Presentation and Speaker Timer
A stage-style countdown for talks, panels and pitches. Black screen, yellow at 5 minutes, red at 1, overtime in red, and messages like Please wrap up that the speaker sees without the clock stopping.
Keys: Space start or pause, R reset, F fullscreen, + and - add or remove a minute, M mute, N next timer in the list.
What is a presentation timer?
A presentation timer, also called a speaker or stage timer, shows the person at the front exactly how much time they have left, usually on a screen only they can see. This one is built around how event crews time talks: a high-contrast black screen, digits that turn yellow at five minutes and red at one, overtime that keeps counting in red after zero, and short messages such as Please wrap up or One more question that appear above the clock without stopping it. Run the controls on your laptop and put the timer on a confidence monitor with the display window, or float a small timer above your own slides while you present. There is no account, no app and no server: it all runs in the browser.
How to time a presentation
- Set the talk length, for example 20 minutes, and type the speaker or session name as the title.
- Check the cues under Warning colors, overtime and sound: yellow at 5:00, red at 1:00 and Count overtime are already set. Change them to match your event.
- Select Display window, drag it to the stage monitor or projector and select Fullscreen there. Keep this page on your laptop as the controller.
- Press Start when the speaker begins. Use +1 min if the chair gives extra time, and send a message such as Please wrap up when needed.
- For a full program, add each talk and Q&A to the Timer list and press N to move on.
Why use this presentation timer
- Built for stagesTrue black background, huge high-contrast digits and an optional mirror mode for floor monitors.
- Cues speakers expectYellow at 5 minutes, red at 1, flashing and red overtime after zero. All adjustable.
- Talk to the speaker silentlyWrap up, one more question or your own message, shown above the clock while it keeps running.
- Controller and displayEdit, add time or move to the next talk on your laptop without the stage display ever stopping.
- Free, with no limitsNo account, no room codes and no cap on timers or messages.
Where speakers and crews use it
- Conferences and meetups. Keep a program of talks and Q&A on schedule.
- Pitch events. Strict 3 or 5 minute pitches with overtime visible to judges.
- Church and community events. Sermons, readings and announcements on a confidence monitor.
- Debates and Toastmasters. Fixed speaking slots with yellow and red signals.
- Webinars and online talks. Float the timer above your slides or share the display window.
- Rehearsals. Practise your talk against the clock and see where you run long.
What the timer colors mean
The same traffic light colors are used on stages, in classrooms and at Toastmasters, so most people understand them without being told. You can set the yellow and red times yourself or let the timer pick them (about 20% and 5% of the time, rounded to a sensible number).
| Stage | When it shows | What it tells people |
|---|---|---|
| White digits, green bar or ring | Most of the time | Plenty of time left |
| Yellow | At the yellow time, for example 1:00 left of 5 minutes or 5:00 of 20 | Start wrapping up |
| Red | At the red time, for example the last 15 seconds or the last minute | Finish now |
| Red and flashing | At zero | Time is up. With Count overtime on, the red digits show how far over it is |
The words under the timer (Ends at, Paused, Over time, Time is up) carry the same information for anyone who cannot rely on color, and screen readers announce each stage.
Setting up a confidence monitor timer
- Connect the stage monitor or TV to the laptop by HDMI and set the displays to extend, not mirror.
- Open this page on the laptop and select Display window. Drag the window onto the stage monitor and select Fullscreen inside it.
- Choose Black for the background and turn on Mirror only if the screen is seen in a reflection, such as a floor monitor viewed through a teleprompter glass.
- Load the program into the timer list. Run everything from the laptop: Space to start, N for the next talk, messages for the speaker.
- Leave Keep screen awake on and plug the laptop in so neither screen sleeps during a long session.
How to show a timer on a stage monitor, projector or over your slides
There are four ways to get the countdown in front of people. All of them run on your computer, with no account and no server.
| Option | Best for | How |
|---|---|---|
| Fullscreen | One screen, such as a laptop connected to a mirrored projector or TV | Select Fullscreen or press F. Press Esc to leave. |
| Display window | A laptop plus a projector, smartboard or stage monitor set up as a second display | Select Display window, drag it to the other screen and select Fullscreen in it. The controls stay on your laptop and both stay in step. |
| Float on top | Presenting your own slides, or keeping an eye on time in other apps | In Chrome or Edge on a computer, select Float on top. A small timer stays above other windows. |
| Share link | Another computer in a different room | Select Copy a link to this timer and open it on the other computer. It is a separate timer, so start both together. |
| Screen sharing | Zoom, Teams or Google Meet | Share the display window as a window, or share your whole screen with the timer floating on top. |
Keyboard shortcuts
The shortcuts work while the timer is on screen, in fullscreen, and in the display and floating windows. They are ignored while you type in a box.
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Space or K | Start, pause and resume |
| R | Reset to the time you set |
| F | Fullscreen on and off (Esc also leaves) |
| + or = | Add a minute |
| - | Take off a minute |
| Up and Down arrows | Add or take off a minute in fullscreen and the display window |
| M | Mute and unmute |
| N | Next timer in the timer list |
Example: a session of three talks with Q&A
Three 15-minute talks, each followed by 5 minutes of Q&A: add Talk 1 15, Q&A 5, Talk 2 15, Q&A 5, Talk 3 15 and Q&A 5 to the timer list. The stage monitor shows the talk name, the countdown and Next: Q&A (5 min) underneath. When a talk runs over, the screen counts the overtime in red until you press N for the Q&A, so the speaker sees exactly how far over they are and the chair knows how much to cut.
What to expect from the result
The controller and the display window run on one computer, so they stay exactly in step without internet. The timer cannot sync to a second computer or a phone; for an operator on another device across a venue you need a server-based tool. Connect the stage monitor by HDMI or wireless screen mirroring instead. The floating on-top timer needs Chrome or Edge on a computer. Sound is off by default so the audience does not hear it; turn on a chime if you need one.
Presentation timer questions
How do I show a timer to the speaker but not the audience?
Connect a second monitor facing the speaker (a confidence monitor) and extend the desktop. Open the Display window, drag it onto that monitor and make it fullscreen. The audience screen keeps showing slides.
Can I keep a timer on top of PowerPoint or Google Slides?
In Chrome or Edge on a computer, select Float on top: a small timer window stays above other windows, so you can see it while your slides show. If a fullscreen slide show covers it, run the slides in a window (in PowerPoint, Set Up Slide Show and choose Browsed by an individual) or put the timer on the second screen with the display window.
What happens when the speaker goes over time?
With Count overtime on, the clock keeps counting up in red, the screen flashes and the display says Over time. Switch to Stop at 0:00 if you would rather the timer froze at zero.
What timing signals do Toastmasters use?
Toastmasters timing lights show green at the minimum time, yellow at the midpoint and red at the maximum. For a 5 to 7 minute speech, set 7:00 with yellow at 1:00 left; at zero the screen turns red and counts the overtime.
Can I control it from my phone?
No. Everything runs on one computer with no server, which is why it works offline. Use the laptop keyboard: Space starts or pauses, + and - change the time by a minute, and N moves to the next timer.
Can I use it in a Zoom, Teams or Google Meet call?
Share the display window as a window in the call, or float the timer on top of your own screen while you present. Everyone who sees your screen sees the same countdown.
More timers and countdowns
For focus sessions with breaks built in, use the Pomodoro timer or the study timer. To count the days to a birthday, trip or launch, use countdown to a date. For any length, with every option on one page, open the full screen countdown timer.