How to use it in class
- Set the time with a preset or by dragging the disk. The custom box takes up to 180 minutes.
- Press Focus mode (or the F key) to show just the disk in full screen on the smartboard or projector.
- Press Start. Two minutes before the end a soft heads-up plays, and the alarm rings when time is up.
Warn the class before time is up
Transitions go more smoothly when students can see them coming. Special education guidance, such as the Texas Education Agency’s autism toolkit, describes visual timers as a way to show the time left before a transition and suggests giving more frequent warnings as the end gets closer.
This page turns on a 2-minute heads-up the first time you open it. Under Sound and display you can add 1, 5 or 10 minutes as well. If the alarm is set to Silent, the heads-up appears on screen without a sound.
Tips for the smartboard
Focus mode hides everything except the disk, the time and the controls, so nothing else competes for attention. Press Esc to leave it.
On supported browsers the screen stays awake while the timer runs, so the board will not dim halfway through an activity.
Need a quiet room? The silent timer switches the alarm to Silent, and the disk still flashes on screen when time is up.
The same time for every group
Running stations or group work? Set the time and press “Share a link with this time”. The link opens Wontimer already set to that length, so a co-teacher or each group’s device starts from the same time.
For quizzes and longer activities, the 45-minute and 60-minute pages open with that length already set.
Reading the disk
The dial reads like a clock face. On the 60-minute scale, a 10-minute timer fills the face from 12 to 2 o’clock, and the colored wedge shrinks back toward 12 as time passes.
Younger children do not need to read the numbers: when the color is gone, time is up. You can hide the digits under Sound and display if you want the disk on its own.
Classroom timer FAQ
Can students see it from the back of the room?
Yes. Focus mode shows the disk as large as the screen allows, and a shrinking disk is easier to read at a distance than small digits.
Does it work on Chromebooks and interactive displays?
Wontimer runs in any modern browser, including Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, with nothing to install. If the device has a browser, it works.
Can I change or turn off the 2-minute heads-up?
Yes. Open Sound and display and tap the heads-up chips: 1, 2, 5 or 10 minutes before the end. Tap a chip again to turn it off.
Will the alarm disturb the class next door?
The alarm plays for about three seconds at the volume you choose. Set Alarm sound to Silent, or open the silent timer, and the flashing disk tells everyone time is up.
Is it free? Do students need accounts?
It is free and there are no accounts. Settings and focus history stay in the browser you use, and nothing is sent to a server.