Free online countdown timer
Set a timer right here, or open one of 74 countdown videos from 1 minute to 12 hours. For studying, focus sessions, workouts and live streams. No sign-up, no ads, nothing to install.
The video library
Each tile opens a clean countdown video on YouTube: a large, high-contrast clock that is easy to read from across the room, on a second screen, or on a phone on stream.
Guide
There is no single best length. Match the timer to the task and to how much energy you have: 5 minutes to get started, 25 minutes to keep momentum, 50 to 90 minutes for deep work.
For tasks you are avoiding. Anyone can do anything for five minutes. The goal is not to finish, only to get past the friction of starting. Once the timer ends you usually have the momentum for a longer session.
Good for: email, tidying up, admin, opening the file you have been putting off.
The classic Pomodoro length: long enough for real progress, short enough to keep the finish line in sight. The deadline keeps work from expanding to fill the time. Unsure where to start? Pick 25.
Good for: studying, homework, reading, routine reports, a queue of tickets.
Complex work needs time to load the context into your head. Stopping every 25 minutes breaks that state. A longer block lets you settle into flow, where your best work happens.
Good for: writing, coding, design, video editing, hard problems.
| Activity | Length | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Procrastinating | 5–10 min | Makes starting almost effortless. |
| Studying, revision | 25 min | Steady focus without burning out. |
| Workout, HIIT | 30–45 min | A typical high-intensity session. |
| Writing, coding | 50–90 min | Protects flow from interruptions. |
| Break between sessions | 5–10 min | Rest before the next block. |
| Stream “starting soon” | 5–10 min | Time for latecomers to arrive. |
| Stream break | 5–15 min | Viewers wait when they know how long. |
“I’ll work until I’m done” rarely works. Without a deadline, a task expands to fill the time you give it (Parkinson’s law). A countdown creates a small, real deadline: distractions suddenly cost something, and the hard part only has to be endured for a fixed stretch.
Use open-ended time to find an idea. Use a timer to carry it out.
A countdown you can see, on a second screen or in a corner of your display, keeps you aware of time without pulling your attention. A timer buried in a phone full of notifications loses most of that effect.
A “starting soon” screen with a real countdown turns waiting into anticipation, and a break timer tells viewers exactly when you will be back. Set it a little longer than you need: starting early feels good, but sitting at 0:00 with nothing happening breaks a promise.
In OBS, add a browser source with https://minutemeasures.com/?t=10m&obs: a transparent overlay that starts counting as soon as the source loads.
Yes. The online timer and every countdown video are free. There is no account, no subscription and no ads on this site.
Pick a preset such as 5, 25 or 45 minutes, or type any length in minutes, then press Start (or the Space key). The dial and the browser tab show the time left, and a soft chime plays at zero. You can mute the chime with the speaker button.
Yes. The timer counts against the clock instead of counting ticks, so it stays accurate in a background tab, and it picks up where it was if you reload or close and reopen the page. That state is kept only in your own browser.
Yes. In OBS, add a browser source with the address https://minutemeasures.com/?t=10m&obs. It shows only the digits on a transparent background and starts counting when the source loads. Change 10m to any length, such as 90s, 25m or 1h30m. You can also play one of the countdown videos from YouTube on your break screen. Please don't re-upload or edit the videos.
A way of working in 25-minute focused sessions separated by 5-minute breaks, with a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes after every four sessions. Use the 25m preset for the work session and the 5m preset for the break.
For most revision, 25 minutes of focus followed by a 5-minute break works well. For deep work such as essays or problem sets, try 50 to 90 minutes. If you can't get started at all, set 5 or 10 minutes and only commit to that.
74 videos: every whole minute from 1 to 59 minutes, every half hour from 1 to 5 hours, and 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 hours. Each one is a clean, high-contrast countdown that is easy to read from a distance.
Yes. While a timer runs, the page asks your browser to keep the screen on where that is supported, and the full screen button turns it into a large desk clock.
No. The site sets no cookies and uses no analytics, ads or trackers, and it loads nothing from YouTube until you click a video. Details are in the privacy notice.
Questions or a length you are missing? info@minutemeasures.com