A 3 minute timer you can see
Three minutes is a break-sized timer: long enough to stand up, stretch and get a drink, short enough that coming back is easy.
This is a visual timer. The time is a blue disk that shrinks as the minutes pass: more disk, more time. You can read it in one glance from across a room, with no numbers to work out. The last minute turns amber, and the end is one soft chime.
What 3 minutes are good for
- A movement break between two blocks of work or homework.
- The break in the 10-3 rule: ten minutes of work, then three minutes off.
- Shoes, coat and bag on before leaving the house.
- A calm-down corner: three quiet minutes, then try again.
One tip
A break with an end you can see is easier to come back from. Stand up, move, drink some water, and stay off anything that pulls you in. When the disk is gone, the break is over, and nobody had to say so.
Other timer lengths
1 min · 2 min · 3 min · 5 min · 10 min · 15 min · 20 min · 25 min · 30 min · 45 min · 60 min
Need a different length? Type any number of minutes from 1 to 180 in the Custom box, or open the main visual timer, which remembers the length you used last. For work and break cycles that run themselves, use the pomodoro timer.
Why a shape works better than numbers
Numbers only help if you can feel what "3 minutes" is like. For many children, and for many people with ADHD, that feeling is unreliable. This is often called time blindness. A disk that shrinks turns time into something you can see, so nobody has to guess. More in our guide to visual timers.
Questions about the 3 minute timer
Why three minutes for a break?
It is long enough to reset and short enough that you have not started something new. If three minutes is not enough for you, use the 5 minute timer instead.
How do I use the 10-3 rule?
Work for ten minutes, then rest for three, and repeat. Run the 10 minute timer for the work. When you tap Done, a 3-minute break button appears.
Is this 3 minute timer free?
Yes. It is free, with no signup and no account. It runs in your browser on a phone, tablet, laptop or classroom screen.
Does the 3 minute timer make a loud alarm?
No. It plays one soft chime at the end and the disk turns amber, not red. You can switch the sound off with the bell button.