10 Second Timer
Press Start and it counts down 10 seconds on a big display, then rings with the sound you pick. Space starts and pauses.
10 seconds
Alarm: Bell
Spacestart or pauseRreset+ / −a minuteFfull screenMmute
Sound and moreBell
A different length
How this works: 2 sources, Checked against 1 worked example,
How this works
Sources
How it’s tested
One worked example for this page is checked by automated tests before every release: given the inputs, the tool must show the expected answer.
Changes
- Added 10, 20, 30, 45 and 90 second timer pages, each with its own uses, a table and cited facts.
- A timer opened from a link no longer resets on reload, a tap brings the sound back after one, and on phones Start is on the first screen.
- First published.
What ten seconds is good for
Ten seconds is short enough that counting in your head drifts, which is exactly when a clock helps. It is the length of a well-known balance check: stand on one leg, rest the other foot against the back of the standing leg, keep your arms by your sides and see whether you can stay steady until the ring. Do it beside a wall or a sturdy chair you can hold. Researchers at a clinic in Rio de Janeiro had 1,702 people aged 51 to 75 try it, and about one in five could not manage the full ten seconds.
Its other uses are quick and playful. Party games and classroom quizzes use ten-second answers to keep the pace up, a ten-second countdown builds the moment before a toast or a launch, and it gives you time to get into a group photo when the phone is propped on a shelf. Some people take a quick pulse this way and multiply by six; the table below does the sums. A full minute, or 30 seconds doubled, is steadier, because one missed beat then costs one or two beats per minute instead of six.
- In a study of 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75, 20.4% could not complete a 10-second one-legged stance, and over a median of seven years they were more likely to die than those who could, even allowing for age, sex, BMI and other conditions. It shows a link, not a cause. Source: Araujo et al., Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals (Br J Sports Med, 2022).
- The British Heart Foundation suggests counting your pulse for 60 seconds, or for 30 seconds and doubling it. Source: British Heart Foundation, Checking your pulse.
Beats counted in 10 seconds, as beats per minute
A 10-second pulse count times six. Each beat missed or added moves the answer by 6, which is why longer counts are steadier.
| Beats in 10 s | Beats per minute |
|---|---|
| 8 | 48 |
| 9 | 54 |
| 10 | 60 |
| 11 | 66 |
| 12 | 72 |
| 13 | 78 |
| 14 | 84 |
| 15 | 90 |
| 16 | 96 |
| 17 | 102 |
Show all 13 rowsShow fewer
| 18 | 108 |
| 19 | 114 |
| 20 | 120 |
10 seconds in other units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Milliseconds | 10,000 |
| Minutes | 0.1667 |
| Share of an hour | 0.278% |
| Times it fits in an hour | 360 |
| Times it fits in a day | 8,640 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I do the 10-second one-leg balance check?
Stand next to a wall or a sturdy chair. Lift one foot and rest it against the back of the other lower leg, arms by your sides, eyes ahead. Press Start and try to stay steady until the timer rings, then try the other leg. If you wobble, hold on: it is a check, not something to push through.
Can I take my pulse in 10 seconds?
You can: count the beats until the timer rings and multiply by six (the table lists the answers). It is quick but rough, since missing a single beat changes the result by 6 beats per minute. For a reading you want to compare from day to day, count for 30 seconds and double it, or count for a full minute.
Will a 10-second timer ring on time?
Yes. It counts from the moment you press Start using your device’s clock, and the alarm is scheduled when the countdown starts, so it rings on the second even if you switch tabs. Pressing Start also lets the browser play sound, which browsers only allow after a tap or click.