Countdown Timer Online Free — Stopwatch & Lap Timer
The free Countdown Timer runs entirely in your browser — no app, no extension, no signup. Set any duration, use quick presets for 1 to 60 minutes, or switch to stopwatch mode with lap tracking. Accurate even when the tab is in the background.
How to Use the Online Timer
- Open the Countdown Timer.
- Select Countdown or Stopwatch mode.
- For countdown: click a preset (1 min, 5 min, 10 min, 25 min, 30 min, 1 hr) or enter a custom H:M:S duration.
- Click Start — the display counts down in real time.
- Use Pause to stop temporarily and Resume to continue.
- In stopwatch mode, click Lap to record split times while running.
- When the countdown reaches zero, a "Time's up!" message appears.
Use Cases by Preset
| Preset | Common use |
|---|---|
| 1 min | Quick tasks, brushing teeth, short breaks between sets |
| 5 min | Pomodoro short break, standup meeting limit, cooking pasta |
| 10 min | Reading break, focused email session, yoga pose hold |
| 25 min | Pomodoro work session (the standard interval) |
| 30 min | Longer focus session, presentation rehearsal, cooking |
| 1 hour | Deep work block, lecture or webinar session |
The Pomodoro Technique with a Browser Timer
The Pomodoro Technique divides work into 25-minute focused intervals separated by 5-minute breaks. After four sessions, take a longer 15–30 minute break. The method was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s and remains one of the most widely used productivity approaches.
To use this timer for Pomodoro:
- Click 25 min and start your work session.
- When the timer ends, click 5 min for a short break.
- Repeat. After 4 pomodoros, click 30 min for a long break.
Unlike dedicated Pomodoro apps, this timer lets you stay on a single, distraction-free browser tab without extra UI or notifications.
Stopwatch with Laps
Switch to stopwatch mode and click Lap while it's running to record a split. The lap table shows:
- Split time — how long since the last lap
- Total time — the cumulative elapsed time at that lap
This is useful for interval training (tracking rest vs work periods), speech rehearsal (timing each section), and any workflow where you need to benchmark individual steps.
Does It Work in a Background Tab?
Yes. The timer uses performance.now() to track elapsed time — a high-resolution monotonic clock that continues counting even when the tab is throttled by the browser. The visual update (requestAnimationFrame) pauses when the tab is hidden, but the underlying time measurement does not. When you switch back to the tab, the display catches up to the correct time immediately.
Some browsers throttle JavaScript in hidden tabs aggressively (Safari on iOS, for example). In those cases, the timer will show the correct elapsed time when you return, but the "Time's up!" notification may be slightly delayed.
Common Questions
Can I set a custom time that is not in the presets?
Yes. Enter hours, minutes, and seconds in the H:M:S inputs directly. Any value from 1 second to 23:59:59 is supported.
Does the timer remember my session if I refresh the page?
No — refreshing or closing the page resets the timer. No data is stored between sessions. If you need to pause and return later, keep the browser tab open.
Is there a sound alarm when the countdown finishes?
The current version shows a visual "Time's up!" indicator. Browser audio requires user interaction on many devices before it can play, which makes reliable silent-to-audio transitions complex. The visual alert is intentionally simple and works everywhere.
Start a Countdown Timer Free Online
Presets from 1 min to 1 hr. Stopwatch with laps. No app, no signup, runs in your browser.
Open Countdown Timer