2 Minute Timer
Press Start to count down 2 minutes.
Nearby timers
What a 2 minute timer is good for
Two minutes is the most practical short timer there is. It turns a chore that people rush, like brushing teeth, into something with a clear finish line, and it is just long enough for a focused debate point or a quick tidy of a desk.
Brushing teeth properly
The British and American dental associations both recommend brushing for two minutes. Most people stop after about 45 seconds, so a visible countdown makes a real difference, especially for children.
Steeping green tea
Green tea turns bitter if it steeps too long. Two minutes at about 80°C gives a sweet, grassy cup for most sencha and Chinese green teas.
Speed rounds and quick debates
Give each speaker two minutes for an opening statement or a rebuttal. The shrinking disc keeps everyone honest without a moderator having to interrupt.
The two minute rule
Productivity coaches suggest doing any task that takes under two minutes straight away. Set the timer and clear one small job before it runs out.
To pace yourself, glance at the disc rather than the numbers. With the 2 minute timer running, half the colour has gone after 1 minute, and when only a quarter is left you have 30 seconds to wrap up. Open fullscreen if the timer needs to be read across a room, and add a label so everyone knows what the 2 minutes are for.
How to use the 2 minute timer
It is ready
The dial is already set to 2 minutes. To change it, drag the disc, tap a preset or open Custom.
Press Start
Or press the Space bar. The red disc shrinks back towards 12 o’clock as the time runs down.
Watch the disc
Read the time left at a glance, or open fullscreen for a big dial that fills the screen.
Time’s up
Your alarm plays until you press Stop. Press Reset or R to run the same time again.
2 minutes in other units
| Seconds | 120 |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 2 |
| Hours | 0.0333 |
| Fraction of a day | 1/720 |
Why use this timer
Why a visual timer helps
A shrinking disc turns time into something you can see. You read how much is left at a glance, without doing sums on a clock, and an invisible deadline feels less stressful when you can watch it approach. That is why visual timers are a staple in classrooms and are widely used by people with ADHD and autistic children and adults. Read our guide to using a visual timer, how it helps with ADHD time blindness, classroom transitions and autism.
Why this timer is accurate
The countdown is anchored to your device clock rather than counted in animation frames. It does not drift if you switch tabs or your screen sleeps: it keeps running in the background and still sounds the alarm on time. When you come back, the disc jumps straight to the correct position.