Countdown Timer & Stopwatch
Count down to any date, or set a quick timer and stopwatch — with an alarm sound and a live countdown that shows right in your browser tab.
This free countdown timer and stopwatch does three jobs in one page. Count down to a future date such as a launch, a birthday or New Year; run a simple kitchen-style timer that beeps when it hits zero; or time an activity with a stopwatch and lap splits. Everything runs in your browser with nothing to install, and the remaining time stays visible in the browser tab title even when you switch away.
How to Use the Timer
- Pick a mode at the top: Countdown, Timer or Stopwatch.
- For a countdown, choose a target date and time — the days, hours, minutes and seconds update live every second.
- For a timer, tap a quick preset (1, 5, 10 or 25 minutes) or type your own minutes and seconds, then press Start.
- When a timer or countdown reaches zero, an alarm sound plays and a finished message appears.
- For a stopwatch, press Start, use Lap to record splits, and Reset to clear.
Countdown, Timer or Stopwatch — Which One?
The three modes answer three different questions. A countdown answers “how long until a fixed moment?” — it is anchored to a real calendar date, so it is perfect for events like a wedding, a product launch, an exam or midnight on the 31st of December. A timer answers “how long from now?” — you set a duration and it counts down to zero, ideal for cooking, workouts, study sprints or a two-minute presentation warning. A stopwatch answers “how long has this taken?” — it counts up from zero and records laps, which suits running, timed drills or measuring how long a task really takes.
The Tab-Title Countdown and the Alarm
While a countdown or timer is running, the time left is written into the page title, so you can see it on the browser tab without keeping this page in view. The moment you stop, pause or finish, the original title is restored. Because the countdown is calculated from your device clock rather than by counting ticks, it stays accurate even if the browser slows down a background tab.
The alarm is generated on the fly with the Web Audio API — a few short synthesised beeps — so there is no sound file to download and nothing to load. Browsers only allow audio after you have interacted with the page, which is why the alarm reliably plays once you have pressed Start. Make sure your device is not muted.
Sharing a Countdown
Counting down to the same event as friends or a team? Set your date, then press Copy shareable link. The tool builds a URL that carries your target date inside it, so anyone who opens the link lands on the same countdown, already ticking. It is a neat way to share “days until launch” or a group holiday countdown without any accounts or sign-ups.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I share a countdown with someone else?
Set your target date and time, then press “Copy shareable link”. The button builds a URL with your date encoded in it, so whoever opens the link sees the very same countdown running in real time. No account or sign-up is needed.
Will the timer keep running if I switch to another tab?
Yes. The remaining time is shown in the browser tab title, and the countdown is based on your device clock rather than tick counting, so it stays accurate in a background tab. Closing the tab, however, ends the session.
Why can I not hear the alarm?
Browsers block sound until you interact with the page, so press Start first. The alarm is created with the Web Audio API and needs your device volume turned up and not muted.
Is my countdown or timer data saved anywhere?
No. Everything runs locally in your browser and nothing is uploaded. The only data that leaves your device is the shareable link you choose to copy, and that simply contains the target date.