Where the countdown runs
The countdown is the timer on the home page. The 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 minute pages run the same timer with that length already loaded, and the floating timer page runs it too.
The Pomodoro, classroom and stage timers are built on the same countdown with extra controls, so most of this page applies to them as well.
Pick a preset
Six buttons under Choose a duration load 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 60 minutes. The home page opens on 30 minutes.
- Picking a preset never starts the clock. Press Start when you're ready.
- Picking a preset while a countdown runs stops it and loads the new length from the top.
- The status line above the buttons reads Ready · 30 minutes until you start, then Running, Paused or Time's up.
In the cube view each preset has its own face, and the cube turns to it:
| Preset | Cube face |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes | Front |
| 5 minutes | Left side |
| 10 minutes | Right side |
| 20 minutes | Back |
| 15 minutes | Top |
| 60 minutes | Bottom |
Set a custom time
- Open Set a custom time under the presets.
- Type the minutes and the seconds. Only digits go in; anything else is dropped as you type.
- Press Start. A custom time starts straight away.
- The shortest custom time is 1 second and the longest is 24 hours (1440 minutes).
- Seconds must be 0 to 59. For 90 seconds, type 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- Times of 100 minutes or more show as hours, minutes and seconds, such as 02:30:00.
- The status line names the length in words, for example Custom 7 minutes 30 seconds.
If a value is out of range, the box stays open and says what to fix:
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| Seconds have to be under 60. | The seconds field is 60 or more. |
| Enter at least 1 second. | Both fields are 0. |
| Custom timers can run up to 24 hours. | The total is over 24 hours. |
Start, pause, resume and reset
- The main button names what it will do: Start 30-minute timer, Pause, Resume, Stop alarm or Restart. Custom times that aren't whole minutes say Start timer.
- Space does the same as the main button from anywhere on the page, except while you are typing in a field.
- Pause and resume as often as you like. The time left is kept exactly.
- Reset puts the clock back to the full length without starting it. R does the same. It is greyed out until the timer has been started.
- On a computer, starting a fresh countdown also opens the floating timer, unless the page is in full screen.
When time is up
- The display reads Time's up!, the status line says Time's up, and the browser tab title changes to Time's up · TimerFlip.
- If sound is on, a three-note chime repeats every couple of seconds for about 25 seconds, then stops by itself.
- While it rings, the main button reads Stop alarm. Space stops it too, and so does the Stop button in the floating timer.
- After that the main button reads Restart, which runs the same length again. Pick a preset or a custom time to change it.
If the browser held the sound back, a line under the buttons says so with a Play alarm button. See Sound and alarm.
Cube or Digital view
The Cube and Digital switch above the timer changes how the same countdown looks. Switching never stops or resets it.
- Cube shows a 3D timer cube that turns to the face of the length you picked and counts down on its front, with a thin progress line.
- Digital shows a wide seven-segment clock with a bar that empties as time runs out. It is easier to read from across a room.
- On the home page, the 5 to 60 minute pages and the floating timer page, your choice is saved in this browser.
- The Pomodoro, classroom and stage timers always open in Digital. Switching to the cube there lasts for that visit only and doesn't change the other pages.
- In full screen, the cube or digits button in the bottom bar switches the view.
Reading the time from the browser tab
While a countdown runs, the browser tab shows the time left, such as 24:59 · TimerFlip, so you can check it from another tab. When it ends, the tab reads Time's up · TimerFlip. When the timer is reset, the tab goes back to the page name.
Accuracy in a background tab
Browsers slow down timers in tabs you aren't looking at. TimerFlip doesn't count ticks. It stores the moment the countdown should end and shows the difference from now, so the time is right whenever you look, even after hours in the background.
The display rounds up to the next whole second, so 05:00 stays on screen until a full second has passed and 00:00 appears at the moment time runs out.