Getting the most from an online timer
An online timer runs entirely in your browser, so there is nothing to install and it works the same on a phone, tablet or laptop. Set a countdown for the thing in front of you (a recipe step, a workout interval, a parking meter, a load of laundry) and it counts down and alerts you when the time is up, freeing you to stop clock-watching and get on with the task. The stopwatch does the reverse, counting up so you can time how long something actually takes.
The one catch: keep the tab awake. Browsers throttle timers in background tabs to save power, which can make a countdown drift or pause if you switch away for a long stretch. For anything critical, keep the timer tab visible, and allow the notification or sound alert so you still get told the moment it finishes even if you have looked away. On a phone, keep the screen from sleeping for short timers.
Handy uses. The best-known is the Pomodoro method, working in focused 25-minute blocks with short breaks, which a simple countdown makes effortless. Cooks run several timers at once for different pans; students time practice papers; parents use it for screen-time and turn-taking. Because it is just a web page, you can bookmark it and have a reliable timer one click away without reaching for a kitchen dial or a phone app.