Countdown Timer
WEBSet a countdown timer with an alarm for any task.
What is the Countdown Timer tool?
This online timer counts down from a preset you tap — 1, 3, 5, 10 or 25 minutes — and plays a clear rising alarm when time is up. Start, pause, resume and reset with single taps, and read the remaining time on a display large enough to see from across the room. It is a free online timer with no sign-up and no download, running entirely in your browser on phone, tablet or desktop.
The presets cover the countdowns people actually set: 1 minute for a rest between sets, 3 or 5 minutes for tea, eggs and short breaks, 10 minutes for a power nap or a homework sprint, and 25 minutes for a classic pomodoro focus session. The remaining time is computed from your device's clock rather than by counting ticks, so pausing, resuming or a busy browser will not make the countdown drift — when the display reaches zero, your minutes have genuinely passed.
When the alarm matters — cooking, workouts, study — keep the tab open and your volume on: the beeps are generated right on the page, with nothing sent to or fetched from a server. And for timing that counts up instead of down, with laps and splits, Carbide's stopwatch is the companion tool. Together they replace a kitchen timer, a gym timer and a study timer with one browser tab.
How to use the Countdown Timer
- Tap a preset — 1, 3, 5, 10 or 25 minutes — to set the countdown.
- Press «Start» and watch the remaining time count down on the big display.
- Press «Pause» to hold the countdown and «Resume» to continue where it stopped.
- When the timer reaches zero, a rising alarm sounds and the display shows «Time's up».
- Press «Reset» to restore the full duration, or tap another preset for a new countdown.
Frequently asked questions
Does the alarm ring if the tab is in the background?
The countdown itself stays accurate in a background tab because it is computed from your device's clock. Most browsers will still play the alarm from a background tab, but some throttle or mute inactive tabs — for anything critical, keep the tab visible and your volume up.
How do I set a timer for 10 minutes?
Tap the 10 min preset, then press «Start». That is the whole flow — the countdown begins immediately and the alarm sounds when the ten minutes are up.
Can I use it as a pomodoro timer?
Yes — the 25-minute preset is a classic pomodoro work interval. Run it, take a short break with the 3 or 5 minute preset, and repeat. Nothing to install and no account needed.
What is the difference between a timer and a stopwatch?
A timer counts down from a fixed duration and alerts you at zero — right for cooking, workouts and focus sessions. A stopwatch counts up from zero for open-ended timing with laps. Carbide has both; use the stopwatch when you do not know the duration in advance.
What happens if I close or refresh the page?
The countdown resets — the running timer is not stored anywhere. Keep the tab open until the alarm has sounded; the timer keeps counting correctly even while you work in other tabs.
Is the online timer free? Do I need to sign up?
Completely free with no sign-up, no download and no limits on how many countdowns you run.
Is any of my activity sent to a server?
No. The countdown and the alarm sound are both generated locally in your browser — nothing about your timing is transmitted anywhere.
