Online stopwatch and countdown timer
Keep time with giant digits. Count up with laps, or pick a time and let the countdown timer tell you when it ends.
How does the online stopwatch work?
The online stopwatch has two modes. In stopwatch mode, time counts up and you can mark laps. In countdown mode, you pick a time, tap start, and it counts down to zero, then plays a sound alert and flashes on the screen. It runs in the browser on a phone or a computer, with no sign-up.
How to use it
- Pick the mode: Stopwatch counts up, Countdown counts down.
- In countdown mode, tap a shortcut (30 s, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 or 15 min) or type the minutes and seconds.
- Tap Start timer. On a computer, the space bar also starts and pauses.
- In stopwatch mode, tap Mark lap to save each lap time without stopping the count.
- Tap Pause timer to stop and Resume timer to go on from where you left off.
- Tap Reset timer to go back to the start. The laps are cleared too.
- To show it on the classroom screen, tap Open full screen.
Ideas for using it
- Classroom: time for a task, a short quiz or each group presentation.
- Study: focus blocks with a break in between, such as 25 minutes of study and 5 of rest.
- Games: time for each round of categories, charades or trivia.
- Sports: lap times on a run or the time for each exercise.
- Kitchen: time for the oven, the tea or a boiled egg.
- Meetings: speaking time for each person.
Stopwatch or countdown timer?
Use the stopwatch when you want to know how long something took: a race, a task, a lap around the court. It starts at zero and only stops when you say so.
Use the countdown timer when the time is already agreed: five minutes to answer, two minutes per player. It shows how much is left, turns pink in the last ten seconds and alerts you at zero.
The time stays right in the background
The time comes from the device clock, not from adding up small intervals. That is why the count stays right when you switch tabs or when the phone screen turns off. When you come back, the display jumps to the correct time.
While the time is running, it also shows in the browser tab title. You can follow the count while working in another tab.
Frequently asked questions
Does the stopwatch keep counting if I switch tabs?
Yes. The time is measured by the device clock, so the count stays right with the tab in the background. The time also shows in the tab title.
Does the countdown timer play a sound when it ends?
Yes. At zero it plays three short beeps and the digits flash. The sound follows the site sound button: if sound is off, only the screen alerts you.
What is the longest countdown?
You can type up to 999 minutes and 59 seconds. From one hour on, the display shows hours, minutes and seconds.
Can I use the stopwatch in full screen?
Yes, in browsers that offer full screen. Tap Open full screen and the digits fill the screen, with the buttons on the side. To leave, tap Exit full screen or press Esc.
Are the laps saved?
The laps stay on the screen until you reset the timer or close the page. The list shows each lap time and the total time, with the fastest lap in green.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The stopwatch opens right in the browser on a phone, a tablet or a computer. It is free and asks for no sign-up.
