4-Minute Timer
Press start. It counts down to zero and rings an alarm — nothing to download, nothing to sign up for.
About this 4-minute timer
A one-click 4-minute countdown, most often used for one Tabata round, steeping tea, or a song-length warm-up. It runs in your browser and rings when it reaches zero.
Four minutes: one Tabata round
Four minutes is exactly one Tabata — eight rounds of 20 seconds all-out effort followed by 10 seconds rest. It comes from a 1996 study by Izumi Tabata on short, very high-intensity intervals. Four minutes is also a good steep time for many black and herbal teas.
4 minutes in other units
| Seconds | 240 |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 4 |
| Hours | 0.067 |
| Milliseconds | 240,000 |
| Share of a day | 0.28% |
Tips for using a 4-minute timer
- For Tabata, the four minutes includes the rests: 8 × (20s on + 10s off).
- Black tea usually wants 3-5 minutes; four is a good middle if you don't know the blend.
- Four minutes is a common length for a single-song warm-up — it's about the length of an average pop track.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a 4-minute timer?
Press Start above and the page counts down from 4 minutes on its own — nothing to type. Need a little longer? Press +1 min while it runs, or pick a nearby duration from the list.
How many seconds are in 4 minutes?
4 minutes is 240 seconds — 4 minutes or 0.067 hours. That's 0.28% of a day.
What is a 4-minute timer good for?
People commonly use a 4-minute timer for one Tabata round, steeping tea, or a song-length warm-up.
Will it keep time if I switch tabs?
Yes. The countdown is measured against your device clock rather than counting screen refreshes, so it stays accurate in a background tab and the alarm fires on time. Some browsers need one click on the page before they allow sound.