Timer help
Answers about starting timers, alarm sounds, full screen and browser limits.
Common questions
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How do I start a timer?
Choose a preset or enter hours, minutes and seconds, then press Start timer. Presets do not start automatically.
Can I pause the timer?
Yes. Pause holds the remaining time. Resume continues from that point. Reset returns to the chosen starting duration.
Can I change the alarm sound?
Yes. Choose Bell, Chime or Off, and use Test sound before you start. Also check your device volume, because the page cannot turn up a muted device.
Does it work with my screen locked?
A browser may suspend a page when your device locks or sleeps. The remaining time is recalculated when you return, but an alarm at the exact finish time is not guaranteed. Keep the page visible when hearing the alarm matters.
Will it ring after I close the tab?
No. Closing the tab stops this page from delivering its alarm.
Can I use full screen on my phone?
Use Full screen to enter focus mode. Where the browser permits it, the site can also request native full screen. Otherwise the large in-page view still works. Exit focus returns to the controls.
What does Keep screen awake do?
Where supported, it asks the browser to keep the display awake while the timer is running and visible. The browser or device may release that request, so it is not a guarantee.
What happens when the timer reaches zero?
The display stops at 00:00 and shows Time’s up. If sound is enabled and playback is permitted, your selected alarm plays for up to 10 seconds. Use Stop sound to silence it or Restart timer to begin again.
Can I open another timer in a new tab?
Yes. New tab opens a separate ready-to-start timer with your selected duration. It does not synchronize with the timer you already have open, and each tab keeps its own countdown.
How is a stopwatch different?
A stopwatch counts elapsed time upward. A countdown timer starts from a duration and counts down to zero.
Keyboard shortcuts
The shortcuts work on timer and stopwatch pages when you are not typing in a field.
| Key | Countdown timer | Stopwatch |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Start, pause or resume | Start, pause or resume |
| R | Reset (asks first while running) | Reset when paused |
| L | – | Record a lap |
| F | Open full screen | Open full screen |
| Esc | Exit full screen | Exit full screen |
What a browser timer can and cannot do
MinuteTimer counts down from a fixed finish time, so the display catches up correctly after the page has been in the background. There are still limits that no web page can remove:
- Browsers can slow down or pause pages in background tabs and on sleeping devices, so the alarm may play late or not at all.
- Browsers can block sound until you have interacted with the page. Pressing Start timer or Test sound gives the page permission in most browsers.
- The countdown is based on the device clock. If the clock changes while a timer runs, the page tells you and lets you choose which time to keep.
- Each tab has its own timer. A reload restores a running timer in the same tab, but closing the tab ends it.
When hearing the alarm really matters, keep the page open and visible, and test the sound first.
Sources
The browser limits above are documented in MDN Web Docs, the reference documentation maintained by Mozilla: