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Countdown Timer

Set a countdown in hours, minutes and seconds and hear an alarm when the time is up.

Runs locally — files never leave your device

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How to use Countdown Timer

  1. 1Enter the hours, minutes and seconds, or tap a preset such as 5 min or 10 min to start straight away.
  2. 2Press Start. The remaining time also appears in the browser tab title.
  3. 3Use Pause, Resume and Reset as needed, or press Full screen for a large display.
  4. 4When the countdown reaches zero, an alarm sounds and Time's up! appears.

A simple online timer with an alarm

Sometimes you just need a timer: for a workout, a meeting, an exam, a classroom activity, baking, a game or a quick break. This online countdown timer starts in one tap, shows big easy-to-read digits and plays an alarm when the time runs out. There's nothing to install and no account to create — open the page and go.

Features

  • Hours, minutes and seconds — set any countdown up to almost 100 hours.
  • One-tap presets for 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 minutes.
  • Pause, resume and reset at any time.
  • Alarm sound generated in the browser, which you can turn off for silent use.
  • Full screen mode for classrooms, presentations and workouts.
  • Countdown in the tab title, so you can see the time left while working in another tab.
  • Accurate in background tabs, because the timer measures the real end time.
  • Progress bar that fills as time passes.

Popular uses

  • Pomodoro technique — work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat four times and take a longer break of 15–30 minutes.
  • Cooking — eggs, pasta, tea and baking all need precise times.
  • Workouts — time planks, intervals, rest periods and stretches.
  • Classrooms — give students a visible limit for tests, group work or tidying up.
  • Meetings and talks — keep presentations and stand-ups on schedule.
  • Games — limit turns in board games, quizzes and charades.
  • Screen time — set a limit for kids' tablet use or your own social media breaks.

Tips for using a timer effectively

Short, focused intervals help many people concentrate. If you find it hard to start a task, try committing to just 10 minutes — once the timer is running, it's often easier to continue. For breaks, set a timer too, so a five-minute pause doesn't turn into thirty.

On phones, keep the screen on and the page in the foreground for the most reliable alarm, because mobile browsers may pause sound in background tabs.

Timer vs. stopwatch

A timer counts down from a set time and alerts you when it reaches zero. A stopwatch counts up from zero to measure how long something takes. If you want to time a run, a speech or a lap, use the Stopwatch. To count the days until an event, use the Date Difference Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Will the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. The timer is based on the clock time when it should end, not on counting ticks, so it stays accurate in a background tab. The remaining time is shown in the tab title so you can check it at a glance. Keep the tab open — closing it stops the timer.
Why didn't I hear the alarm?
Make sure Alarm sound is ticked and your device isn't muted. Some mobile browsers limit sound from background tabs or when the screen is locked, so keep the page visible on phones. The alarm is generated by your browser and doesn't need an internet connection.
What is the longest countdown I can set?
Up to 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. For deadlines days or weeks away, the Date Difference Calculator is a better fit.
Can I use it as a classroom or presentation timer?
Yes. Press Full screen to show large digits on a projector or second screen. The display has high contrast in both dark and light mode.
Does the timer work offline?
Once the page has loaded, the timer runs entirely in your browser and keeps working without an internet connection.

Related tools

StopwatchTime anything to the hundredth of a second, record laps and export your splits.Time Zone ConverterConvert any time between time zones and compare cities side by side — daylight saving included.Date Difference CalculatorCount the days between two dates — including business days — or add and subtract time from a date.Pomodoro TimerWork in focused 25-minute sessions with regular breaks, using the Pomodoro Technique.