Online Stopwatch

A completely free, precise online stopwatch with lap timer, 3 customizable watch dial layouts, and 7 preset colour schemes — plus infinite possibilities with live custom colours. Your stopwatch, your way. No download, no account, and no sign-up required — just click Start.

How to use oStopwatch

1. Click Start to begin timing from zero.
2. Click Lap to record a split — the sub-dial resets, the total keeps running.
3. Click Stop to pause. Click Start again to resume from where you left off.
4. Click Reset (only available when stopped) to return everything to zero.
5. Click Float (or press P) to pin the stopwatch in an always-on-top corner window over your desktop apps.
6. Click Fullscreen (or press F) to expand into an immersive projector/presentation mode.

Keyboard shortcuts

Operate the stopwatch instantly hands-free:

• Space — Start / Stop
• Shift — Stop immediately
• L — Lap split
• R — Reset (when stopped)
• F — Fullscreen / Projector mode
• P — Toggle Float / Always-on-top window
• M — Toggle sound (mute / unmute)
• H — Show / hide laps log
• − / + — Decrease / increase face size

Universal device compatibility — Mobile, Tablet & Desktop

oStopwatch is engineered from the ground up as a responsive, zero-install web application that works identically and effortlessly across every screen size and operating system:

• Mobile Phones (iOS & Android) — perfectly proportioned for handheld timing on the track, in the gym, or in the kitchen. Vector SVG graphics render razor-sharp on Retina and OLED screens, with thumb-optimized touch controls and zero double-tap lag. Export splits to your clipboard or download CSV files directly into your device's Files or Downloads folder.
• Tablets & iPads — the ideal electronic clipboard for coaches, judges, teachers, and lab researchers. Supports both portrait and landscape orientations, stylus input, and iPadOS Split View or Stage Manager so you can log times alongside training plans and spreadsheets.
• Laptops & Desktops (Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS) — take advantage of high-speed keyboard hotkeys (Space, L, R, F, P) for instant tactile operation, plus always-on-top Picture-in-Picture float mode to multitask seamlessly over desktop software.
• Smartboards & Projectors — expand into full-screen presentation mode with one click or press of F. Dial size controls let you calibrate the watch face for crystal-clear readability from the front row to the back of the auditorium.

Stopwatch vs Timer — what's the difference?

A stopwatch counts up from zero and measures how long something takes. A timer counts down from a set duration and alerts you when time is up. Use a stopwatch when you're measuring an event; use a timer when you're limiting one.

oStopwatch focuses on doing one thing exceptionally well: counting up, with centisecond precision, with a lap function, in a design that stays completely out of your way.

Lap timer & split exports — how it works

The sub-dial at the bottom of the watch face mirrors how traditional sports chronographs operate: tap + LAP (or press L) to record an interval split. The sub-dial resets to zero to time your next segment, while the main timer keeps ticking total elapsed time without skipping a beat.

Every recorded lap appears in real time below the controls with split duration, cumulative total, and local time-of-day timestamps:

• Name Your Sessions — click the title field above your laps to label the run (e.g. Track 400m Reps, Speech Rehearsal, or Lab Trial A). Your session name is automatically included when copying or exporting.
• Instant Clipboard Copy — click Copy to instantly copy clean, formatted splits directly to your clipboard, ready to paste into Slack, Teams, Google Docs, Apple Notes, or email.
• One-Click CSV Download — click CSV to export your complete session as a spreadsheet file ready to open in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers.
• 100% Private & Device-Only — no login, no accounts, and no cookies. All timing calculations and recorded laps run 100% locally in your web browser. Zero timing records are ever sent to or stored on our servers — your data belongs exclusively on your machine.

Watch Dial options

Customize the visual structure of your timer with three dedicated dial layouts. Switch between them anytime using the settings menu in the top bar:

• Watch — traditional chronograph instrument styling with an outer bezel ring, 60 precision tick marks, live sweep second arc, and dedicated lap sub-dial.
• Clean — minimalist, high-legibility display that strips away bezel ticks and sub-dials, centering the high-contrast digital timer inside an expansive sweep ring.
• Pulse — dynamic cadence layout featuring three concentric animated pulse rings that track elapsed seconds and intervals in real time.

Colour Scheme themes

oStopwatch ships with seven distinct colour schemes, each inspired by a tradition of precision instrument design. The Colour Scheme settings menu in the top bar switches between them instantly — your preference is remembered between visits:

• Classic — white dial, terracotta arc. NOMOS Ahoi inspired.
• Midnight — deep navy, glowing ice-blue arc. Pilot instrument.
• Gold — dark background, antique gold arc. Dress watch.
• Racing — white dial, red arc. Sports chronograph.
• Slate — warm grey dial, amber arc. Field watch.
• Cyan — pitch-black dial, electric cyan arc. Sports smartwatch.
• Custom — personalized palette with live accent and background color pickers.

Fullscreen & Projector mode

Whether you're timing a speech, managing classroom activities, coaching sports drills, or running a sprint retrospective, Fullscreen mode expands oStopwatch into an immersive, high-visibility display:

• Distraction-Free Presentation — strips away browser tabs, bookmarks, URL bars, and system docks, giving your audience pure visual focus on the timer.
• Legible Across Any Room — high-contrast dial markings, vivid sweep arcs, and crisp digital typography stay clearly readable from the back of an auditorium, gym, or lecture hall.
• Live In-Screen Scaling — dynamically adjust the watch face size on the fly with the floating − and + controls to perfectly fill your projector or smartboard.
• Instant Exit Shortcut — click the subtle Exit button in the top-right corner, or press Esc or F anytime to return to standard view.

Float mode — always-on-top stopwatch

Stay on schedule while working across multiple desktop applications with Float mode:

• Stays Pinned Above All Windows — uses modern Document Picture-in-Picture to float the live stopwatch in a compact mini-window that hovers persistently over Word documents, spreadsheets, code editors, and Zoom calls.
• Zero Window Switching — never lose focus or split your screen just to check how much time has elapsed; the live dial remains neatly in the corner of your workspace.
• Fully Functional Mini-Deck — tap Start, Stop, and Lap directly inside the floating mini-player without switching windows or bringing your browser tab to the front.
• Instant Hotkey Access — press P at any time to pop the stopwatch out into floating mode, and press P again (or click 'Return to tab') to bring it right back.

Frequently Asked Questions