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Online Countdown Timer with Alarm

Type the hours, minutes and seconds or tap a preset, and the timer counts down to zero. When time is up you hear a beep, the browser tab flashes and, if you allow it, a desktop notification appears.

Set the time

Quick presets

Time remaining

Time remaining

05:00

of 05:00

Keyboard shortcuts:Spacestart / pauseRreset

Alerts

The timer is saved in this browser, so it keeps its time if you reload or close the page.

How to use the countdown timer

  1. Enter the time in the Hours, Minutes and Seconds boxes, or tap a preset such as 5 min to start at once.
  2. Press Start (or the Space key). The large display counts down and the bar fills up as time passes.
  3. Press Pause to hold the time and Resume to continue, or Reset (R) to go back to the time you set.
  4. When time is up, press Stop alarm to silence the beep, or Restart to run the same timer again.

Features

  • Any length from one second to almost 100 hours, typed in hours, minutes and seconds.
  • One-tap presets for 1, 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes and 1 hour that start immediately.
  • Alarm sound made in the browser, with no sound file to download, repeating for about half a minute until you stop it.
  • Tab title alert: the title shows the time left while running and flashes Time's up at the end.
  • Optional desktop notification, only after you choose to turn it on.
  • Accurate in the background and saved across page reloads.
  • Keyboard shortcuts: Space to start and pause, R to reset.

Why use Fileora's countdown timer

A kitchen timer app or phone alarm is fine until you are working at a computer and the phone is in another room. This timer lives in a browser tab, shows the remaining time in the tab title so you can see it from any other tab, and gets your attention three ways when it ends.

It is free, needs no account and shows the digits large enough to read from across a room. Nothing you set is sent to a server, and the timer itself is saved only in your browser.

Popular ways to use a countdown

  • Cooking: boil eggs for 10 minutes or let dough rest for 30.
  • Study and homework: set 15 minutes of reading, then a short break.
  • Classrooms: put a 5 minute timer on the projector for an activity or quiz.
  • Meetings and presentations: give each speaker a fixed slot and keep everyone on schedule.
  • Exercise: time planks, stretches or rest between sets.
  • Games: give each player a turn limit.

Getting the most from the alarm

Leave the tab open until the timer ends, because closing the tab stops the sound. Use Test sound once to set a comfortable volume. On a computer, turning on desktop notifications is the most reliable way to notice the end of a long timer while you work in other windows. On phones, keep the screen on or the browser in front, because mobile systems may pause web pages that are in the background.

Related timers

To measure how long something takes rather than count down, use the online stopwatch with lap times. For repeated work sessions with breaks built in, the Pomodoro timer switches between focus and rest for you. To count the days until an event, try the date difference calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I set a 5 minute timer?

Tap the 5 min preset and the timer starts straight away. The other presets are 1, 10, 15 and 30 minutes and 1 hour. For any other length, type the hours, minutes and seconds into the three boxes and press Start.

Will the alarm go off if the tab is in the background?

Yes. The timer works from the end time, not by counting ticks, so it stays exact in a background tab. When it reaches zero it plays the beep, flashes the tab title with Time's up and, if you turned on notifications, shows a desktop notification. Keep the tab open, because closing it stops the sound.

Why don't I hear the alarm?

Check that Play a sound when time is up is switched on and use Test sound to check your volume. Phones in silent mode may mute web audio. Browsers also only allow sound after you have interacted with the page, which is why the sound is prepared when you press Start or a preset.

How do desktop notifications work?

Press Turn on desktop notifications and your browser asks for permission. The timer never asks by itself. If you allow it, you get a notification when the countdown ends, which is handy when the timer is behind other windows. If you blocked notifications earlier, you can allow them again in your browser's site settings.

Can I pause the countdown?

Yes. Press Pause (or Space) and the remaining time is kept. Press Resume to carry on. Reset puts the timer back to the time in the boxes.

Does the timer survive a page reload?

Yes. The end time is saved in your browser, so after a reload the countdown shows the correct time left. If it finished while the page was closed, you see the Time's up message when you come back.

What is the longest timer I can set?

Up to 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. You can also type more than 59 in the minutes box, for example 90 minutes, and the timer works it out for you.

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