to fill the screen, press Full screen. Turn on Keep screen awake if you are timing something long and don't want your screen to dim. And keep the page open: a browser tab is not a background alarm, so a locked phone or a suspended tab may delay the sound.

Picking the right timer for the job

The plain timer on this page handles most everyday jobs. A few situations have their own page with extra features:

• Focus work: the Pomodoro Timer runs focus sessions and short and long breaks, and counts how many focus sessions you finish.
• A room full of people: the Classroom Timer shows large numbers, an activity label such as "Reading time", and can end quietly with just a "Time's up" message.
• Tests and exams: the Test Timer adds warnings, extra time, reading time and a clock showing the finish time.
• Eggs: the Egg Timer has soft, medium and hard presets.
• Counting up instead of down: our sister site Online Stopwatch handles laps and split times.

Practical tips for everyday timing

• Name the task before you start. "Ten minutes on the email to the landlord" is easier to begin than "some admin". The timer gives the task an edge; the name gives it a shape.
• Use the extra-minute button honestly. It is there for the moment when you are nearly done, not for quietly turning a short task into an afternoon.
• Pick the gentlest sound that still works. In a quiet office the soft chime is enough. In a noisy kitchen, use the clear beep and test the volume first.
• Put the screen where you can see it. A countdown you can glance at helps more than one buried in a background tab.
• Use Sound off for shared spaces. The numbers still reach zero and the timer shows that time is up, without disturbing anyone.

Why a countdown helps

Here is an observation many people will recognise: the hardest part of a dull job is often the start, not the work itself. "Clean the kitchen" feels endless. "Clean the kitchen until the timer rings" has an end you can see. Nothing about the task has changed, only how much of it you have agreed to.

That is also why we keep this site simple. A timer should get out of the way. There is no account to create, nothing starts by itself, and the page doesn't flash or throw confetti at you when time is up. It just tells you, clearly, and lets you decide what's next.

Questions about this timer

Will the alarm ring if I close the page or lock my phone?

No. Keep the page open. A locked device, a suspended browser or a muted device may delay or block the sound. Adding the site to your home screen does not turn it into a background alarm. Use Test sound before you rely on it.

What happens when I pause or reset?

Pause freezes the remaining time and Resume continues it. Reset goes back to your chosen start time and stops the sound. If a session is running or paused, the timer asks you to confirm before resetting.

Does the countdown keep going in another tab?

Yes. The timer compares the current time with its saved end time, so it does not lose seconds when the screen updates late. Your browser may still delay the alarm sound in a background tab.

What if I reload the page by mistake?

In the same tab, a reload restores your session when browser storage is available. If the timer already ended, you see the result without the alarm ringing again.

Is it accurate enough for exams or sport?

It follows your device's clock and is good for everyday timing, but it is not a certified timing instrument. If you change your computer's clock, the timer will change with it.

Do I need an account?

No. Your sound, volume, theme and Pomodoro settings are saved locally in your browser where possible. See our Privacy page for how analytics and ads work.