Online Stopwatch & Timer
Free online stopwatch and countdown timer. Millisecond accurate, with laps, audio alerts, desktop notifications, and keyboard shortcuts. Press Space to start/pause.
⏱️ What This Tool Does
A free online stopwatch and countdown timer with millisecond accuracy, lap recording, audio alerts, and desktop notifications. Use it for cooking, workouts, studying, Pomodoro sessions, meetings, speeches, sports training, classroom activities, or any time you need to measure or countdown time in your browser.
Everything runs in your browser — no sign-up, no ads, no tracking. The timer keeps running accurately even if you switch tabs, and the browser tab title updates live so you can minimize and still see remaining time.
🎯 Use Cases
🍳 Cooking
Set a timer for boiling eggs (6-12 min), pasta (8-11 min), or baking. The audio bell rings loud enough to hear from the kitchen.
🧠 Pomodoro
Use the 25-minute preset for focused work sessions. Take a 5-minute break, repeat 4 times, then a longer break.
🏃 Workouts
HIIT intervals, rest periods, or running laps. Use the stopwatch with lap recording to track sprint splits.
🎤 Speeches & meetings
Keep presentations to time. Set a 5-minute timer for lightning talks or a 20-minute timer for TED-style talks.
🔒 Privacy
- ✓ All timing runs in your browser with
performance.now()— no server involvement - ✓ Audio bell is synthesized with Web Audio API — no external files
- ✓ Desktop notifications are optional and only fire locally
- ✓ Works offline after the page first loads
❓ FAQ
How accurate is this stopwatch?
Accurate to the millisecond. It uses performance.now() for timestamps (sub-millisecond precision) and requestAnimationFrame for display updates (60-120 fps depending on your monitor). Unlike setInterval-based stopwatches, it does not drift over long durations.
Does the timer work in a background tab?
Yes. The time is calculated from performance.now() timestamps, not from counting ticks, so even if the browser throttles background tabs, the timer will show the correct remaining time when you bring it back to focus. The audio bell and desktop notification fire at the right moment regardless of whether the tab is active.
Why does the tab title show the countdown?
So you can minimize the tab, work on something else, and still see how much time is left in your browser tab bar. Especially useful for the Pomodoro technique — set 25 minutes and focus on work, the tab title keeps you updated without needing to come back to the tool.
What keyboard shortcuts are supported?
Space — start/pause. Escape — reset. L — record a lap (stopwatch mode only). These work anywhere on the page, as long as you are not typing in an input field.
Does it make a sound when the timer ends?
Yes. When the countdown reaches zero, the tool plays a 3-note ascending bell sound generated with the Web Audio API — no external audio files needed. If you grant notification permission, it also fires a desktop notification.
Is everything private?
Yes. All timing happens in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server, logged, or stored. Works offline after the page first loads.
What is the Pomodoro technique?
Pomodoro is a time management method where you work in focused 25-minute intervals separated by 5-minute breaks. After 4 pomodoros, take a longer 15-30 minute break. The "25 min" preset on this timer is pre-configured for pomodoro sessions.
Can I set hours as well as minutes?
Yes. Use the custom H/M/S input fields to set any duration up to 99:59:59. The preset buttons cover common durations (1, 5, 10, 25, 30, 60 minutes) for one-click setup.