Home › Time & Date › 12 Minute Timer
12 Minute Timer
A 12:00 countdown, ready to go: press Start (or Space) and the alarm sounds after twelve minutes. The standard length of the Cooper run test and many basketball quarters.
12:00
Ready
Presets
Shortcuts: Space start / pause · R reset · F fullscreen. Add ?m=10 to the address for a custom length. Keep this tab open; the countdown stays accurate in the background.
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the 12 Minute Timer
- Press Start or hit the Space bar. The 12:00 countdown begins immediately.
- Want a reminder midway? Tick Soft chime at the halfway mark to hear a gentle chime at 6:00 left.
- Fine-tune the length with the ± buttons or pick another preset.
- Choose an alarm sound and volume, then press Play test sound to check you can hear it.
- When time is up, press Stop alarm or Space. Press R to reset to 12:00.
How long is 12 minute?
| Measure | 12 Minute equals |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 12 min |
| Seconds | 720 s |
| Milliseconds | 720,000 ms |
| Hours | 0.2 h |
| Share of a day | 0.833% (1/120 of a day) |
| Walking at 5 km/h (3.1 mph) | about 1 km (0.62 mi) |
| Speaking at 130 words per minute | about 1,560 words |
| Reading at 230 words per minute | about 2,760 words |
What you can do in 12 minute
| Activity | Why 12 minute works |
|---|---|
| Cooper test | Run as far as you can in 12 minutes to estimate VO2 max |
| NBA quarter | NBA quarters are 12 minutes of game clock |
| Hard-boiled eggs | About 10 to 12 minutes for firm, fully cooked yolks |
| Focus sprint | A short deep-work block before a break |
| Steamed vegetables | Potatoes and carrots in chunks often take 10 to 15 minutes |
| Reading | About 2,760 words at 230 words per minute |
How the countdown keeps exact time
When you press Start, the timer records the end moment as start time + 720,000 ms on the browser's monotonic clock (performance.now()). Every screen update subtracts the current time from that end moment instead of counting ticks, so a throttled background tab or a busy computer cannot make it fall behind. Pausing stores the time left, and Resume sets a new end moment that far in the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a 12 minute timer?
It is already set to 12:00. Press Start or the Space bar and the alarm rings at 0:00 until you press Stop alarm.
How many seconds are in 12 minutes?
12 minutes is 720 seconds or 720,000 milliseconds, exactly one fifth of an hour (0.2 hours).
What is the Cooper test?
A fitness test where you run as far as possible in 12 minutes; the distance is used to estimate your VO2 max. Our VO2 max calculator converts the distance for you.
When does the halfway chime play?
If switched on, it plays once at 6:00 left.
Will it stay accurate if I switch tabs?
Yes. The timer keeps the exact end time and recalculates from the clock, so it cannot drift in the background.
Can I change the length?
Use the presets (5 to 30 minutes), the ±1 min buttons or ?m= in the address, for example ?m=14.
Related tools
10 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 10 minute countdown with alarm and fullscreen.15 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 15 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.VO2 Max CalculatorEstimate VO2 max from a Cooper run, resting heart rate or 1.5-mile time, with norms.Countdown TimerOnline timer with alarm sound.Online Alarm ClockSet multiple alarms with sounds, snooze and keep-screen-awake.Days Between DatesCount days, weeks, months and business days between two dates.30 Minute TimerA ready-to-start 30 minute countdown with alarm, fullscreen and presets.5 Minute TimerA 5-minute countdown with alarm sound and fullscreen mode.1 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 60 second countdown with alarm and fullscreen.20 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 20 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.Week Number CalculatorSee the current ISO week number and look up the week of any date.Business Days CalculatorCount working days between dates, excluding weekends and holidays.Pomodoro Timer25/5 focus and break timer with alerts and a task list.Interval TimerHIIT and Tabata interval timer with rounds, sets, beeps and voice cues.Military Time ConverterConvert between 12-hour and 24-hour military time.Day of the Week CalculatorFind the weekday of any date, with Zeller and Doomsday steps.Chess ClockTwo-player chess timer with blitz presets, increment and delay modes.StopwatchOnline stopwatch with laps, fullscreen mode and CSV export.Hours Calculator (Time Card)Weekly time card with breaks, overtime, pay, print and CSV.Time CalculatorAdd, subtract, multiply and divide times in hours, minutes and seconds.Time Zone ConverterCompare time zones and plan meetings.Date CalculatorAdd days to a date or count days between dates.Days Until CalculatorCount down the days to any event.Time Duration CalculatorHours, minutes and seconds between two times, overnight too.Unix Timestamp ConverterConvert epoch timestamps to dates and back.Decimal Hours ConverterConvert decimal hours to hours and minutes and back, with a payroll timesheet.World ClockCurrent time in cities worldwide with day and night shading and saved clocks.Classroom TimerBig visual countdown ring timer for classrooms with presets and end sounds.Julian Date ConverterConvert dates to day-of-year (YYDDD), Julian Day Number and JD, and back.UTC Time NowLive UTC and GMT clock with ISO 8601, Unix time and an offset converter.Online Clock (Full Screen)Big full-screen digital