Classroom Timer
A free classroom timer with a visual pie. Pick a length and click the pie: the coloured slice shrinks as time runs out, so everyone can see how much is left at a glance. No signup, nothing uploaded, and it keeps running if the Wi-Fi drops.
Custom time and sound
Keys: Space start or pause · R reset · ↑ ↓ add or remove a minute · V change view · F full screen.
How to use the classroom timer
- Set the time. Tap a class length, or open Custom time and sound to type minutes and seconds. The timer remembers your last time, view and sound on this device.
- Click the pie, or press Space. The coloured slice shrinks as time passes. Click the pie again to pause and resume.
- Choose what the class sees. Pie and time shows both, Pie only hides the numbers, and Digits and bar gives a big clock with a shrinking bar. Press V to switch.
- Read the colour. Green is your normal pace. It turns amber with a quarter of the time left, your cue to wrap up, and red at the last tenth or the last 10 seconds. At zero the pie reads “Time is up” and the clock counts up with a plus sign.
- Put it on the board. Press F for full screen on the projector or interactive display. With two displays, drag this tab to the board and keep your own screen for the lesson.
| Key | Does |
|---|---|
| Space or click the pie | Start, pause or resume |
| R | Reset to the time you set |
| ↑ / ↓ | Add or remove one minute, even while running |
| V | Switch between pie and time, pie only, and digits and bar |
| F | Full screen on and off |
Classroom timer lengths
Starting points, not rules: none of these comes from a study, so set each one from your own lesson plan. Select a length to load it into the timer above.
| Activity | Length | Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Settle and get materials out | 2:00 | Set 2:00 |
| Think, then talk to a partner | 3:00 | Set 3:00 |
| Quick write | 5:00 | Set 5:00 |
| Group task | 10:00 | Set 10:00 |
| Independent reading | 15:00 | Set 15:00 |
| Quiz or exit ticket | 20:00 | Set 20:00 |
| Class period | 50:00 | Set 50:00 |
Need two more minutes? Press the up arrow or +1 min instead of resetting, and the pie and the colours adjust to the new total.
Classroom timer options compared
Checked on October 31, 2026 on the official pages. Which one fits depends on whether the room needs to see a shape, a number or both.
| Option | What it is | Good to know | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| This page | A browser timer with a shrinking pie, digits and bar views, and full screen | Free, no signup, nothing to install. It needs a browser on the classroom computer | This page |
| Windows Clock app | The Timer in the Clock app, with four preset timers and a plus icon for your own | Timers still go off if the app is closed or the device is locked. The Microsoft page does not describe a full-screen or pie view | Microsoft Support |
| Time Timer | A dedicated visual timer: a red disk that shrinks to show the time remaining | Sold as hardware and as apps. Its MOD Home Edition is listed at $24.95 | timetimer.com |
| PowerPoint on-screen timer | A countdown you build on a slide | Works inside the deck only. Microsoft has a step-by-step guide | Microsoft Support |
Tips for using a timer with a class
- Start it before you give the instructions. A running pie on the board answers “how long do we have?” before anyone asks.
- Use amber as your cue. When the slice turns amber, say “one quarter left” aloud and start circulating.
- Try Pie only for a calmer board. Hiding the digits keeps the focus on the shrinking shape rather than on every second.
- Add time with ↑ instead of resetting. If a task needs two more minutes, press the arrow twice and keep going.
- Pick a sound for transitions. Soft chime, Bell or Beep play three times at zero, and Test sound lets you check your classroom speakers first. Leave it off during a quiet test.
- Let the board stay awake. While the timer runs it asks the browser to keep the screen on, where the browser allows it.
Who it is for
Teachers
Put a countdown on the board for a task, a quiz or a transition. See how teachers use SHARA to draw and point on screen while it runs.
Tutors, trainers and workshop leaders
Time an exercise or a break on a shared screen. Add a visible pointer with the cursor highlighter.
Privacy
The timer runs in your browser, and nothing you set is uploaded. Your last time, view and sound choice are stored in this browser’s local storage, on this device only. The site counts visits and tool starts in aggregate, never the times you type. Once the page has loaded, the timer keeps counting without a connection.
Learn more
Teams Whiteboard
When the Teams Whiteboard is the right tool for teaching, and when drawing on what you show is simpler.
Draw on screen in Windows 11
The built-in ways to mark up your screen, and what to use when they fall short in a lesson.
Highlight the mouse pointer
Make your pointer easy to follow on a projector, with built-in and free options.
Classroom timer questions
Is the classroom timer free?
Does the timer upload or store anything?
What is a visual timer?
How do I show the timer on the classroom board?
Does it work without internet?
Can I add time while it is running?
Can I use the Windows Clock app instead?
Can I draw or point at the board while the timer runs?
Draw and point on the board while the clock runs
A browser tab cannot draw on your lesson. SHARA can: a cursor halo, Pen, Laser and Arrow over any Windows app, so students can follow your pointer while this timer sits on the board.
Free forever: cursor halo, click animation, Pen, Laser, Arrow, Text, Eraser, Screenshot and the Ctrl+Space Wheel. Every Pro tool is free for your first 14 days, with no card and no account. After that, Pro is a one-time purchase ($19.99 in the US).
Mashyo makes SHARA. Microsoft and Time Timer details checked on October 31, 2026 on their official pages. By Mashyo, founder of SHARA. Last updated: October 31, 2026.