How to set an online timer
- Click or tap the digits and type a time such as
1030,10mor1:30:00, or pick a chip from 1 min to 60 min (chips don’t start it). - Press Enter, Start or Space.
- Optional: Add label, and Fullscreen or F.
- At zero the alarm rings for 30 seconds: Stop alarm silences it, +1 min adds a minute, and Over by counts past zero.
- Restart repeats it, and the page remembers your last time.
Type any time: 1030, 10m or 1:30:00
Digits fill from the right, like a microwave: the last two are seconds, then minutes, then hours. Units work too on a computer, and the line under Set time previews your entry (“= 1 h 30 min”).
| You type | You get |
|---|---|
90 |
1:30 |
730 |
7:30 |
4500 |
45:00 |
13000 |
1:30:00 |
10m |
10:00 |
1h 30m |
1:30:00 |
2.5 min |
2:30 |
Enter sets and starts, Tab only sets, Esc cancels. The longest timer is 99:59:59, and an entry that doesn’t work gets a hint such as “Use 0–59 after a colon (e.g. 1:30)”.
When to use this countdown timer
Four common uses are below; for cooking, the egg timer and kitchen timer are a better fit.
A full screen countdown timer for meetings and rooms
Show a 25-minute workshop exercise on the room’s TV and press F. A label such as “Exercise 2” and an amber warning set at 5:00 left prepare everyone for the end. Talks get ready-made warnings on the 10 minute timer; the speech timer has silent colored lights.
Timed practice exams and study blocks
Type 13000 for a 1:30:00 practice paper labeled “Paper 1”; Ends at shows when you’ll finish. Set Sound to Soft or Off in a shared room. Focus blocks with breaks suit the Pomodoro-style timer.
An OBS timer overlay for streams
For a “starting soon” or break scene, Copy OBS link… sets color, background, font, alignment, size (25–100 %) and auto-start, and the overlay never flashes. OBS Studio and Streamlabs are named only to describe compatibility; HugeTimer is not affiliated with them.
A countdown on your desktop while you work
Run a 45-minute timer while you work in other tabs: the tab title counts down (“44:59 · Timer”), the tab icon shows a pie of the time left, and switching on Notify me when time is up adds a notification. Repeat (2–99 rounds) makes it a recurring reminder.
Alarm sounds, warnings and overtime
Eight sounds are generated in your browser, from Beep (the default) to Buzzer; Test sound previews them, and Ring for runs from Once to Until I stop it (5 minutes at most). At zero the timer flashes red once a second for 10 seconds, unless reduced motion is on, then keeps a red border and Time’s up. Space, Esc or Stop alarm silences it, and Count overtime then counts up in red (+0:05). Up to three Warnings add a color or sound earlier, and 3-2-1 pips beep the last three seconds. No music.
Options explained
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 70 % | Alarm level |
| Progress | Ring | Ring, bar or none |
| Show tenths | Off | Last 10 s or last minute |
| Theme | Auto | Night, Day, High contrast, Ocean, Dusk or Forest looks for the digital timer |
| Keep screen on | On | No dimming while it runs |
| Show time in tab title, Show progress in tab icon | On | Time and pie in the tab |
| Keyboard shortcuts | On | Single keys like Space and F |
Recent keeps your last three custom times; Clear my data removes them and your settings.
How this online timer keeps time
At Start, HugeTimer saves the moment the timer ends; each redraw shows that moment minus your device clock, rounded up, so a new 7:30 timer shows 7:30 for its first second and 0:00 lands exactly at the end. A single wake-up replaces a chain of one-second ticks, which Chrome, for one, slows to once a minute in tabs hidden over five minutes. The alarm is lined up ahead on the audio clock. More in how our timers stay accurate.
Tips and limits
- A closed tab or a sleeping laptop can’t ring, and a locked phone may pause the page.
- Keeping the screen awake works in Chrome and Edge 84+, Firefox 126+ and Safari 16.4+, and in iPhone Home Screen web apps from iOS 18.4 (MDN, checked November 2026).
- iPhone Safari has no true fullscreen for web pages (caniuse); the timer fills the window.
- Counting days? Count down to a date. Counting up? The stopwatch.
FAQ
How do I set a timer online?
Click the digits, type the time and press Enter: 1030 starts 10:30, 10m ten minutes and 1:30:00 an hour and a half. You can also tap a chip and press Start; phones open a number pad. The page remembers your last time, and it's free, with no account.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs or minimize the browser?
Yes. The timer saves its end time and reads the clock, and the alarm is lined up ahead on the audio clock, so switching tabs or minimizing doesn't delay it. The tab title shows the time left. A closed tab can't ring, and after a sleep it rings only if under a minute late.
How do I make the timer full screen?
Press Fullscreen or F, and Esc to leave. The digits fill most of the screen, the controls hide after 3 seconds and the page asks to keep the screen on while the timer runs. iPhone Safari can't make a web page truly fullscreen, so there the timer fills the window instead.
Can I use this countdown timer in OBS or Streamlabs?
Yes. Choose Share → Copy OBS link…, pick a text color, font and size, and add the link as a browser source. You get only the label and digits on a transparent background, starting when the source loads; the alarm plays only with Play the alarm in OBS ticked.
Why didn't the alarm make a sound?
Browsers block sound until you click or press a key on the page, and pressing Start counts. After a reload, click once when “Sound is off — click anywhere to turn it on” appears. Also check that Sound isn't set to Off, that M hasn't muted the page, and your device volume.
Is this a sleep timer for my computer or TV?
No. A web page can't switch off a computer, a TV or music in another app; use the device's sleep settings, or your music app's sleep timer if it has one. While it runs, this page keeps the screen on instead, unless Keep screen on is off. To wake up at a set time, try the online alarm clock.
Is the online timer free and private?
Yes. It's free, needs no account and keeps working offline once loaded. Your settings, labels and recent times stay in this browser until you press Clear my data, and nothing you set is uploaded. Any ads sit around the page, never inside the timer or in fullscreen.
Updated