How Our Online Timer Works
Our online timer helps you manage your time effectively for any task. If you need to time multiple things in one go, you can try the multi-timer.
Online timer FAQ
What can I use the online timer for?
Use it for cooking, workouts, study sessions, meetings, breaks, games, reminders, and any task that needs a clear countdown with a sound alert.
Can I set hours, minutes and seconds?
Yes. Enter any combination of hours, minutes and seconds, give the timer an optional name, then press Start.
Will the timer keep working if I refresh the page?
The timer saves its state in your browser, so you can restore the session after a refresh or accidental tab close. Keep the tab open and your device awake for the sound alert to play exactly at zero.
Choose a timer by task
Use a Pomodoro timer for focus sessions, a study timer for homework, a workout timer for intervals, or a cooking timer for kitchen steps.
How to Use Your Online Timer
Setting your countdown is a breeze:
- Define Your Duration: Use the "h" (hours), "m" (minutes), and "s" (seconds) input fields to set your desired countdown length.
- Name It (Optional): Click on "My Timer" (or the current timer name) to give your countdown a custom title, like "Pomodoro Session" or "Steak Searing." This name helps you identify the timer, especially if you use the session restore feature.
- Start the Countdown: Hit the green Start button. You'll see the time ticking down and a progress bar showing your remaining time. The button will change to a yellow Pause button.
- Pause & Resume: Click Pause at any time to temporarily stop the timer. Click Start (the button text will revert) to resume from where you left off.
- Timer Finished? What Next? When the countdown reaches 00:00:00, an alert sound will play (if sound is enabled). The timer will then begin to count *up*, displaying "Time exceeded by..." This is handy to see how much extra time has passed since the timer ended.
- Reset for Another Go: Click the Reset button to bring the timer back to its original set duration, ready for a new countdown. This works whether the timer is running, paused, or has exceeded its time.
Timer Tips & Features
Make the most of your timer with these features:
- Smart Session Restore: Accidentally closed the tab or refreshed the page? No worries! The timer remembers its state (duration, name, remaining/exceeded time). When you return, you'll be prompted to restore your session, accounting for any time passed while the page was closed.
- Visual Progress Bar: The progress bar gives you an at-a-glance visual cue of how much time is left in your current countdown.
- Sound Alerts: A distinct sound plays when your timer hits zero. Use the speaker icon (🔊/🔇) in the top utility bar to toggle this sound on or off.
- Light & Dark Themes: Prefer a different look? Click the sun/moon icon (☀️/🌙) in the utility bar to switch between light and dark modes for optimal viewing comfort.
- Fullscreen Focus: Need to minimize distractions? Use the fullscreen icon (⛶) to make the timer take over your entire screen. Perfect for focused work sessions or presentations.
More about the online timer
How accurate is the online timer?
The online countdown uses your browser's internal clock and precise JavaScript timing, so it's accurate for everyday tasks like cooking, workouts and study breaks. For mission-critical or life-dependent timing, a dedicated hardware timer is still recommended.
Does it work offline, and is my data private?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, the online timer runs entirely in your browser - It keeps counting down and plays the alert even if your connection drops. All settings stay in your browser's local storage and are never sent to our servers.
What if I close the tab before the timer ends?
The timer saves its state locally, so when you reopen the page the Session Restore feature works out how much time passed and adjusts the remaining (or exceeded) time. For the sound to play at zero, keep the tab open and your computer awake.