Set the timer to 23 seconds

How to use the online timer

Not every countdown needs to be dramatic; 23 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.

There's nothing to configure beyond tapping the button: press Start and the numbers begin ticking down straight away. The tab needs to stay open in your browser for the whole stretch, since closing it or switching the computer off stops the count, though you're free to switch to another tab and come back later. A clear alarm sounds the moment it hits zero, loud enough to notice from another room.

Setting an egg timer or fumbling with a phone app both work, but neither is as quick as a browser tab you already have open. There's no app store, no update prompt, and no login screen between you and starting the count. It's free and needs no registration, it works on any device with a browser, and closing other tabs won't affect it as long as this one stays open. Set a timer for 23 seconds, set the timer to 23 seconds, start a 23 seconds timer — it is the same countdown either way.