Online Timer with Alarm

A standard Pomodoro cycle

How to set a timer online

1. Choose a length. Press Start on the 5-minute timer, tap a quick timer (1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 25 min, 30 min, 1 hr) or enter hours, minutes and seconds under “Custom timer” and press Start timer.
2. Name it. Type a name on the card, like “Pasta” or “Laundry”, so you can tell your timers apart. Add more timers the same way; each runs on its own.
3. Adjust while it runs. Pause and resume, add or take off a minute, or reset a timer to its full length. Space starts or pauses the highlighted timer; F opens full screen.
4. Stop the alarm. When a timer ends the alarm rings for up to 30 seconds, the card flashes and the tab title says “Time’s up”. Press Dismiss (or Space), Restart it, or add a minute to snooze.

Frequently asked questions

Does the timer work in the background?

Yes. Each timer stores the moment it ends rather than counting seconds, so it is exactly right whenever you look, even after switching tabs or apps. Browsers slow down scripts in background tabs, so the alarm sound is booked in advance on the audio clock and plays on time; a notification from a background tab can arrive a little late in some browsers. If the device sleeps or the browser is closed, no sound can play, and the timer shows as finished when you come back.

Will it keep my screen on?

Yes, while a timer is running, in browsers that support the Screen Wake Lock API (Chrome, Edge and Samsung Internet, Safari 16.4 and later, Firefox 126 and later). The screen is allowed to sleep again when no timer runs, and you can turn this off. Where the browser does not support it, the page says so; the timers keep counting either way.

How does the Pomodoro technique work?

You work on one task for a focused block, traditionally 25 minutes (one “pomodoro”), then take a short 5-minute break. After four pomodoros you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. The Pomodoro preset here does this for you: it shows “Focus 1 of 4”, “Short break” and so on, rings at the end of each step, and can start the next step by itself. Francesco Cirillo developed the method in the late 1980s and named it after his tomato-shaped kitchen timer.

Can I run several timers at the same time?

Yes, up to 30. Each timer has its own name, length, pause and alarm, and the tab title shows whichever running timer ends first. Full screen shows them all in large digits.

Will my timers still be there if I reload or close the page?

Yes, if “Remember my timers in this browser” is on (it is by default). A running timer keeps counting while the page is closed, and one that ended in the meantime shows as finished. Timers are kept only in this browser; turn the option off or remove the timers to delete them.

Why didn’t I hear the alarm?

Browsers only allow a page to play sound after you have clicked or pressed a key on it, so after a reload click anywhere once. Also check the Mute button and volume here, your device volume, and on an iPhone the silent switch, which mutes web page sound. The alarm never relies on sound alone: the card flashes, the tab title changes, screen readers hear “time’s up”, and a notification can be turned on.