Countdown Timer
Count down a set duration or to a specific date and time, with an alarm, a desktop alert, a live tab-title countdown, and a fullscreen presentation view.
Ready to start
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the remaining time stays accurate in a background tab.
How to set a countdown timer online
Pick a mode
Choose Duration to count down a number of hours, minutes, and seconds, or Target time to count down to a specific date and time.
Set the time
Type the length or pick the target, then use the quick-add buttons to bump a duration up in a single tap.
Start the countdown
Press Start to begin. The timer keeps accurate time even in a background tab and alerts you the moment it reaches zero.
Present it fullscreen
Switch to fullscreen to expand the countdown into a large, high-contrast display for a room or a stream while it keeps counting accurately.
Why use this tool
Two ways to count down
Count down a set duration in hours, minutes, and seconds, or count down to a fixed date and time such as a launch or a holiday.
Quick-add presets
Add one, five, ten, or thirty minutes to a duration with a single tap instead of typing the numbers by hand.
Accurate in a background tab
The countdown tracks real elapsed time, so it stays correct even when its tab sits in the background or your machine briefly sleeps.
Alert when time is up
A clear time-is-up state, an optional beep, and a desktop notification let you step away and still get the signal.
Live title-bar countdown
While it runs, the remaining time shows in the browser tab title so you can track it without switching windows.
Fullscreen presentation mode
Expand the countdown into a large, high-contrast display that fills the screen for a room or a stream, and it keeps counting accurately while presented.
Free with nothing to install
No account and no download; the timer runs entirely in your browser.
About this tool
This countdown timer counts down to zero and then alerts you, with two input modes to cover different jobs. Duration mode takes hours, minutes, and seconds and is the fastest way to time a task, a break, a workout interval, or how long the pasta has left. Quick-add buttons bump the length by one, five, ten, or thirty minutes so you rarely have to type. Target time mode counts down to a specific date and time instead, which suits a product launch, a deadline, a New Year countdown, or any moment you are waiting for.
Because the timer measures real elapsed time rather than counting ticks, it stays accurate even when its tab is in the background or your machine sleeps briefly, so you come back to the right number. While it runs, the remaining time also appears in the browser tab title. For a shared screen, a fullscreen presentation view expands the remaining time into a large, high-contrast display that stays readable across a room while it keeps counting. When it reaches zero it shows a plain time-is-up state, plays an optional beep, and, if you grant permission, raises a desktop notification so you get the signal even in another window.
Nothing is installed and nothing is uploaded; the whole timer runs in your browser. For structured focus and break cycles, the pomodoro timer is the better fit, while counting the days between two calendar dates is the job of the date difference calculator. To add or subtract raw spans of hours, minutes, and seconds, use the duration calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between duration and target time?
- Duration mode counts down a length you set in hours, minutes, and seconds, which is ideal for timing a task or a break. Target time mode counts down to a specific date and time, which is ideal for a launch, a deadline, or a New Year countdown.
- Does the countdown stay accurate if I switch tabs?
- Yes. The timer works from the real clock rather than counting frames, so leaving it in a background tab or switching apps does not make it drift. When you return, it shows the correct remaining time.
- How do the desktop notifications work?
- When the countdown reaches zero it can raise a desktop notification. Your browser asks for permission the first time you enable it, and if you decline the timer still shows the time-is-up state and plays the optional beep. Nothing is sent anywhere to make this work.
- What happens when the timer reaches zero?
- It stops at zero and switches to a clear time-is-up state. If the beep is on it plays a short alert, and if you granted permission it raises a desktop notification. Press Start again to run another countdown.
- Can I show the countdown fullscreen?
- Yes. Switch to the fullscreen presentation view to expand the remaining time into a large, high-contrast display that reads clearly across a room or on a stream. It keeps counting accurately while fullscreen, and you can leave fullscreen with the Escape key or the exit button.
- Is anything uploaded or saved?
- No. The countdown runs entirely in your browser, so the times you set are never uploaded or stored on a server. Closing the tab clears everything.
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