Free Online Stopwatch

Start timing with a single click. This free online stopwatch tracks time with centisecond precision, records lap times, and works on any device. No download or sign up needed.

Whether you're timing a workout, tracking study sessions, or measuring how long a task takes, this stopwatch has you covered. It runs in your browser and keeps going even if you switch tabs.

How Do I Use the Online Stopwatch?

Using the stopwatch is simple:

1. Click Start to begin timing.
2. Click Lap to record a split time without stopping the clock.
3. Click Pause to freeze the timer.
4. Click Reset to start over from zero.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts: Space to start or pause, R to reset, and L to record a lap.

The display shows minutes, seconds, and centiseconds (hundredths of a second). If your session goes over an hour, it adds an hour counter too.

What Is the Difference Between a Stopwatch and a Timer?

A stopwatch and a timer do opposite things.

A stopwatch counts up from zero. It answers the question: "How long did that take?" You start it, do your thing, and check the time when you're done.

A timer counts down from a set time. It answers: "How much time do I have left?" You set a duration, press start, and wait for the alarm.

This page is a stopwatch. If you need a countdown, try our 5 minute timer or 10 minute timer instead.

What Are Lap Times and How Do They Work?

Lap times let you record splits without stopping the clock. Each time you press Lap, the stopwatch saves two things:

• Split time: How long that specific lap took.
• Total time: The total time since you started.

This is great for running, swimming, or any activity where you want to compare intervals. After three or more laps, the fastest lap is marked in green and the slowest in red. That makes it easy to spot your best and worst splits.

What Can I Use an Online Stopwatch For?

People use stopwatches for all kinds of things:

• Sports and fitness. Time your runs, sprints, swimming laps, or workout intervals.
• Cooking. Track how long something has been on the stove or in the oven.
• Studying. Measure how long you spend on each subject or problem set.
• Work tasks. See how long meetings, calls, or tasks actually take.
• Games and challenges. Time speed runs, trivia rounds, or board game turns.
• Science. Measure reaction times or experiment durations.

If you want to know how long something takes, a stopwatch is the right tool.

How Accurate Is This Online Stopwatch?

This stopwatch uses your device's system clock for timing. It updates every 10 milliseconds and displays time in centiseconds (hundredths of a second).

The timer uses a timestamp approach instead of counting intervals. That means it checks the actual system time on each tick. Even if your browser lags for a moment, the displayed time stays accurate. There's no drift over long sessions.

For everyday use like sports, cooking, or productivity, this is more than precise enough.

Can I Use the Stopwatch in Fullscreen Mode?

Yes. Click the fullscreen button in the top right corner to expand the stopwatch to fill your entire screen. This hides all other page elements so you can focus on the time.

Fullscreen mode is useful when you need to see the clock from a distance, like during a group workout or classroom activity. Lap times still show in fullscreen.

Does the Stopwatch Work If I Switch Tabs?

Yes. The stopwatch keeps running in the background when you switch to another tab or app. When you come back, the time will be correct because it's based on your system clock, not on counting intervals.

The browser tab title also updates with the current time so you can see it at a glance.

More Tools on FastTimer

Looking for something else? Try our Pomodoro timer for focused work sessions, the world clock to check times around the globe, or a countdown timer like the 15 minute timer, 25 minute timer, or 1 hour timer.

Hit start and see how fast you really are.