Half an hour is a complete unit of work or exercise — long enough for something substantial, still easy to commit to. This free 30-minute timer counts down full-screen with an alarm and holds accurate time even when the tab is in the background.
What is a 30 minute timer good for?
- A 30-minute workout, run or HIIT session
- Cooking and baking — the most-timed task there is
- A focused work or study block before a break
- Capping a meeting, a call or screen time for kids
How this 30 minute timer works
Press Start and the countdown runs full-screen in your browser; press it again to pause and resume, hit Reset to return to 30 minute, or +1 min to extend. You can also press the spacebar to start or pause. It is wall-clock accurate, so it stays correct even in a background tab, and it rings when it reaches zero. Need a different length or a stopwatch and date countdown? Open the full timer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 30-minute timer most used for?
Cooking is the classic — countless recipes call for 30 minutes in the oven or on the hob, and a reliable alarm means nothing burns while you do something else. It is also a standard workout length (a 30-minute run, HIIT or strength session) and a realistic deep-work block for many people before a break. Because this timer keeps wall-clock-accurate time in a background tab, you can start it, switch to another app, and trust it to ring at exactly the right moment.
Does the timer keep accurate time if I switch tabs?
Yes. Instead of counting ticks (which browsers throttle in background tabs), it records the exact end time and works out the remaining time from your clock on every update, so it is always correct. When you return to the tab the display instantly shows the true time left, and the alarm is scheduled through the Web Audio API so it still rings on time even while the tab is hidden.
Will it make a sound when it finishes? Is it free?
Yes to both. When the countdown reaches zero the timer plays an alarm tone and the card flashes with a “Time’s up” message, so you are notified even with the sound off — use the speaker button to mute or unmute. The first time you press Start the browser unlocks audio from that tap, which is why a timer you start yourself can ring later. It is completely free, runs entirely in your browser, needs no sign-up, and nothing is uploaded.