Stopwatch

This free online stopwatch times anything from a quick sprint to a long study session. Press Start, press Space or tap the time and it starts counting right away in large hours, minutes, seconds and hundredths (hh:mm:ss.cc). Record laps, see each lap time and split, spot your fastest and slowest laps, and copy the results as text. It runs in your browser with no download or sign-up and works with a mouse, a keyboard or a touch screen.

What the stopwatch does

The stopwatch counts up from zero and shows elapsed time to the hundredth of a second. It does not add up small timer ticks. Instead it saves the moment you pressed Start and works out the elapsed time from your device’s high-resolution clock every time it redraws. Because of this, the time stays right when you switch to another tab, when your phone locks the screen, or when the browser slows the page down in the background. The digits catch up the moment you come back.

The start time is also saved in your browser. If you reload the page or close the tab while the stopwatch runs, it is still running when you return, with your laps intact. A stopped stopwatch keeps its time until you reset it.

How to use it

• Start and stop: press Start, press Space, or tap the big time. Press again to stop. The button then reads Resume, and pressing it carries on from the stopped time.
• Laps: while the stopwatch runs, press Lap or L. Each lap press records a lap and starts timing the next one. The current lap is shown under the main time.
• Reset: stop the stopwatch first, then press Reset or R. You can’t reset by accident while it is running.
• Copy laps: press Copy laps or C to copy the lap table as plain text with tab-separated columns, ready to paste into a spreadsheet, a note or a message.
• Full screen: press Full screen or F to fill the screen with the time, handy for a classroom, a gym or a presentation. Press it again or Esc to leave.
• Big digits: press Big digits or B for a larger, amber display that is easier to read from across a room. Your choice is remembered.

How to read the lap table

The newest lap is at the top. Each row has three numbers:

• Lap: the lap number, counting from 1.
• Lap time: how long that lap took, from the previous lap press (or the start) to this one.
• Split: the total time on the stopwatch when you pressed Lap.

Once you have two or more laps, the fastest lap is marked best in green and the slowest is marked slowest in red. While the stopwatch runs, a gray row at the top shows the lap in progress. When you stop, a summary under the buttons gives the total time, the number of laps and the best and slowest laps.

When you reset, the session is saved to the History tab with its date, total time, lap count and best lap. History keeps your last 30 sessions in this browser, and you can clear it at any time.

Tips

• Use the keyboard for laps. Pressing L is faster and more consistent than moving a mouse to a button, which matters when laps are only a few seconds long.
• Time intervals with laps. For running, swimming or circuit training, press Lap at each lap or station and compare the lap times to see where you slowed down.
• Paste into a spreadsheet. The copied text has one row per lap and tab-separated columns, so it splits into neat columns when you paste it.

FAQ

Is this online stopwatch free?

Yes. It’s free with no account and nothing to install. One click, tap or press of Space starts it.

Does it keep running if I switch tabs or lock my phone?

Yes. The elapsed time is worked out from the saved start moment, not from ticks, so time spent in the background is counted in full. The display shows the right time as soon as you come back.

What happens if I reload or close the page?

A running stopwatch keeps running, because its start time is stored in your browser. Your laps and history are kept too. Clearing your browser’s site data removes them.

How precise is it?

The display shows hundredths of a second, and timing comes from your browser’s high-resolution clock. The real limit is how quickly you press the button or key, which varies from press to press.

Want to put your speed to the test? Time a run on our Typing Test, or train your memory with the Chimp Test.