Timer & Stopwatch
A timer is a commitment device. Deciding to work for twenty-five minutes and then actually starting a clock changes behaviour in a way that intending to concentrate does not, which is why the Pomodoro technique has survived decades of productivity fashion. This tool gives you both a countdown timer and a stopwatch in the browser tab you already have open, with nothing to install.
The countdown suits anything with a fixed duration: focused work blocks, presentation rehearsals, interval training, brewing tea, or a timeboxed meeting agenda item. The stopwatch suits anything you are measuring rather than limiting, such as how long a task genuinely takes, which is the single most useful data point for improving your future estimates.
Because it runs on a web page, it works on a laptop, a phone or a shared display without touching an app store. Keep the tab visible or the browser awake so the alert reaches you, and use a device that will not sleep if the interval is long.
How to use the Timer & Stopwatch
- Choose the countdown timer or the stopwatch, depending on whether you are limiting or measuring.
- For a countdown, set the hours, minutes and seconds you need.
- Press start and leave the tab open so the alert can fire.
- Pause and resume if you are interrupted, or reset to begin again.
- Note the elapsed time from the stopwatch if you are tracking how long work really takes.
Examples
- A student runs four twenty-five minute focus blocks with five minute breaks while revising.
- A speaker rehearses a conference talk against a strict eighteen minute slot.
- A freelancer stopwatches a routine client task to find out whether the fixed fee still makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
Does the timer keep running in a background tab?
It continues counting, but some browsers throttle background tabs and may delay the alert. Keep the tab visible for time-critical countdowns.
Will it work if I lose internet connection?
Once the page has loaded, the timing runs locally, so a dropped connection does not stop the clock.
Is there an audible alert?
Yes, provided your browser has permission to play sound on the page and your device is not muted.
How accurate is the stopwatch?
It is accurate to a hundredth of a second for practical purposes, though browser scheduling makes it unsuitable for scientific measurement.
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