and analog clock with 12/24h, date and themes.Christmas CountdownLive countdown of days, hours, minutes and sleeps until Christmas Day.Flip ClockA full-screen retro flip clock with 12/24-hour time, seconds, date and dark display.New Year CountdownLive countdown to New Year in your time zone, with year progress and fireworks.Digital Clock with SecondsBig exact-time clock with seconds, 12/24h, time zones and a sync check.Half Birthday CalculatorFind your half birthday date, the countdown to it and your age in halves.To Do ListSimple online checklist with drag to reorder, saved lists and export.Retirement Date CalculatorFind the exact date you reach retirement age, with a live countdown.Habit TrackerTrack daily habits on a grid with current and longest streaks.Kanban BoardFree kanban board with drag and drop cards, WIP limits and JSON export.Leap Year CheckerCheck if a year is a leap year and list every leap year in a range.Tally CounterMultiple named click counters with keyboard shortcuts and vibration.Meditation TimerCalm meditation timer with singing bowl bells, interval chimes, ambient sounds and breathing guide.Sunrise Sunset CalculatorSunrise, sunset, twilight, golden hour and blue hour times for any place and date.TeleprompterFree online teleprompter with smooth auto-scroll, speed in words per minute, mirror and fullscreen.Daily PlannerPlan your day in hour blocks with top 3 priorities, a to-do list and notes, saved and printable.Shift Schedule MakerBuild a weekly staff rota with shift types, hour totals, CSV export and a printable schedule.Age Difference CalculatorFind the exact age gap between two people in years, months and days.Moon Phase CalculatorFind the moon phase, illumination and next full or new moon for any date.Daylight Saving Time DatesSee when daylight saving time starts and ends in the US, UK, EU, Australia and NZ.30 Second TimerA ready-to-go 30 second countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.2 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 2 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.3 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 3 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.45 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 45 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.1 Hour TimerA ready-to-go 1 hour countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.2 Hour TimerA ready-to-go 2 hour countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.Halloween CountdownLive countdown to Halloween in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Thanksgiving CountdownLive countdown to Thanksgiving in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Valentine's Day CountdownLive countdown to Valentine's Day in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Easter CountdownLive countdown to Easter in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Time Card CalculatorWeekly timesheet: clock in/out times and breaks to total hours, overtime and gross pay.PTO Accrual CalculatorPTO hours earned per pay period or per hour worked, with a 12-month balance projection.Day of the Year CalculatorFind the day number of any date (1–366), days left, ISO week and quarter, or turn a day number into a date.Anniversary CalculatorHow long you've been together, your next anniversary and traditional and modern gifts by year.Time Since CalculatorLive counter of the time since any date: years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds.Excel Date ConverterConvert Excel serial numbers to dates and times and back, in the 1900 or 1904 date system.10 Second TimerA ready-to-go 10 second countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.20 Second TimerA ready-to-go 20 second countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.4 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 4 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.7 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 7 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.8 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 8 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.25 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 25 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.40 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 40 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.50 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 50 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.90 Minute TimerA ready-to-go 90 minute countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.3 Hour TimerA ready-to-go 3 hour countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.24 Hour TimerA ready-to-go 24 hour countdown with alarm, presets and fullscreen view.Mother's Day CountdownLive countdown to Mother's Day in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Father's Day CountdownLive countdown to Father's Day in days, hours, minutes and seconds.St. Patrick's Day CountdownLive countdown to St. Patrick's Day in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Fourth of July CountdownLive countdown to the Fourth of July in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Black Friday CountdownLive countdown to Black Friday in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Labor Day CountdownLive countdown to Labor Day in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Memorial Day CountdownLive countdown to Memorial Day in days, hours, minutes and seconds.Birthday CountdownEnter your birth date and see the days, hours, minutes and seconds until your next birthday.