Countdown Timer
Free online countdown timer — set minutes or a target date, get a huge live display, progress bar, and an audible alarm when time is up.
About the Countdown Timer
This online countdown timer works two ways: start a quick timer with one click on a preset (1, 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes) or any custom number of minutes, or count down to a specific date and time — a launch, an exam, a deadline, New Year. The remaining time shows in a huge, easy-to-read display with days, hours, minutes and seconds.
While the timer runs, a progress bar fills toward completion and the remaining time also appears in your browser tab title, so you can switch to other work and still see the countdown at a glance. Pause and resume whenever you like, or reset to start over.
When the countdown hits zero, the page beeps three times and switches to a bold "Time's up!" screen you can't miss. No app, no signup — it runs entirely in your browser, making it perfect for cooking, workouts, classroom activities, presentations and timed exams.
How to Use the Countdown Timer
- 1Choose a mode: quick minutes, or count down to a date and time.
- 2Click a preset like 5 or 25 minutes, or enter your own duration or target moment.
- 3Press Start — the big display, progress bar and tab title track the remaining time.
- 4Pause or Reset anytime; at zero you'll hear three beeps and see "Time's up!".
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the timer still work if I switch to another tab?
Yes. The countdown is anchored to a fixed end time rather than counting ticks, so even when browsers slow down background tabs the remaining time stays accurate. The tab title shows the countdown too, so you can watch it from any other tab, and the beeps still fire when time runs out.
Does the countdown timer make a sound when it finishes?
Yes — it plays three clear beeps generated right in your browser (no audio file needed) and displays a full-width "Time's up!" banner. Make sure your device volume is on and you've interacted with the page (clicking Start counts), since browsers only allow sound after a user action.
Can I count down to a specific date, like an exam or New Year?
Yes. Switch to the "Count down to a date" tab, pick any future date and time in your local time zone, and the display shows the remaining days, hours, minutes and seconds ticking live. It handles targets months or years away — days appear as a separate leading number.
What happens if I pause the timer?
Pausing freezes the remaining time exactly where it is; resuming recalculates a new end moment so no seconds are lost or skipped. Reset clears the timer completely and returns you to the setup screen with presets and your previous custom value still in place.
Is this timer accurate enough for exams and presentations?
Yes. It checks the real clock several times a second and derives the remaining time from the target timestamp, so drift doesn't accumulate the way it can with naive once-per-second countdowns. Over an hour-long session it stays within a fraction of a second of true time.