Free Online Countdown Timer

Our countdown timer does one thing well, it tells you how much time you have left.  It is pre-set to 10 minutes, and you start with one click.  Set start times as high as 99 hours.  The alarm sounds when the countdown reaches zero.

The timing engine measures elapsed time rather than relying on interval loops, so the countdown stays true even when your browser is busy or under load.  Pausing and resuming preserves the remaining time left.

What to Use a Countdown Timer For

Any situation where you want to know how much time remains:

• Meetings and presentations — Set timer to the length of your meeting and start it when you begin.  A visible countdown keeps the attendees aware of where they are without watching the clock.
• Study and focus sessions — A countdown creates a sense of urgency that open-ended work sessions lack.  Knowing you have 25 or 45 minutes focuses effort in a way that "work until done" rarely does.
• Exams and timed assessments — Display the countdown full-screen on a projector so every student sees how much time remains.  Click the timer title to scroll the timer into view for a full-screen display.
• Cooking and kitchen timing — Set the minutes your recipe calls for.  The alarm fires the when the time is up, so you don't have to keep checking.
• Workouts and training — Time a work set, rest period, or session.  Enable the Loop option to repeat back-to-back intervals, or set Auto Restart so a reset kicks off the next round.
• Games and competitions — A countdown timer with a clear alarm isan easy way to run a timed game, quiz bowl round, escape room, or competition segment.
• Speeches and debates — Give each speaker a time limit enforced by an alarm rather than a hand signal.  Set the title to the speaker's name or topic so everyone in the room knows what the countdown is for.
• Meetings running long — Set the stop time to a negative value to count through zero and into negative time.  A countdown that goes past zero shows how many minutes over schedule the meeting has run.

Setting Your Countdown Time

The action bar under the timer display provides control over the countdown:

• Start time field — Shows 00:10:00 by default, or enter a time value up to 99:59:59.  This is the time the countdown begins from, and where Reset returns to.
• Stop time field — Shows 00:00:00 by default, and is the point at when the alarm sounds.  Set it to a negative value like -00:05:00 to count through zero into overtime.
• Swap button — The arrow between the start and stop time fields swaps the two values.  It turns your countdown into a count-up timer without retyping anything.
• Set button — After changing start or stop time values, click Set to apply them and reset the timer to the new start time.
• Alarm button — The bell icon lets you hear the current alarm sound and volume setting.  This helps confirm the alarm will be heard in your environment before you start.
• Loop — Is set in the Basic settings and causes timer to reset and start again when it reaches the stop time.  Loops repeats until you stop timer.
• Save and share — The share icon presents a URL with all your timer settings embedded.  Anyone who opens that link loads your countdown configuration so they can use the same setup.

Countdown Timer — Common Questions

Does this timer work on phones and tablets?

Yes.  Countdown timer works on any modern browser across desktop, mobile, and tablet.  Time display scales to fit your screen size.

Will the alarm sound if I switch to another tab?

Yes — whether you minimize the browser window or place the timer on another tab, alarms should sound.

Can I set countdown to something other than 10 minutes?

Yes.  Enter a value up to 99:59:59 in the start time field in the action bar, then click Set.  Timer will reset to new start time.

Can I count past zero into negative time?

Yes.  Set stop time to a negative value, for example -00:05:00, and now timer will count through zero into negative time.  Alarm will sound at the stop time.  Good for meetings, lectures, or when seeing how far over time is as important as the countdown itself.

Does pausing the timer lose time?

No.  Pausing preserves the time remaining.  When you press Start again the countdown resumes from where it stopped — not an approximation.

How do I share my countdown with my class or team?

Configure the timer's start time, stop time, alarm, title, and display settings, then click the icon under the time display, and copy the URL shown.  Anyone who opens that link loads your same countdown setup.

Timer Tips & Tricks

Timer Help