5 Minute Timer
Press Start and it counts down 5 minutes on a big display, then rings with the sound you pick. Space starts and pauses.
5 minutes
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.
Privacy
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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.
Five-minute jobs
Five minutes is the break in the Pomodoro Technique: after each 25-minute round of focused work you stop for five, stand up, refill your water and look at something that isn’t a screen. It is short enough that you actually come back, which is the point. Start this timer the moment the work round ends so the break doesn’t quietly stretch into twenty. A visible clock also makes the break feel legitimate: you are not wasting time, you are taking the rest the method asks for.
The same length works as a gentle warm-up before a run, the quiet sit before taking a resting pulse, and a cap on tasks you have been avoiding: promise yourself only five minutes of the tax return, the inbox or the washing-up, and you will often keep going once you have started. In classrooms it suits a quiet reading spell, a think-pair-share or a countdown to the end of a test section.
- Francesco Cirillo’s Pomodoro Technique divides work into 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks in between. Source: Francesco Cirillo, The Pomodoro Technique (Penguin Random House).
- Before checking your pulse, the British Heart Foundation suggests sitting or lying down for five minutes so that recent activity doesn’t raise the reading. Source: British Heart Foundation, Checking your pulse.
5 minutes split into equal intervals
Every way to cut 5 minutes into equal parts of at least 5 seconds, for rounds, turns or reps.
| Equal parts | Each part (m:ss) | Each part in seconds |
|---|---|---|
| 2 × 2 min 30 s | 2:30 | 150 |
| 3 × 1 min 40 s | 1:40 | 100 |
| 4 × 1 min 15 s | 1:15 | 75 |
| 5 × 1 minute | 1:00 | 60 |
| 6 × 50 seconds | 0:50 | 50 |
| 10 × 30 seconds | 0:30 | 30 |
| 12 × 25 seconds | 0:25 | 25 |
| 15 × 20 seconds | 0:20 | 20 |
| 20 × 15 seconds | 0:15 | 15 |
| 30 × 10 seconds | 0:10 | 10 |
Show all 11 rowsShow fewer
| 60 × 5 seconds | 0:05 | 5 |
5 minutes in other units
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Seconds | 300 |
| Milliseconds | 300,000 |
| Hours | 0.0833 |
| Share of a day | 0.347% |
| Times it fits in a day | 288 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set a timer for 5 minutes?
This page is already set: press Start, or the space bar on a keyboard, and it counts down from 5:00 and rings at zero. To change the length, pick another preset or type minutes into the box, and the link updates so you can bookmark your own.
What should I do in a 5-minute break?
Get away from the screen: stand, stretch, walk to a window or refill a glass of water. A short break between focus rounds is there to rest your attention, so scrolling your phone gives you less of a reset. When the timer rings, go straight into the next round.
Will a 5-minute timer ring if I switch apps on my phone?
Usually, as long as the browser tab stays open and the phone isn’t locked. Phones may pause background pages to save battery, so for the surest ring keep this page on screen: it asks the phone not to sleep while a timer is running.