Set the timer to 19 seconds

How to use the online timer

Not every countdown needs to be dramatic; 19 seconds is also the right length for a pause before you hit reply, a beat before a photo, or a breather before walking back into a room. Set it running, put the phone face down, and use the time properly instead of watching the numbers fall. Sometimes the point isn't the task at the end, it's just having a reason to stop.

Press Start and it gets going immediately, no sign-up screen or settings menu standing in the way. The one thing to remember is that it counts down inside this browser tab, so it needs to stay open rather than closed or replaced by another site if you want an accurate result. A sound plays once the time is up, which is your cue that whatever you were timing is done.

There's something to be said for a timer that doesn't try to sell you a premium version or bury the start button behind ads you have to swipe past. This one lives in a browser tab, plain and straightforward, doing exactly what it says and nothing else. You can leave the tab minimised while you get on with things, and it'll keep counting until it's time to let you know. If you would rather say put a timer on for 19 seconds, that works too — press Start and the page does the rest.