Online Timer - Free Countdown Timer

Quick preset timers

Jump straight into a countdown - click a preset to open the timer and start it instantly.

You can also share any timer by copying the URL - hours, minutes, seconds, label and sound are all encoded in the link.

Key features

• Accurate to the second: Built on the browser's performance.now() API with an absolute end-time, so the alarm still fires on time if the tab is backgrounded or your laptop briefly sleeps.
• Countdowns up to 23:59:59: Covers anything from a 30-second plank to an 8-hour shift alarm.
• Labels for every timer: Name each session ("Pasta", "Deep work", "Tea steep"). The label shows inside the ring and sticks with the timer in the recents list.
• 6 alarm tones: Radar, Beacon, Chime, Digital, Gentle and Classic. A short preview plays when you pick a new sound.
• Recents with drag-to-reorder: Your last 18 timers are saved locally. Drag cards on desktop to sort; tap play to rerun any timer.
• Tab title countdown: While the timer runs the remaining time shows in the tab title, so you can see it without switching windows.
• URL autostart: Open /timer/?m=25&autostart=1 to start a 25-minute timer immediately - perfect for bookmarks and shortcuts.
• Dark & light mode: Matches the rest of stopwatch-online.com and respects your choice.
• Works offline: Once the page loads, the timer runs entirely in your browser - no connection needed.

How to use the countdown timer

Step 1: Set the time

On desktop, click the hours, minutes or seconds digits and type a number. The highlighted field auto-advances to the next unit once two digits are entered, so 25 on minutes moves the focus straight to seconds. On mobile, tap a field and pick from the dropdown.

Step 2: Add a label (optional)

Use the Label field to remember what the timer is for - "Pasta", "Pomodoro focus", "Tea steep", "Kid's screen time". The label shows inside the countdown ring and is saved to recents.

Step 3: Pick an alarm sound

Open the Sound selector to choose the alarm. A short sample plays when you select a tone so you know exactly what will fire.

Step 4: Start the countdown

Click Start or press Space. A progress ring fills down, the target clock time appears above the countdown, and the remaining time updates in the browser tab title.

Pause, resume, cancel

While running, Pause holds the countdown without losing progress. Click the button again (or Space) to resume from the same remaining time. Cancel returns to setup.

When the timer finishes

The alarm plays in a loop until you dismiss it. Click Stop or press Space to silence it and reset.

Keyboard shortcuts (desktop)

• Space - Start / Pause / Stop the alarm
• Tab - Move between hours, minutes and seconds while editing
• Enter - Start the timer after entering a value
• Backspace - Clear the active digit field
• Esc - Cancel a running timer and return to setup
• F - Toggle fullscreen mode

When to use a countdown timer

Cooking & kitchen

A timer is the difference between al dente and mush. Common countdowns: soft-boiled egg 6:00, medium egg 8:00, hard-boiled 10:00, French press coffee 4:00, green tea 2:00, black tea 3:30, oolong 5:00, sourdough bulk fermentation 4:00:00, steak rest 5:00, bread proof 1:30:00. Keep the timer tab open on a tablet near the counter and you never need to fish out your phone with floury hands.

Pomodoro & deep work

The Pomodoro Technique is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break, repeated four times before a longer 15-30 minute break. Start the 25-minute preset above, then swap to a 5-minute timer during breaks. The browser title countdown means you can keep the timer in a pinned tab and monitor it without interrupting flow.

HIIT, Tabata & workouts

For Tabata intervals run a 20-second timer for work and 10-second timer for rest, for 8 rounds. For EMOM (every minute on the minute), use a 1-minute preset and start it again at each round. Between heavy lifting sets, a 2-3 minute rest timer keeps pacing honest. Fullscreen mode (F) makes the clock readable across the gym.

Meditation & breathing

Pick a gentle tone (Chime or Gentle) and run 5, 10 or 20-minute sessions. For box breathing use short repeated timers (4 seconds each side). Labels like "Morning sit" help you spot patterns in recents.

Kids & screen time

A visible countdown ring helps negotiate bedtime, tablet time and transitions. "Ten more minutes" is much easier to enforce when a timer is ticking down in plain view. Use Chime for a softer alarm that isn't startling.

Study & revision

Box practice exams into their real time limit (e.g. 90 minutes for the SAT reading section). Use a 45-minute timer for focused revision followed by a 10-minute walk. Label each block with the subject so recents double as a study log.

Timer vs stopwatch: which do I need?

Both tools measure time, but in opposite directions:

• A stopwatch counts up from zero. Use it when you don't know how long something will take and want to measure the result - a lap, a solve, a puzzle, a cooking experiment.
• A timer counts down to zero and then alerts you. Use it when you know the target duration and want to be notified when it is reached - a recipe step, a focus block, a rest interval.

Rule of thumb: if you'd phrase the task as "How long did that take?" use the stopwatch. If you'd phrase it as "Tell me when 5 minutes are up" use the timer.

How the timer stays accurate

Browser timers can drift for two reasons: the setInterval API is throttled in background tabs, and requestAnimationFrame pauses when the tab is hidden. Many simple web timers rely on one of these alone and quietly fall behind if you switch tabs.

This timer takes a different approach:

• When you press Start, it records an absolute end-time - the wall-clock moment the countdown should finish.
• Every animation frame it simply asks "how much time is left until that moment?" rather than "how much time has passed since the last tick?"
• A parallel setInterval updates the tab title once per second, independent of animation throttling.
• On visibilitychange, the display resyncs from the absolute end-time the instant the tab becomes visible again.

Result: even if you put your laptop to sleep with a 30-minute timer running and wake it 20 minutes later, the timer is showing 10 minutes remaining - not 30 minus whatever Chrome decided to tick in the background.

Tips & tricks

• Bookmark your favorite timers. Bookmark /timer/?m=25&autostart=1&label=Pomodoro and every click starts a named 25-minute Pomodoro immediately.
• Share a timer. Copy the URL while a timer is set up - it includes hours, minutes, seconds, label and sound. The recipient opens the link and sees the same configuration.
• Keep the alarm audible on mobile. The alarm uses the Web Audio API, which ignores silent mode on some devices. If you need to hear it, unlock your phone and keep media volume up.
• Pin the tab. Pinned Chrome/Firefox tabs show the countdown in the tab title, so you can glance at the remaining time without switching windows.
• Use fullscreen for group activities. Press F for a room-readable countdown during classes, workouts and presentations.
• Drag to prioritize. On desktop, drag cards in the Recent section to reorder them. Your most-used timers can live on the left.

Frequently asked questions