Free 20-20-20 timer

How the timer works

Press Start and the timer counts down 20 minutes. When it reaches zero, the card turns dark and counts 20 seconds while you look far away, then the next 20 minutes begin on their own. Pause stops the count where it is; Reset starts over.

The time shows in the tab’s title too, so you can see it from another tab. With sound on, a soft tone marks the start and the end of each break. The blink cue, if you turn it on, closes two soft lids a little over the page once a minute: a nudge to blink fully.

What the rule says

The 20-20-20 rule is simple: every 20 minutes of screen time, look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds. Looking far away relaxes the muscles that keep your eyes focused up close, and a regular pause is also a chance to blink, which people do far less while concentrating on a screen.

Does it work?

Short, regular breaks may ease digital eye strain. In a 2023 study by Talens-Estarelles and colleagues, people who took 20-20-20 breaks for two weeks reported fewer symptoms than before, though the benefit faded once they stopped. The numbers themselves are a convention rather than a measured dose, as Johnson and Rosenfield point out.

Our guide Does the 20-20-20 rule work? goes through the evidence in detail.

Keep it running when the tab is hidden

Browsers slow down timers in background tabs, so this timer counts from the clock instead and catches up the moment you look. To hear about a break while you work in another tab or app, turn on notifications: your browser asks once for permission, and the timer only notifies you while its tab is hidden.