A timer, stopwatch and date countdown that stays accurate
This free page bundles the time tools you reach for most: a countdown timer for cooking, workouts, study sessions and presentations; a stopwatch with laps for timing anything that counts up; a countdown to a date for launches, deadlines, holidays and birthdays; and a count-up that measures the time since a past event like an anniversary or project start. Switch between them with the tabs and everything runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, no install, nothing uploaded.
The date countdown is fully customizable: pin the target to any timezone so every viewer sees the same moment, set it to repeat every year for birthdays and holidays, choose exactly which units show (a big days-only countdown, or hide the seconds), and toggle the labels and event name. Every option is saved in the shareable link, so a countdown you send opens with the same settings for anyone.
The thing most online timers get wrong is accuracy. They subtract a second on a loop, but browsers throttle that loop to once per second — or once per minute — the moment you switch tabs, so the count silently falls behind. This timer instead anchors to your device's clock: it remembers the exact moment your countdown should end and recomputes the time remaining on every frame, so it is always correct, instantly catches up when you return to the tab, and even registers as finished if your laptop slept past the end time. The alarm is scheduled through the Web Audio API on a separate audio thread, so it rings on time in the background too.
How to use the timer, stopwatch & countdown
Tap a preset (including a 25-minute Pomodoro) to set the timer instantly, or type any duration up to 99 hours. Press Space to start or pause, R to reset, and F for a distraction-free fullscreen view. For a date countdown, use Copy link to share a ready-made countdown with anyone. Need related tools? Try the World Clock to check a time zone, TypingTrack to time your typing speed, or browse all LK Forge tools.
Popular preset timers
Want a ready-to-go timer for a specific length? Open one of these dedicated one-tap countdowns: 1 minute timer, 5 minute timer, 10 minute timer, 15 minute timer, 20 minute timer, Pomodoro timer (25 min), 30 minute timer, 45 minute timer, and 1 hour timer.
Online timer & countdown FAQ
Is this online timer free?
Yes, the Timer & Stopwatch is completely free, with no catch. There is no account to create, nothing to sign up for, and no trial that expires or paywall further down the page. You can open it as often as you like, run as many sessions as you need, and leave it ticking all day — there is no usage limit. It works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone, with no app to install and no extension required. Everything runs locally on your device: your durations, laps and target dates are never uploaded or logged, and the page keeps counting accurately even if you go offline once it has loaded. It is one of the free LK Forge tools, built simply to be useful whenever you need to time something, count up, or count down to a date.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs or minimize the window?
Yes. Most browser timers drift or freeze in a background tab because they count ticks with setInterval, which browsers throttle to once per second or even once per minute when a tab is hidden. This timer works differently: it records the exact wall-clock moment your countdown should end and, on every update, calculates the time remaining from the current clock — so it is always correct no matter how often the page actually refreshes. When you switch back to the tab the display instantly shows the true remaining time, and if your laptop went to sleep and woke up after the end time, the timer registers as finished immediately. The alarm sound is scheduled through the Web Audio API on a separate high-priority audio thread, so it still rings on time even while the tab is in the background.
How do I set a countdown to a specific date?
Open the Countdown to Date tab, give your event an optional name such as New Year, a birthday, a wedding or a product launch, then pick the target date and time and press Start countdown. The page shows a large live readout of the days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining, counting down in your own local time zone. You can copy a shareable link with the Copy link button: it stores your event name and target time in the address, so anyone who opens it sees the same countdown without setting anything up. This is handy for sharing a launch moment, a deadline or a holiday countdown with friends, classmates or a team. When the target time arrives the readout reaches zero and switches to an event has arrived message.
What is the difference between a timer and a stopwatch?
A timer counts down: you set a duration, such as 5 minutes, and it counts toward zero and then alarms — ideal for cooking, workouts, study sessions, presentations or any task with a fixed time limit. A stopwatch counts up from zero with no end point, measuring how long something takes — ideal for timing laps, exercises, work intervals or experiments. This page includes both, plus a countdown to a future date, and you switch between them with the tabs at the top. The stopwatch also records laps so you can capture split times without stopping the clock, and each lap shows both its own duration and the total elapsed time at that point.
Can I use presets like a Pomodoro timer?
Yes. The Timer tab has one-tap presets for common durations — 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 minutes — plus a 25-minute Pomodoro preset for focused work sessions. Tapping a preset fills the hours, minutes and seconds for you so you can start immediately without typing. You can also enter any custom duration up to 99 hours by editing the fields directly. The Pomodoro technique pairs a 25-minute focus block with short breaks, and this timer makes it easy to run that cycle: start the 25-minute preset, work until it alarms, then start a short break. Because the timer is accurate in background tabs, you can keep it running behind your work and trust that it will ring at exactly the right moment.
Will it make a sound when the timer finishes?
Yes, the timer plays an alarm tone when it reaches zero, and the screen flashes and shows a clear Time's up message so you are notified even with the sound off. The first time you press Start, the browser unlocks audio from that tap, which is why a timer you start yourself can ring later without any extra permission. You can mute or unmute the alarm at any time with the speaker button in the corner of the card. Because the sound is scheduled in advance through the Web Audio API, it fires at the right moment even if the tab is in the background or your screen has dimmed. To keep the screen awake while a timer runs, the page also requests a wake lock where the browser supports it, so the display does not sleep before your alarm.
Is my data private?
Yes. Everything happens entirely in your browser. Your timer durations, stopwatch laps and countdown target dates are never sent to a server, logged, or shared — there is no account and no tracking of the specific values you enter. The only thing the page stores is a small note in your browser's local storage so that a running timer survives an accidental refresh and resumes where it left off; that note stays on your device and you can clear it any time through your browser settings. A countdown link you choose to copy contains the event name and date you typed, but it is only shared if you send that link to someone. Because all the work is local, the tool is safe to use for private deadlines, study schedules or work intervals without worrying that your activity is recorded.