One minute is the shortest timer most people ever need, and it is surprisingly useful. It is long enough to do something real and short enough that nobody can argue they have no time for it.
What a 60 second timer is good for
- Rapid-fire rounds. One minute to name as many animals, countries or vocabulary words as you can. Because the clock is visible, everyone feels the same pressure.
- An elevator pitch. Explaining an idea in 60 seconds is a good test of whether you understand it. Say it out loud once with the timer running, then cut whatever you did not need.
- A one-minute plank or hold. Put the phone on the floor in full screen and watch the ring empty. If a full minute is too much, use the 30 second link above.
- A reset between tasks. Close your eyes, breathe slowly, and look away from the screen until the alarm. Nothing clever is needed; the point is a deliberate pause.
- Rest periods. Between sets in a workout a minute is a common rest. For repeating work and rest, use the interval timer so it switches automatically.
- Washing your hands. The CDC says to scrub your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, so a full minute leaves time to wet, lather, scrub and rinse without rushing.
How to use it
The timer is set to 1:00. Press Start (or the space bar) and the ring starts to empty. When it reaches zero you get the alarm sound you chose. Switch the display to Disk if you want a shrinking red wedge instead of a ring, or Digits for numbers only. Press Test sound once before you rely on it, especially on a phone.
Seconds, not just minutes
The boxes under the display accept any combination of hours, minutes and seconds, so you can type 0 minutes and 45 seconds. If you often use the same odd length, the share link in More options gives you a URL you can bookmark that starts the timer automatically.
Related: 2 minute timer, 3 minute timer, online stopwatch for counting up.
Quick links: seconds and one-minute variants
A minute is often too long or too short. These links open this same timer with a different length and start it straight away. Bookmark the ones you use.
| Length | Open and start | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 30 second timer | A rest between exercises, one plank, a quick pitch |
| 45 seconds | 45 second timer | Short interval, a turn in a game |
| 60 seconds | 60 second timer | This page: a full minute |
| 90 seconds | 90 second timer | A longer rest, a short answer round |
| 2 minutes | 2 minute timer | Tooth brushing, a longer drill |