How do I set a timer for 5 minutes?

Tap the 5-minute preset and start it, or press Space on a computer. You can also type 5 in the minutes field or drag the dial to 5. When it reaches zero, the sound repeats until you stop it.

Will the timer still go off if I switch to another tab?

Yes, on a computer, as long as the tab stays open and the computer stays awake. The timer reads the device's clock, so a slowed-down background tab doesn't make it late, and the tab title tells you when time is up.

Does the online timer work when my phone is locked?

Not reliably. Phones often pause or freeze the browser when the screen locks, and then the sound can be late or silent. Keep the page open on screen. While the timer runs, it asks the browser to keep the screen awake, on browsers that support it.

Why can't I hear the timer on my iPhone?

Check the silent switch first, because it can mute the page. The browser also won't let a page play sound until you've tapped it once. After that, check both the phone's volume and the volume in the timer.

Can I set a timer for longer than 24 hours?

Yes. You can type up to 99 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds. For something days or weeks away, like a trip, the Countdown is easier, since you pick a date and time instead of a length.

How do I make the timer repeat automatically?

Turn on Repeat. Each time the timer reaches zero, it starts the same length again by itself, until you stop it.

What happens if I refresh the page?

A running timer carries on where it was, because it works from your device's clock. Closing the tab is different: nothing can ring once the page is gone, so leave it open until time is up.

Is this timer really free?

Yes. No download, no sign-up and no account. Your settings and recent timers are saved in your own browser, so clearing your browser data resets them.

Online Timer: Free Timer With Sound, Presets and Repeat

This is a simple online timer: pick a length up to 99 hours 59 minutes, start it, and it rings at zero until you stop it. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install and no account.

Three ways to set the timer

Use whichever is quickest for the time you need.

Drag the dial. Put a finger or the mouse on the ring and move it around, like turning a kitchen timer. It's the fastest way to land on a time when you don't need it to the second.
Type it. Enter hours, minutes and seconds. This is the way to go for exact times like 2 minutes 45 seconds, or long ones up to 99 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds.
Tap a preset. One tap sets 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
Use a recent time. The last lengths you used are kept as quick picks, so the 7 minutes for your eggs or the 40 minutes for your study block is one tap away next time.

Pause, add a minute and see when it ends

Once it's running, you can pause and resume as often as you like, reset to start over, or tap +1 min when the pasta needs a little longer or the class wants one more minute on the quiz. No need to stop it and set it again.

The timer also shows the clock time it will end. That helps when "done at 6:40" means more to you than "23 minutes left", like when you have to leave the house or a meeting starts after your break.

What happens when time is up

When the timer reaches zero, it does its best to get your attention:

The sound repeats until you stop it, or for 2 minutes if you're not there to stop it.
The screen pulses, so you can see it from across the room even with the volume low.
The browser tab's title says time is up, so you can spot it among your other tabs.
If you turned on browser notifications and allowed them, you also get a notification.

Repeat mode for intervals and rounds

Turn on Repeat and the timer starts the same length again by itself each time it reaches zero. You set it once, and it keeps going round after round until you stop it.

That's useful for anything that comes in equal pieces: a set of exercises every 2 minutes, a station rotation in class every 10 minutes, a reminder to stand up and stretch every 30 minutes, or a turn limit in a board game. Repeat runs one length over and over. If you want two lengths that take turns, like 25 minutes of work and 5 of rest, the Focus timer is built for that.

Sounds, volume, full screen and themes

There are five sounds: Bell, Chime, Wood, Beep and Gentle, with a volume control. They're made right in the browser, so there's nothing to load when time runs out. Try them before you need them: something sharp for a noisy kitchen, something softer to wake up from a nap.

Full screen shows the time big and clean, which works well on a classroom projector, a TV during a home workout or a laptop on the kitchen counter. While the timer runs, the page also asks the browser to keep the screen awake, on browsers that support it, so the display doesn't go dark halfway through.

You can pick one of four themes: Walnut, the default dark one, Linen (light), Graphite (black) and Clay (warm light).

Everyday ways to use an online timer

Cooking: eggs, rice, pasta, tea, cookies, letting a steak rest. Type exact seconds when they matter.
Studying: set 25 or 45 minutes and work until it rings. For study cycles with breaks built in, use the Focus timer.
Workouts: planks, rest between sets, a jump rope round, or equal intervals with Repeat on.
Naps: tap the 20-minute preset for a short nap and pick a gentle sound to wake up to.
Classroom: put it in full screen on the projector for a quiz, a group task or cleanup time, so the whole room can see what's left.
Presentations and meetings: keep a talk, a pitch rehearsal or each agenda item to its slot, and add a minute when the discussion needs it.
Games: turn limits, drawing rounds, a speed challenge, or how long the kids get on the tablet.

Phones, background tabs and locked screens

The timer measures time from your device's clock instead of counting ticks, so it stays accurate when you switch to another tab and the browser slows that tab down. If you reload the page while it's running, it carries on where it was.

The honest limit: it can only ring while this page is open. On a computer, keep the tab open (in the background is fine) and don't let the computer go to sleep. On a phone, the browser may pause a page you leave, and a locked phone can freeze the browser, so the sound can come late or not at all. The safest way on a phone is to leave the timer on screen.

On iPhone, the silent switch can mute the timer, and the page can't make any sound until you've tapped it at least once. Turn the silent switch off and check the volume before you walk away. If a missed alarm would really matter, set one on your phone's clock app too.

Keyboard shortcuts on a computer

Shortcuts let you run the timer during a presentation or a lesson without hunting for a button.

Space: start or pause
R: reset
F: full screen

Timer, kitchen timer, countdown timer: same tool

People call this a timer, an online timer, a kitchen timer, an egg timer or a countdown timer. It all means the same thing: you choose a length, it counts down to zero, and it rings. If you want to count down to a date instead, like a holiday or an exam, the Countdown page does that. To find out how long something takes, use the Stopwatch.

Online Timer