About Visual Timer

Visual Timer is a free online countdown timer that shows time as a picture — a shrinking circle, a progress bar, a sand timer or a bomb with a burning fuse — so children and anyone glancing from across the room can see how much time is left.

Who it is for

Visual Timer is an independently maintained web tool for teachers, parents and people planning a work session. An adult can choose a duration, show the countdown on a shared screen and decide what happens when the activity ends. No account is needed.

Choose the tool for your task

• Classroom timer: project one countdown or embed a timer on a class website.
• Timer for kids: set up turn-taking, tidy-up and other routines with an adult.
• Google Slides guide: compare a timer link, a video and our Chrome extension.
• Noise meter: display relative microphone loudness without recording audio.

What to expect

The countdown uses an end time so it can catch up after a delayed screen update. Browsers can suspend hidden tabs, and a sleeping device may not sound an alarm on time. Keep the timer visible and the device awake; test sound and fullscreen on the equipment you will use. This is a planning aid, not a safety-critical alarm or a medical treatment.

How we write and maintain the guides

Our instructions describe this site's controls and link to original browser or platform documentation where relevant. Activity schedules are suggestions, not evidence of learning outcomes. Dated checks state what was actually tested; they do not imply that every phone, projector or school-managed account has been verified.

Privacy and feedback

Your selected timer duration and settings are processed in your browser. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics and anonymous daily usage counters to understand site use; see our privacy policy for details.

We welcome corrections and reproducible bug reports. Visit Contact or email hello@visualtimer.org.