15 Minute Timer
Free online 15 minute timer with alarm. Ideal for Pomodoro breaks, cooking, and quick tasks.
⏱️ 15 Minute Timer: Start a free 15-minute countdown timer instantly — no downloads, no sign-up. Just click Start.
Why use a 15-minute timer?
Fifteen minutes is the Pomodoro long break and a classic 'minimum viable work' block. Long enough for genuine progress, short enough to repeat multiple times without fatigue.
What people use a 15-minute timer for
Pomodoro long break
After every 4 Pomodoros (about 2 hours), take 15 minutes off.
Power nap (extended)
15-20 minutes is the upper edge of the no-sleep-inertia window.
Email triage
Cap email processing at 15 minutes per session, 2-3 sessions per day.
Quick workout
A 15-minute bodyweight circuit covers the basics on rest days.
Reading session
15 minutes daily = ~25 books per year at average pace.
The 15-minute interval, in context
Habit researchers describe 15 minutes as the '1% improvement window.' Most habit-stacking systems anchor here — long enough to feel meaningful, short enough to never miss.
Triple the 5-minute short break; half of a 30-minute focused work block.
About the 15 Minute Timer
Free online 15 minute timer with alarm. Ideal for Pomodoro breaks, cooking, and quick tasks.
Related
Frequently asked questions
Why use a 15-minute timer specifically?
15-minute blocks fit the canonical Pomodoro pattern, single test sections (most AP and SAT subsections fall here), guided meditation cycles, and sustained-work blocks for older students or focused adults. Long enough for deep work, short enough to maintain attention.
Does the 15-minute timer keep accurate time?
Yes. The 15-minute countdown uses monotonic time, so DST transitions, system clock changes, or tab backgrounding do not throw it off. End-of-window accuracy is within a fraction of a second across the full interval.
Should I take a break after each 15-minute session?
Yes. Research on the Pomodoro Technique and ultradian-rhythm work (Sonnentag, 2018) shows that breaks after 15-minute blocks restore the same prefrontal-cortex resources that sustained focus depletes. Skip the break and your next block performs measurably worse.
What happens when the 15-minute timer reaches zero?
The alarm plays and the page flashes. For 15-minute sessions you have likely shifted attention to other work — that audio cue is what brings you back. The alarm is loud enough to be noticeable across a room without being startling.