Online Timer
Free online timer with an alarm sound. Set minutes and seconds or pick a preset, see the time left in the tab title, and keep it running in the background.
Time remaining
5:00
How to use the online timer
- Enter a duration in Hours, Minutes and Seconds, or click one of the Presets: 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. A preset starts the timer right away.
- Click Start. The remaining time is shown in large digits, with a progress bar, and in the title of the browser tab.
- Click Pause to stop the clock and Resume to continue. +1 min adds a minute, even after the alarm has gone off. Reset goes back to the duration you entered.
- When the time is up, an alarm rings for about ten seconds and the tab title shows “Time’s up!”. Click Stop alarm to silence it early.
Before a long timer, click Test sound to check the volume, and adjust the Volume slider. Untick Alarm sound if you only want a silent visual timer.
A timer that keeps time in the background
You can switch to another tab or application while the timer runs. The remaining time is always calculated from the moment you pressed Start, not by counting ticks, so the timer stays exact even when your browser slows down background tabs to save battery. Glance at the tab title to see how much time is left without switching back.
The alarm is prepared on your browser’s audio clock as soon as you start the timer, which makes it ring on time even in a background tab. Keep the tab open, though: closing it, or putting your computer to sleep, stops the timer and its alarm. On phones, the operating system may suspend a browser that is in the background or when the screen is locked, so leave the page visible for important timings.
About the alarm sound
The alarm is a series of short beeps generated by the Web Audio API, directly in your browser: no audio file is downloaded. Browsers only allow a page to play sound after you interact with it, so the audio is enabled when you click Start, Test sound or a preset. If your browser doesn’t support Web Audio, this tool tells you and the timer keeps working, without sound. Remember that the alarm plays at your device’s volume: check that it isn’t muted.
Popular timer durations
- 1 to 3 minutes: brushing teeth, a plank, a soft-boiled egg, steeping tea.
- 5 minutes: a short break, a quick stretch, fresh pasta.
- 10 to 15 minutes: a power nap, a speaking exercise, a quick tidy-up.
- 25 minutes: a Pomodoro work session, followed by a 5-minute break.
- 30 to 60 minutes: cooking, a study session, a timed exam or a meeting slot.
Frequently asked questions
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. The timer is based on the time you started it, so switching tabs or windows doesn’t affect it, and the alarm is scheduled on the audio clock. Only closing the tab, or your device going to sleep, stops it.
Why don't I hear the alarm?
Check that Alarm sound is ticked, that the Volume slider isn’t at zero, and that your device isn’t muted. Click Test sound to check. On some phones, the silent switch or a battery saver also mutes web pages.
Can I set a timer longer than 60 minutes?
Yes: enter hours in the Hours field, up to 99 hours. You can also type more than 59 in Minutes, such as 90, and the tool converts it.
Can I use this timer for the Pomodoro technique?
Yes. Click the 25-minute preset to work, then the 5-minute preset for the break. After four sessions, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
Is anything recorded or sent?
No. The timer and the alarm run entirely in your browser, and no sound file or data is downloaded or sent.
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