3 Minute Timer
A 3-minute countdown, ready when you are. Press Start to begin.
Set. Start. Take a breath.
Extra time applies to this session only.
Pause and reset to change the start time.
Sound & display Make it work for you
Press Test sound to check your volume before starting.
Keep this page open. Sound may be delayed or unavailable if your device locks or your browser suspends the page.
Choose your time
Pick a quick preset or enter hours, minutes and seconds.
Find your focus
Press Start. Pause when needed, or add an extra minute.
Make a little space
When time is up, stop the sound and decide what comes next.
Three minutes for one short job.
Use a three-minute timer for a cup of tea, a packet of noodles, a short talk, a plank set or one round of a game.
This page opens at 03:00 without starting automatically. Set your sound and press Start. A clearly marked session may be restored when you reload this same tab.
What three minutes is good for
Good uses
- Tea: set the steeping time printed on the box, or start at three minutes and adjust to taste.
- Instant noodles, cup soups and other packets that tell you to wait a few minutes; check the time on the packet.
- Lightning talks, pitches and “three minutes each” updates in a meeting.
- Plank sets, skipping rounds and other short exercise blocks with a rest in between.
- A board game turn, a quiz round or a quick sketch or writing prompt.
How to use it
The page opens at 03:00. Press Start, and the alarm rings after three minutes. Pause stops the countdown if you are interrupted, and Resume continues with the time that was left.
If the packet or the recipe gives a different time, enter it in the time fields, for example 3 minutes 30 seconds, and press Set timer. +1 min adds a minute to the current run only.
Tips
- In the kitchen, press Test sound once before you start: kitchen noise, an extractor fan or a radio can hide a quiet chime, so pick Clear beep if needed.
- For talks and pitches, start the timer on your first word. If you want a warning before the end, the Test timer can ring warnings ahead of time.
- For exercise rounds, alternate this page with the 1 minute timer for rest, or set your own work and rest times on the main timer.
- Keep the tab open: the browser can only ring the alarm while the page is open and the device is awake.
Questions about this timer
How do I set a timer for three minutes?
Open this page and press Start. It is already set to 03:00 and rings at zero, with no sign-up or app needed.
Is three minutes long enough for a soft-boiled egg?
It is shorter than the typical times we use: the egg timer on this site uses typical times from the American Egg Board’s chef, about 4 to 6 minutes for soft-boiled eggs. Use the egg timer for presets made for eggs.
How long should I steep tea?
It depends on the tea, so follow the time on the packet. This timer counts three minutes by default, and you can enter any other time in the fields below the presets.
Can I see the timer from the other side of the room?
Yes. Open Full screen for large numbers, and try dark mode if the screen is bright or you are using a projector.
A rhythm for your focus ↗
Focus sessions, short breaks and a longer pause. Make the intervals your own.
Open Pomodoro timerTIME EVERYONE CAN SEEKeep the room on track ↗
A clear classroom countdown with an activity label and a quiet finish if you prefer.
Open classroom timerA timer for the time you have.
Pick a preset below. Need to count up instead? Our sister site Online Stopwatch times laps and split times in your browser, free and without an account.
Boiling eggs? The egg timer has soft, medium and hard presets. For two minutes, open the 2 minute timer.
A few timely answers.
What happens when I pause or reset?
Pause freezes the remaining time; Resume continues it. Reset returns to your chosen start time and stops the sound. Resetting a running or paused session asks for confirmation. Extra minutes belong only to that session.
Will the alarm work if I close the app?
No. Keep this page open. A locked device, suspended browser or muted device may delay or prevent sound. A home-screen installation is not a background alarm service. Use Test sound to check before relying on it.
Does the countdown continue in another tab?
The timer compares the current time with its saved end time, so delayed screen updates do not simply lose seconds. When you return, it calculates the remaining time again. Your browser may still delay the alarm.
Can I recover a timer after reloading?
On the same page and tab, a reload restores your saved session when browser storage is available. If it already ended, you see the result without an automatic alarm. A fresh visit starts with that page’s default. Separate tabs keep separate active sessions.
What if I change my computer’s clock?
The timer uses your system clock for its end time and reload recovery. Moving the clock forward can finish the timer early; moving it backward can extend it, with the visible remaining time capped at the session duration. It is not a certified timing instrument.
Does full screen work on my phone?
When supported, Full screen expands the timer. Otherwise a browser-window view is used and browser bars may remain visible. Use Exit full screen or Escape to return.
What is saved on my device?
Active sessions stay in this tab’s session storage. Sound, volume, theme and Pomodoro settings are saved locally when storage is available. Offline website files are cached in your browser. There are no accounts. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts anonymous visits without cookies or personal data.