Your 2 minute timer is ready
The timer is already set to 2 minutes. Press Start and the countdown begins: the digits, the progress bar and the tab title all show the time left. When it reaches zero, the sound rings until you stop it. Two minutes is the brushing time dentists recommend, and just enough for a cup of green tea or a short reset between tasks.
What a 2 minute timer is good for
- Brushing teeth: Two minutes, twice a day, is the standard advice. Spend about 30 seconds on each quarter of the mouth.
- Green tea: Many green teas taste best after 2 to 3 minutes in water that is hot but not boiling. Longer can make them bitter.
- The two-minute rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it now. Answer that message or file that paper, then get back to work.
- Rest between sets: Two minutes of rest is a common choice between heavy strength sets. The Rest between sets preset in Sport is a shorter 1 minute 30.
- Stretching: Hold four stretches for 30 seconds each: neck, shoulders, hips and calves.
- Transitions for kids: Give a two-minute warning before leaving the park or turning off a screen. A visible countdown makes the deadline feel fair.
- Quick reset: Clear the desk or the kitchen counter before you start something new.
2 minutes in seconds, and what fits in them
2 minutes is 120 seconds. At an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute, that is roughly 500 words, close to two pages of a paperback novel. At an easy walking pace of 3 miles per hour, you cover about a tenth of a mile.
A tip for your 2 minutes
Brushing with kids? Press the full screen button so the digits and the progress bar fill the screen, and switch to a new part of the mouth every 30 seconds. For a stronger cup of tea, use the 3 minute timer, and for a one-minute plank, the 1 minute timer.
How to use the 2 minute timer
- Press Start. The countdown runs from 2 minutes down to zero.
- Pick a sound if you like. Turn the list to hear a bell, a chime, a classic beep, a digital beep or a gentle rise.
- Switch tabs freely. The countdown follows your device clock and stays exact. Keep this tab open to hear the sound.
- Stop the sound at zero, or tap +1 min if you need a little longer.
Need another length? Turn the minute wheel, or tap the digits and type the time on the keypad. The online timer also has presets for cooking, sport and relaxing, and a full screen mode that makes the countdown readable from across the room.