Stopwatch
Precision timing with lap tracking and split times
How to Use the Online Stopwatch
Our stopwatch is designed to be simple yet powerful. Whether your timing a race, tracking study sessions, or monitoring cooking times, this tool has got everything you need for accurate time measurement.
Basic Controls
- Start/Stop: Click the START button to begin timing. The button changes to STOP when the timer is running
- Lap: While the stopwatch is running, click LAP to record a split time without stopping the timer
- Reset: Clears the timer and all recorded laps, returning everything to 00:00:00
Advanced Features That Make Us Special
What sets our stopwatch apart from others? Its the attention to detail and user-friendly features:
- Millisecond Precision: Track time down to 1/100th of a second for accurate measurements
- Lap Time Analysis: See both lap times and split times, plus comparisons between laps
- Full-Screen Mode: Perfect for timing events where you need to see the display from far away
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Use spacebar to start/stop, making it easier to control without looking
- Background Running: The timer keeps going even if you switch browser tabs
Common Uses for a Stopwatch
People use our online stopwatch for all sorts of timing needs. Here's some popular applications:
- Sports & Fitness: Time your runs, track workout intervals, or measure lap times
- Studying: Use for pomodoro technique or timing study sessions
- Cooking: Keep track of cooking times when recipies require precise timing
- Games & Competitions: Time board games, speed runs, or any competitive activity
- Work Tasks: Monitor how long tasks take for better time management
- Scientific Experiments: When you need to measure reaction times or experiment durations
Understanding Lap Times vs Split Times
This is something that confuses alot of people, so let's clear it up:
- Lap Time: Shows how long each individual segment took. If lap 1 was 2:30 and lap 2 was 2:45, those are your lap times
- Split Time: Shows the total elapsed time at each point. Using the same example, splits would be 2:30 and 5:15
- Why Both Matter: Lap times help you see if your getting faster or slower, while splits show your overall progress
Pro Tips for Better Timing
Get the most out of your stopwatch sessions with these helpful tips:
- Use keyboard shortcuts: Spacebar for start/stop is faster than clicking, especially for reaction-based timing
- Full-screen for events: When timing sports or group activities, full-screen mode makes it visible to everyone
- Record multiple laps: Even if you dont need splits, laps help you track consistency and improvement
- Keep the tab active: While the timer works in background, keeping the tab visible ensures smooth display updates
Technical Accuracy Information
Our stopwatch uses high-resolution timing APIs available in modern browsers. While its extremely accurate for most purposes, here's what you should know:
- Accuracy is typically within 10-20 milliseconds, depending on your device and browser
- For official sports timing, dedicated hardware timers are still recomended
- The display updates 100 times per second for smooth millisecond tracking
- Timing continues accurately even during high CPU usage or when switching tabs
Frequently Asked Questions
Our stopwatch is accurate to the millisecond (1/1000th of a second). However, the actual precision may vary slightly depending on your browser and device performance. For most practical purposes like sports timing, cooking, or studying, its more than accurate enough.
Yes! Click the full-screen button to expand the stopwatch to fill your entire screen. This is perfect for visibility from a distance, like when timing sports events or exercises. Press ESC or click the exit button to return to normal view.
Lap time shows the duration of each individual lap (time since the last lap). Split time shows the total elapsed time at each lap point. For example, if you're running: Lap 1 might be 2:30, Lap 2 might be 2:45 (lap time), while splits would show 2:30, 5:15 (cumulative time).
Currently, lap times are displayed on screen and you can copy them manually or take a screenshot. The lap data remains visible until you reset the stopwatch, so you have time to record your results.
Yes! The stopwatch continues running accurately even when you switch to another tab or minimize your browser. It uses high-precision timing that isn't affected by tab switching.
The stopwatch can run for up to 99 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds. After that, it will stop automatically. This is more than enough for virtually any timing need.
Yes! Press Spacebar to start/stop the stopwatch, 'L' to record a lap (when running), and 'R' to reset. These shortcuts make it easy to control the timer without clicking.
Different devices and browsers handle JavaScript timing slightly differently. While our stopwatch is very accurate, factors like CPU load, browser performance, and system resources can cause minor variations (usually less than 0.1%).