20 Minute Timer
Twenty minutes. A favourite length for naps and meditation, and the gap behind the 20-20-20 rule for tired eyes.
No signup. Works in any browser. A clear sound when time is up.
A power nap that does not leave you groggy
Naps of 10 to 20 minutes tend to leave you more alert without the heavy, groggy feeling that can follow a longer sleep, because you wake before you sink into deep sleep. Twenty minutes allows a few minutes to drift off. Keep the screen on, as phones can pause web pages when they lock.
Meditation
Twenty minutes is a common length for a sitting practice. Choose the Gentle end sound so the finish is not a jolt, press Start, and put the phone face down.
The 20-20-20 rule
Eye doctors suggest that when you work at a screen, every 20 minutes you look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds. Run this timer while you work, look out of the window when it sounds, then press Reset and Start again.
How the timer works
- Press Start and it counts down. Change the hours, minutes or seconds first if you need a different length.
- It works from your device clock, so it stays right in a background tab, and the time left shows in the tab title.
- Pick an end sound (chime, bell, beep, gentle or silent). The full screen button puts the timer alone on the screen.
- Keeps working offline once the page has loaded. No account, nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a power nap be?
10 to 20 minutes for most people. Much past 30 minutes and you are more likely to wake up groggy.
Which end sound is best for meditation?
Gentle. It is a soft, low tone played twice, rather than a bright chime.
What is the 20-20-20 rule?
Every 20 minutes of screen time, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It gives the focusing muscles in your eyes a short rest.
Will the sound play if my phone locks?
Not reliably. Phones pause web pages when the screen locks. For a nap, keep the screen on and the phone plugged in, or set your phone's own alarm as a backup.
Further reading
Other timers
Need to count up instead? Use the online stopwatch.