Timer and Stopwatch

What is an online timer and stopwatch?

An online timer counts down from a time you choose and alerts you when it reaches zero. An online stopwatch does the opposite: it starts at zero and counts up, so you can measure how long something takes. Both run in your web browser, so there is nothing to download, and they work on a phone, a tablet or a computer.

People use a timer to cook, study, exercise and run meetings. They use a stopwatch to time races, workouts, speeches and experiments. This page gives you both in one place.

Timer or stopwatch: which one do you need?

• Use the timer when you know the length: Boiling an egg, a 25-minute study block, a 10-minute presentation slot or a 2-minute teeth-brushing routine all have a set duration. The timer warns you when it ends.
• Use the stopwatch when you want to measure: A lap around the track, how long a task really takes or how fast you solve a puzzle are all things you measure after the fact.

How to use the countdown timer

Type the hours, minutes and seconds, or press a preset such as 5 min, 25 min or 1 hour. Press Start and the time counts down on the big display and in the title of your browser tab, so you can see it while you work in another tab. Press Pause to stop and Resume to continue, or Reset to start over.

When the time reaches zero the display turns red and an alarm of three beeps repeats until you press Stop alarm. Browsers only allow sound after you click something, which is why the alarm is enabled when you press Start. You can switch the sound off and rely on the red screen instead.

How to use the stopwatch and lap times

Press Start to begin, Pause to stop and Reset to clear everything. While the stopwatch is running, press Lap to record a lap. Each lap shows two numbers. The lap time is how long that lap took, and the total time is how much time has passed since the start.

For example, if your first lap ends at 30.50 seconds and your second lap ends at 1 minute 2.00 seconds, the second lap time is 31.50 seconds. After three laps, the fastest lap is shown in green and the slowest in red, so it is easy to see how your pace changes.

Popular timer settings

• Pomodoro focus: Work for 25 minutes, then rest for 5. After four rounds, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
• Brushing your teeth: Dentists usually advise brushing for two minutes, twice a day.
• Boiling eggs: Soft-boiled eggs often take about 6 minutes and hard-boiled eggs 9 to 12 minutes, depending on size and stove.
• Tea: Most black tea needs 3 to 5 minutes, and green tea a little less.
• Interval training: A Tabata round is 20 seconds of hard work and 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times for 4 minutes.
• Meditation and breaks: Short timers of 5 to 10 minutes help you rest without watching the clock.

Using a timer for study and work

The Pomodoro technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, and it is named after his tomato-shaped kitchen timer. The idea is simple: work with full focus until the timer rings, then take a real break. A fixed end time makes it easier to start, and regular breaks keep your attention fresh.

Timers also help in classrooms and meetings. Teachers use them for exams and group work, and managers use them to keep each speaker on schedule.

Fitness and sport

A stopwatch with laps is useful for running, swimming and cycling, because you can see whether you keep an even pace. Interval workouts, planks and rest periods are easier with a timer that rings on its own.

Remember that you start and stop the stopwatch by hand, so your reaction time adds roughly a fifth of a second to each measurement. It is perfect for training and for fun, but it is not meant for official race timing.

How accurate is an online timer?

This timer does not count ticks. It compares the current time with the exact moment the countdown should end, so it stays accurate even if the page is busy for a moment. If you switch to another tab, the browser may update the display less often, but the time shown is always correct when you return.

On a phone, a locked screen or a closed browser can pause web pages. For long timers, keep the tab open and the screen awake, and turn the volume up so you do not miss the alarm.

Why use our free timer and stopwatch?

• Two tools in one page: A countdown timer with an alarm and a stopwatch with laps.
• Precise: The stopwatch shows hundredths of a second.
• Handy presets: One tap for the most popular timer lengths.
• Private: Nothing is uploaded, stored or tracked.
• Free: No signup, no ads in the way and nothing to install.