25-minute timer

Use 25 minutes as a focus block

A 25-minute timer is often used for a Pomodoro-style focus block: choose one task, work until the alert, then step away before beginning another block. The timer does not prescribe the break length, so you can use the rhythm that suits the work.

• Protect one focused session. Silence unrelated work and keep the current task visible.
• Study one topic. Use the end of the block to mark where the next session should begin.
• Move a draft forward. Write, outline or revise one defined section rather than the whole project.

Reset starts the same 25-minute duration again; use a second tab if you want a separate break timer.

It keeps time when you switch tabs

Most timers in a browser count down by ticking once a second. Browsers slow those ticks down in tabs you are not looking at, and stop them altogether when a device sleeps, so the timer runs behind and you find out too late.

This one works the other way round. When you press Start it records the moment it should finish, then reads your clock to see how long is left. Switch tabs for twenty minutes, close the lid, come back: the number is right, because nothing was ever being counted.

What it does

• Any duration up to 24 hours, set with the preset buttons or by typing hours, minutes and seconds.
• A large, clear display, with the countdown and controls side by side on larger screens.
• An alert when the countdown finishes, with three rising notes rather than one beep. If the browser suspends a hidden tab, the alert plays when the page can run again.
• The countdown in the tab title, so you can read it from the tab strip without switching.
• The screen stays awake while a timer runs, on devices that allow it.

Test the sound before you rely on it

Browsers only allow a page to make noise after you have interacted with it, which is why the sound is prepared the moment you press Start. If a timer matters, use the test button once and confirm you can hear it. A timer that fails silently is worse than no timer.

How to use it

1. Pick a duration. Use a preset button, or type the hours, minutes and seconds you want.
2. Press Start. Pause and resume at any point; Reset returns to the duration you set.
3. Keep it visible when a room needs to follow the same countdown.

Frequently asked questions

Does the timer keep running if I close the tab?

No. Everything runs in the page, so closing the tab ends the timer. The countdown stays correct when you switch away. Browsers may suspend hidden tabs, so the alert can be delayed until the page runs again; keep the timer visible when timing is critical.

Why did I not hear the alert?

Usually because the browser blocked the sound, or the device is muted. Browsers only let a page play audio after you have interacted with it, so press Start rather than leaving a timer set up but never started, and use the test button to check.

Can I run more than one timer at once?

One per tab. Open a second tab for a second timer; each keeps its own countdown and its own tab title.

Is it free?

Yes. No account, no limit on how many timers you run, nothing held back.

Other tools on this site

• Digital clock with seconds, checked against server time
• Flip clock, the same time in flipping digits