Free countdown timer with alarm — set any hours, minutes & seconds
Quick Set
Our free online countdown timer lets you set any duration from a single second up to 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds. Simply enter the hours, minutes, and seconds you want, click Start, and the timer counts down to zero — playing a triple alarm beep when it finishes. No app, no download, and no account needed. Works on any browser, phone, tablet, or desktop computer.
Enter your desired time directly into the Hours, Minutes, and Seconds fields — or use one of the Quick Set buttons for the most common durations. Click Start to begin the countdown. Click Pause to halt the timer mid-way and Start again to resume from where you paused. Use +1 Min to add an extra minute while the timer is running. Click Reset to clear everything back to your set time. When the timer reaches zero, you will hear three beeps and see a notification on screen.
The Pomodoro Technique is a highly effective study and productivity method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It involves working in focused 25-minute bursts called Pomodoros, separated by 5-minute short breaks. After completing four Pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. This method helps maintain concentration, prevents mental fatigue, and makes large tasks feel manageable. Use our 25 Min preset to start a Pomodoro instantly, then the 5 Min preset for your break.
Our online timer is ideal as a kitchen timer for tracking cooking and baking times. Whether you need to boil eggs for 10 minutes, rest a steak for 5 minutes, bake a cake for 45 minutes, or let dough rise for an hour, simply tap the appropriate quick-set button and start. The loud alarm beeps ensure you will not miss the moment your food is ready, even if you have left the kitchen briefly.
Fitness enthusiasts use countdown timers to manage rest periods between sets, time HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) rounds, track plank holds and exercise durations, and manage circuit training rotation intervals. A common HIIT protocol uses 30 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest — set the timer accordingly and use the alarm to switch modes. The +1 Min button is especially useful during workouts when you need to extend your rest period on the fly.
Achieving the perfect boiled egg depends on precise timing from the moment the egg enters boiling water. For a soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk, set the timer for 6 minutes. For a medium-boiled egg with a jammy yolk, use 8 minutes. For a fully hard-boiled egg, set 10 to 12 minutes. These times assume large eggs placed into already-boiling water. Adjust by 30 to 60 seconds for smaller or larger eggs, and by up to 2 minutes if starting from cold water.
Teachers and students use countdown timers during classroom activities, timed writing exercises, quiz competitions, and exam simulations. A visible timer on screen helps students manage their time during tests and encourages focused effort during structured activities. Our timer's large digital display is easy to read from across a room, making it suitable for projecting during classroom sessions.
When the countdown reaches zero, our timer automatically plays three short beeps using the browser's built-in Web Audio API. This produces a clean 880Hz tone — no external sound file is needed and no plugin is required. The beeps play directly through your device's speakers. For the alarm to work, ensure your device volume is turned up and your browser is not muted. The alarm works on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge on both desktop and mobile.