How to use the classroom timer and stopwatch
- Choose Countdown timer or Stopwatch at the top.
- Pick a preset such as 5 or 10 minutes, or type minutes and seconds and press Set.
- Press Start, or the space bar, and Full screen for a projector. The timer beeps and flashes when it reaches zero.
Why a ring and not just numbers
Children, and most adults, judge "how much time is left" far better from a shrinking shape than from a number. The ring turns amber at a quarter left and red at the last tenth, so a class can see the end coming without anyone announcing it. The numbers stay for precision.
Lap versus split
In the stopwatch, the "Lap" column is the time since the previous lap and "Total" is the time since Start. The fastest lap is marked in yellow and the slowest in red once you have two or more, which makes interval training and swim sets easy to read at a glance. Browsers slow down timers in background tabs, which is why many online stopwatches lose seconds when you switch away; this one stores the start moment and recomputes from the clock, so it is right whether the tab was hidden, the laptop slept, or the page was closed and reopened.
Timers ready to start
1 minute2 minutes3 minutes5 minutes10 minutes15 minutes20 minutes25 minutes (Pomodoro)30 minutes45 minutes1 hour
Where it's used
Group work and silent reading, exam sections, standing presentations, interval training, cooking, and the "five more minutes" of screen time at home. Bookmark a time you use often; the address keeps it.
Questions and answers
Does it keep time when the tab is in the background?
Yes. The timer uses the clock, not a counter, so it stays accurate even if the browser slows a background tab. The remaining time also shows in the tab title.
Can I use it on a smartboard or projector?
Press 'Full screen'. The ring and the numbers scale to fill the display, and the space bar starts or pauses.
Will it make a sound?
Yes, three short beeps when time is up, if 'Sound' is ticked. The screen also flashes, which is useful in a noisy room.
Can I set a specific time?
Type minutes and seconds and press Set. The link in the address bar keeps that time, so bookmark it for a timer you use every day.
Where is the stopwatch?
Press 'Stopwatch' at the top of the tool. It counts up with lap and split times, keeps running if you close the tab, and the laps copy straight into a spreadsheet.
Does the stopwatch keep running if I close the tab?
Yes. It records the moment you pressed Start, so the elapsed time is still right when you come back. Only clearing the browser's site data resets it.
Free to use, runs in your browser, nothing uploaded. Last updated 2026-10-07. Made by HandyToolkits; questions to [email protected].