Set the timer to 5 seconds

How to use the online timer

Not every countdown needs to be dramatic; 5 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.

It runs the moment you hit Start, no extra steps needed before the numbers begin moving. Because everything happens inside this browser tab, it needs to remain open while the clock runs; switching tabs is fine, but closing the page or turning off your screen partway through will stop the countdown. A sound marks the finish, so you'll know the moment it's done without having to watch it count down.

A phone timer works fine until a call comes in or a notification steals the screen at the worst moment. Running it in a browser tab keeps it separate from all that, ticking away quietly in the background of your computer or phone without competing for attention until it's done. There's nothing to install and nothing to sign up for, just a page that does one job well. Set a timer for 5 seconds, set the timer to 5 seconds, start a 5 seconds timer — it is the same countdown either way.