Countdown Timer
Press a preset or set hours, minutes and seconds, and get a large countdown that beeps and says “Time’s up” when it reaches zero.
05:00
Ready
Time’s up
Keep this page open while it counts. Nothing is saved; closing the page clears it.
A countdown for anything you need to time
Pasta on the stove, a five-minute break, a talk with a strict slot, a turn in a board game: a countdown keeps track so you don’t have to watch the clock. Set the time, press Start and get on with something else. At zero the page beeps and says so in large letters, and the message stays until you dismiss it, so you won’t miss it if you look away.
How to use it
- Press a preset (1, 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes) to start straight away, or type hours, minutes and seconds and press Start.
- Press Pause to stop the countdown, and Resume to carry on from where it stopped.
- Press +1 minute whenever you need a little longer, even after the time is up.
- When time is up, press Dismiss to clear the message and set the timer back to the time you chose.
What the controls do
- Presets: each sets its time and starts at once, replacing any countdown that is running.
- Hours, minutes and seconds: up to 99:59:59. Minutes and seconds go up to 59, so for 90 minutes, type 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Reset: stops the countdown and goes back to the time you set.
- Beep when time is up: untick it for a silent timer; the message still appears.
Good to know
- Background tabs: browsers slow down pages you aren’t looking at, so the numbers may update less often while you’re in another tab. The time left is worked out from your device’s clock each time, not by counting ticks, so it’s right as soon as you come back. The tab’s title shows it too.
- Sound: browsers only let a page make sound after you press something on it, which is why the beep is set up when you press Start or a preset. Keep the page open and your sound on; a phone that locks may put the browser to sleep and miss the beep.
- Private: nothing is saved or sent; closing the page clears it.
- Working in focused blocks? The Focus Timer runs Pomodoro cycles of focus and breaks and counts the sessions you finish. This countdown is for one-off times.
- Timing a call with people abroad? The Time Zone Converter finds an hour that suits everyone first.
Frequently asked questions
Will it keep time if I switch to another tab?
Yes. Browsers slow down pages in background tabs, so the numbers may update less often while you’re away, but the time left is worked out from your device’s clock each time, not by counting ticks, so it’s right the moment you come back. The tab’s title shows the time left as well.
Why didn’t I hear the beep?
Browsers only let a page make sound after you press something on it, so the beep is set up when you press Start or a preset. Check that “Beep when time is up” is ticked and your device isn’t muted. If the page is closed, or a phone locks and puts the browser to sleep, it can’t beep.
How is this different from the Focus Timer?
The Focus Timer runs Pomodoro cycles: focus blocks and breaks that follow one another, with a count of the sessions you finish. This is a single countdown for anything, such as cooking, a break, a talk or a turn in a game.
Is anything saved?
No. The timer runs on this page, on your device. Nothing is saved or sent, and closing or reloading the page clears it.