30 Minute Timer

A free online 30 minute timer — one click and it counts down from 30:00, finishing with a chime and a flash you'll notice even in another window. It runs entirely in your browser, with no ads and nothing to install.

The half-hour block

Thirty minutes is the most calendar-friendly focus interval there is. Days are already carved into half-hour slots, so a 30 minute timer fits neatly between meetings: enough time to draft a document, read a chapter, practice an instrument or work through a problem set, without committing a whole hour. Paired with a 5 minute break it gives you a clean 35 minute cadence — a slightly slower, calmer rhythm than the classic 25 minute Pomodoro.

Making 30 minutes count

• Decide the finish line before you start ("outline done", "pages 40–60 read") — a target beats a vague intention.
• Close every tab that isn't the task. Thirty minutes of one thing beats ninety minutes of six things.
• If you hit a flow state near the end, press +5 rather than stopping cold.
• Use the pop-out button to keep the countdown in view while you work in other apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is 30 minutes better than 25?

Neither is "better" — 25 is tradition, 30 is tidier on a calendar and gives slightly more runway for tasks with a slow start, like writing or coding. Pick one and keep it consistent; the structure is what does the work.

How long should the break be after 30 minutes?

Five minutes is plenty. Stand up, stretch, get water — and stay off the feeds, so the break ends as easily as it started. The Break mode on this timer is preset for exactly that.