Online Timer

What a plain countdown is good for

Most of the day does not need an app with accounts, streaks or charts. It needs a number that goes down and a sound when it reaches zero. That is what this page does. People use it to time a phone call they want to keep short, a stretch break away from the desk, a load of laundry, a child's turn on the tablet, or the gap before they leave the house. A countdown turns "a little while" into something you can see, which makes it easier to stop when you meant to stop.

How to use it

1. Pick a time. Tap a preset (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 60 minutes) or type hours, minutes and seconds and press Set timer.
2. Check the sound first. Choose Soft chime, Clear beep or Sound off, set the volume and press Test sound. A timer you cannot hear is only a clock.
3. Press Start. Pause if you are interrupted. Need a bit longer? +1 min adds a minute to this session only.
4. When it rings, press Stop sound and decide what comes next.

Small tips that make it work better

• Keep the tab open. Browsers may slow down or pause pages in the background, and a locked phone can delay the sound. Turn on Keep screen awake if you are timing something important.
• Use full screen across the room. On a laptop or TV the large digits can be read from a distance, which helps in kitchens, workshops and meetings.
• Pick the gentle sound for shared spaces. The soft chime is enough to notice without startling anyone nearby.
• Round down, not up. If you are not sure how long a task needs, set a shorter time and add minutes. Stopping early feels better than overrunning.

The human side

A timer is a small promise to yourself: "I will do this for ten minutes, then I can stop." That promise is often what gets a boring job started. It also works the other way: it tells you when a break is over, so a five-minute rest does not quietly become forty.