15 Minute Timer
15:00
Timer ready or paused
Fifteen minutes is the workhorse of avoided tasks. It is long enough to make visible progress on almost anything and short enough that you can see the end from the beginning, which is what makes it easy to agree to.
What 15 minutes is good for
- Household admin and paperwork
- A daily language or instrument practice
- The first block of a session you intend to extend
- Anything you have rescheduled more than twice
Where it falls down
Ends right around the point where deep work starts becoming possible. If you are consistently annoyed when it rings, that is information — move to twenty-five.
Using it well
Name one task before you press begin — not a subject but a task, the kind of action whose result you can inspect. If the phone is a distraction, try placing it out of reach. Stop at a useful stopping point and leave a restart note. A timer does not require you to abandon work at an unsafe or unsuitable moment.
If you set the timer and then still do not start, the problem is not necessarily the length. Check whether the next action is clear and the materials are ready. A timer cannot verify whether you began. One support to try is body doubling.
Common questions
- Why does fifteen minutes work when an hour does not?
- Because an hour has to be defended and fifteen minutes does not. The cost of committing is what stops most sessions from happening, and it scales with the length you are asked to commit to — not with the difficulty of the work.
- Should I take a break after fifteen minutes?
- Usually not. Breaks exist to protect against fatigue, and fifteen minutes rarely produces any. If you are working in fifteen-minute units, stack two or three before stopping.
- Does this timer have a completion alarm?
- Select Completion bell before you begin. It is off by default and separate from ambience. Keep the page open and allow audio. Device sleep may delay the sound; this is not a reliable alarm for an essential deadline.
- What happens if I switch tabs, refresh or close the page?
- While the page remains open, the countdown uses a wall-clock deadline and catches up after tab throttling. Refreshing or closing resets the session. Pausing preserves the remaining time until you resume or reset.
Other lengths
- Online timers
Start a focus timer online now. Choose a work block, pause or reset the countdown, and use optional ambience. Free, with no account required.
- ADHD Timer
Start an ADHD timer online with 5, 10, 20 or 25 minutes. Follow the visual countdown, pause when needed and choose optional ambience. No account required.
- Study Break Ideas: Choose a Pause You Can Finish
Choose study break ideas for a library, home or small space. Use eight practical options, a return note and a free downloadable break-planning card.
- 5 Minute Timer
Start a 5 minute timer for one small task or a short break. Pause, resume or reset the visual countdown in your browser, with no sign-up.
- 10 Minute Timer
Use a 10 minute timer for a short task, practice or a break. Start the browser countdown, pause or reset it, and choose optional sound. No account needed.
- 20 Minute Timer
Use a 20 minute timer for reading, practice or a shorter focus block. Start, pause and reset the countdown in your browser. No sign-up required.