A visual timer made for ADHD time blindness
Most timers show numbers. But numbers only help if your brain can feel what "14 minutes" is like. That feeling is exactly what ADHD time blindness takes away.
A visual timer fixes this. It turns time into a shape you can see: a disk that shrinks as time passes. Big disk, lots of time. Small disk, hurry up. You can read it in one quick look, even from across the room.
This timer is made to stay calm. In the last minute it turns amber, not red. That is a friendly heads-up, not an alarm. At the end it plays a soft chime, not a loud buzzer, because panic does not help ADHD brains work.
It goes full-screen for classrooms and homework desks. It works on any device. And it needs no account.
Built for ADHD brains, not just built to look nice
Most online visual timers stop at the shrinking shape. This one goes further, because the hard parts of ADHD time are what happens around the countdown.
- Honest overtime. When time runs out, the timer does not pretend you're done. It keeps counting up in calm amber with a simple note: taking longer is okay. Tap "I'm done" when you actually finish. Running late is data, not failure.
- Name the one thing. Type what you're working on above the disk. Saying one concrete task out loud is half the battle for an ADHD brain, and it shows in your browser tab too.
- A built-in break loop. When you finish, one tap starts a 3-minute break. Work, rest, repeat. The 10-3 rule with zero re-deciding.
- It remembers your time. Your last duration is saved on your device. Next visit, just press Start. No account, ever.
- Gentle sound, your choice. A soft chime, never a buzzer. One tap on the bell mutes it if sound stresses you.
- Spacebar to start. On a computer, one key starts or pauses. The fewer clicks between you and starting, the better.
Three ways to use it
- The 10-3 rule: stuck on a task you can't start? Set 10 minutes, work, then take a 3-minute break. Starting is the hard part, and this makes starting small.
- One-task sprints: pick one task, set 25 minutes, and keep the timer where you can see it. When the disk is gone, choose your next step. Want automatic work-break cycles instead? Use our free ADHD pomodoro timer.
- Kids' turns and switches: "when the blue is gone, it's bath time." A shrinking disk gives kids a warning their brain can actually use, which beats a sudden "time's up!" every time. More in our visual timers guide.
How parents and teachers use it
An ADHD clock for starting, not just stopping
Most people use a timer to know when to stop. With ADHD, the harder problem is usually starting. A visual timer works as a task initiation tool: set 10 minutes, press Start, and the moving disk gives your brain a beginning it can see. The commitment is tiny, so starting stops feeling dangerous.
It also works as an ADHD clock between tasks. Leave it running full-screen on a desk or kitchen counter and time stops being invisible — the one thing time blindness never allows. No numbers to read, no math to do. Just a shape that keeps quietly telling the truth.
Timers by length
Open the timer already set to the length you need: 1 min · 2 min · 3 min · 5 min · 10 min · 15 min · 20 min · 25 min · 30 min · 45 min · 60 min.
Want a timer that learns your time?
This free web timer shows time passing. The TimeNinja app does more. It remembers how long your tasks really take, and saves that in your own Real Time Library.
So the app learns that "empty the dishwasher" takes you 12 minutes, and your plans stop lying to you. It also has photo-based routines for kids that use the same see-the-time idea.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free ADHD timer online?
Yes, this one. Open timeninja.app/timer on any phone, tablet or laptop, pick the minutes and press Start. It is free, needs no account or download, works in any browser and goes full screen.
How do parents use a visual timer with a child who has ADHD?
Set it for one small job at a time, like brushing teeth or one page of homework, and put the screen where your child can see it. Say "when the disk is gone, we stop", then let the timer do the reminding instead of you. Warn them a couple of minutes before the end, and praise them for starting, not only for finishing.
Why do visual timers work for ADHD?
ADHD brains find it hard to feel time passing. This is called time blindness. A visual timer turns the time you have left into a shape: more disk means more time, less disk means hurry. No math and no reading numbers, just one quick look.
Is this visual timer really free?
Yes, fully free. No signup and no account. It runs right in your browser. It's made by the team behind TimeNinja, the ADHD planner app for iPhone, as a free tool for the ADHD community.
Why does the timer turn amber instead of red?
Red feels like an alarm, and it can make many ADHD brains panic. Panic makes finishing harder, not easier. So the last minute turns amber as a gentle heads-up, and the end sound is a soft chime instead of a jarring buzz.
Can I use this visual timer full-screen in a classroom?
Yes. Tap the full-screen button and the shrinking disk fills the whole display. You can read it from the back of the room, so it works well for classrooms, homework time, and family routines.
What is the 10-3 rule for ADHD?
Work for 10 minutes, then take a 3-minute break. It shrinks a task you keep avoiding down to a size your brain will start, and the promised break makes starting feel safe. Set this timer to 10 minutes and try it. When you finish, the built-in break button runs the 3 minutes for you.
What happens when the time runs out?
The timer does not stop and shame you. It plays one soft chime, turns amber, and starts counting up, with a note that taking longer is okay. When you actually finish, tap "I'm done". Most timers pretend the task ends at zero. ADHD tasks often don't, and honest overtime is how you learn your real timing.
Does this visual timer have breaks built in?
Yes. When you finish a task, a break button appears. One tap runs a 3-minute break with the same shrinking disk, then tells you when it's time to go again. It also remembers your last work duration, so the next round is one press of Start.