Desktop Chrome and Edge
Where interactive Document Picture-in-Picture is supported, you can start, pause, reset and add a minute from inside the small window itself.
PIP TIMER GUIDE
How to use a picture-in-picture timer
PipTim splits the timer into a small window that stays above your other applications. No install, no account — set a duration, start it, and press the PiP button.
01
Three steps to start
- Pick a time tool
Choose a plain countdown timer, a focus cycle that alternates work and breaks, or a stopwatch that counts up from zero.
- Set the duration and start
Tap the digits to enter hours, minutes and seconds directly. The common durations — 1, 5, 10, 25, 45 and 60 minutes — are available as quick presets.
- Press the PiP button
If your browser allows it, a compact timer window opens. Move it wherever you want and carry on writing, watching a lecture or coding.
02
Three ways to set the time
Which one is easiest depends on the situation. If you reach for the same duration every day, the third is the fastest.
- Type the digits directlyTap the time in the middle of the screen to enter hours, minutes and seconds separately. Anything from one second to 23:59:59 works, so interval training that needs seconds is covered too.
- Quick preset buttonsThe row under the clock holds 1, 5, 10, 25, 45 and 60 minutes. It hides itself while the timer is running, so a stray tap cannot change the duration mid-session.
- Open a duration by its own addressCommon lengths have dedicated pages — 5 minutes, 25 minutes, 20 minutes. They open with the time already filled in, so a bookmark turns the whole thing into one click.
In settings you can switch the display between digital and a circular dial. Watching a proportion shrink instead of reading digits is calmer, which helps when the numbers themselves feel like pressure — meditation and breathing practice especially.
03
What you get depends on the browser
Mobile browsers
On supported devices the timer is shown as video PiP. How you enter PiP and which controls appear varies by operating system and browser.
Without PiP support
The countdown, focus cycle and stopwatch all work normally. If the PiP button does nothing, update your browser or try again in Chrome or Edge.
05
Keeping it small without losing track
- Pick a starting point for your taskTry a 25-minute timer for a short coding task or a 1-hour timer while studying with a lecture. For repeating work and break sessions, use the Pomodoro focus cycle.
- Park it in a cornerPlace the PiP window where it will not cover the part of the text or video you are actually reading. Once moved, it holds that position until you close it.
- Start and stop with the spacebarWhen focus is not inside an input or on a button, the spacebar toggles between start and pause. You can run a session without taking your hands off the keyboard.
- Tap the digits to pauseWhile running, tapping the time in the middle of the screen pauses it. No small target to aim at, which helps on a narrow screen.
- Check the sound firstFor a session that matters, turn on the completion sound in settings and check your device volume before you start. A muted tab stays silent.
- Leave the tab openSwitching to another tab or minimising the window is fine — the time is recalculated from the scheduled end, so it does not drift. Closing the tab itself is what ends the timer.
- Back up anything criticalFully closing the browser or the tab ends the timer. Use a separate alarm alongside it for medical, safety or legal deadlines.