5-minute timer

What fits into five minutes

Five minutes is short enough to begin immediately and long enough to finish one small, clearly bounded task. Use the timer as a stopping point, not an invitation to squeeze a large job into an unrealistic window.

• Take a screen break. Stand up, look away from the display and return when the alert plays.
• Clear one small task. Reply to one message, tidy one surface or write the first few lines of a draft.
• Run a quick classroom activity. Give everyone the same visible limit for a warm-up or transition.

If five minutes ends before the work reaches a natural pause, restart the timer or choose a longer preset rather than rushing the last step.

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