This is a count-up stopwatch that runs in your browser. Press Space to start, Space again to pause, L to record a lap, and R to reset. It keeps accurate time in a background tab because it works from timestamps rather than counting ticks, so leaving the tab does not cost you seconds.
How to use it
- Press Space or click Start. The clock runs up from zero, showing minutes, seconds, and hundredths.
- Press L for a lap. Each lap records both the split since the last one and the total elapsed. Laps stack below the clock so you can read the pattern.
- Press R to reset once you have written down or finished with the numbers. Resetting clears the lap list too.
When a stopwatch beats a countdown
A countdown decides in advance how long something should take. That is the whole point of a pomodoro, and it is also its weakness: on work with an unpredictable shape, the alarm goes off at the exact moment you were getting somewhere.
Counting up removes the ceiling. Two situations where that is the better tool:
Working until you actually stop. The flowtime technique replaces the fixed block with a stopwatch. You start it when you start, work until concentration genuinely fades, stop, and take a break roughly proportional to how long you went. People who bounce off rigid 25-minute blocks often get on with this immediately. Flowmodoro is the same idea with a break formula attached.
Finding out how long things really take. Time three of anything you do weekly, a lecture write-up, a code review, a client email round, and the average will surprise you. Most people underestimate recurring work by a wide margin, which is why their day never fits. Once you have real numbers, the custom timer lets you set a block that matches the work instead of the folklore.
For anything with a known length, a countdown is still better. The timers page has fixed durations from one minute upward, and the main pomodoro timer handles the focus and break cycle.
FAQ
Does the stopwatch keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. It records the moment you pressed start and compares it against your clock, so a browser that throttles background tabs cannot make it drift. Switch away for ten minutes, come back, and the elapsed time will be correct to the hundredth of a second.
Does it keep running if I close the tab?
No. Closing the tab ends the session and the elapsed time is gone, and a refresh mid-run will also stop it. If you are timing something long, leave the tab open in the background rather than closing it, and note the start time somewhere as a backup in case the browser restarts on you.
What do the lap times mean?
Each lap shows two numbers: the split, which is the time since your previous lap, and the total elapsed since you started. Splits are the useful ones for spotting a pattern, like a set of intervals getting slower or a study block losing steam in its second half.
Can I use the stopwatch for flowtime?
That is the main reason it exists here. Start it when you begin, stop when your attention genuinely goes, and note the number. Rest for a fraction of that, commonly a fifth, then start again. The flowtime technique page covers the break ratios people use.