Vacations, product launches, exam dates, weddings and holidays are easier to look forward to, or prepare for, with a clock ticking down. This countdown timer shows the time remaining to any date and time in days, hours, minutes and seconds, lets you name the event, and gives you a link that opens the same countdown on any device.
How to use the countdown timer
- Type an event name, such as “Summer vacation”. It is optional.
- Choose the date and time. The time defaults to midnight at the start of that day.
- Keep Same moment for everyone ticked if the event happens at one instant worldwide, like a live stream. Untick it for events that happen at local time everywhere, like New Year’s.
- Press Start countdown, or tap a quick pick such as Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.
- Use Copy link to share it. The browser tab title also shows the time left, so you can keep an eye on it from another tab.
How the countdown is calculated
The target date and time are converted to a single instant, and every second the timer subtracts the current time from it:
The remaining time is split into units by whole-number division, rounding seconds up so that the display reaches 0:00:00 exactly at the target:
Because each tick recomputes from the device clock rather than subtracting one second from the last value, the display stays correct even if the tab was in the background or the computer went to sleep.
Worked example
On Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM, how long is it until Christmas Day, December 25, 2026 at 12:00 AM?
- Whole calendar days from October 11 to December 25: 20 + 30 + 25 = 75 days.
- The target is midnight, 12 hours earlier in the day than now, so on the calendar that is 74 days and 12 hours.
- In a US time zone that observes daylight saving time, clocks fall back an hour on November 1, 2026, so one more real hour passes. The countdown reads 74 days, 13 hours, 0 minutes, or 1,789 hours.
- In Phoenix or Honolulu, where clocks do not change, it reads 74 days, 12 hours.
Because the countdown measures real elapsed time between two instants, clock changes are included automatically.
Time zones and shared links
A shared link contains the event name, date and time, plus your time zone when Same moment for everyone is ticked. Someone opening it in another zone sees the event time in your zone and in their own.
| Event type | Setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Webinar, launch, live sports | Same moment for everyone | Everyone counts to one instant |
| New Year’s, birthdays, local holidays | Untick it | Each viewer counts to their own midnight |
Tips
- Days only? For a plain count of days between two dates, including weeks and business days, use the date difference calculator.
- Timing something now? The online stopwatch counts up with laps instead.
- Birthdays: the birthday calculator also tells you the weekday and your half-birthday.
- Your device clock is the reference, so keep automatic time setting on for second-level accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
How many days until Christmas?
Choose the Christmas Day quick pick and the countdown shows the exact days, hours, minutes and seconds. As an example, from October 11, 2026 there are 75 days until December 25, 2026.
Will the link show the same countdown on someone else's phone?
Yes. The link carries the event name, date and time. With Same moment for everyone ticked it also carries your time zone, so a 9:00 AM launch in New York counts down to 6:00 AM in Los Angeles. Untick it for events like New Year's midnight that happen at each viewer's local time.
Does the countdown keep running if I close the tab?
The target is a fixed moment, so the countdown is always correct when you return. It is recalculated from your device's clock every second rather than counted down step by step, so it never drifts.
Is my event name sent anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. The name is saved in this browser so the countdown is still there next time, and it appears in the link only when you choose to share it.
What happens when the countdown reaches zero?
The display switches to show that the moment has arrived and starts counting the time since. If you tick Play a short chime, a brief sound plays at zero while the page is open.