Set timers in Clock on Mac
You can set timers to count down from specified times, or one timer to turn off audio or video for a set amount of time. You can also customize each timer with a unique name and sound.
Tip: To access Clock quickly, click the time in the menu bar, then click the Clock widget.
Set a custom timer
You can set a timer to count down for a specified amount of time.
Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Set a pizza timer for 12 minutes.” Learn how to use Siri.
Go to the Clock app
on your Mac.
Click Timers at the top of the window (or choose View > Timers).
Set the amount of time to count down.
Click Start. You can do any of the following as the timer counts down:
Pause the timer: Click Pause to stop the timer momentarily. Click Resume to continue counting down.
Reset the timer: Click Cancel.
When you set a timer, it continues even if you open another app or if your Mac goes to sleep.
Set a timer to stop playing audio or video
To stop playing audio or video after a specific amount of time, you can set the timer to stop the playback. For example, if you listen to music at bedtime, you can turn off the playback in 30 minutes so it doesn’t continue after you fall asleep.
Go to the Clock app
Set a custom timer, as above.
Click the “When timer ends” pop-up menu, then choose Stop Playing at the bottom of the list of sounds.
Click Start.
Set multiple timers
After you set a timer, you can start additional timers to keep track of multiple tasks at the same time.
Go to the Clock app
Click Timers at the top of the window (or choose View > Timers), then set a timer.
To start an additional timer, click
in the top-right corner of the window, then do one of the following:
Set a custom timer: Choose Custom Timer, set options for the timer, then click Start.
Set a timer for a predefined amount of time: Choose Presets, then click an amount of time (like 5 minutes or 1 hour).
To distinguish between multiple timers, enter a name for the timer (for example, “Laundry”), then choose a sound from the pop-up menu below that.
When you have multiple timers set, you can do any of the following:
Change a timer’s name or sound: Click the timer, then enter a new label or choose a different sound.
Start a timer again: Click
next to a recently used timer at the bottom of the Timers window.
View all timers: Click
in the top-left corner of the window.
Tip: You can create a shortcut for timers you use frequently, which you can access from the menu bar or by using Siri. See the Shortcuts User Guide to learn how to automate tasks.
Stop, pause, or remove a timer
When a timer ends, you get a notification. Click Options on the notification, then select Stop. Select Repeat if you want the timer to run again.
You can also turn off a timer before it ends.
Go to the Clock app
Click Timers at the top of the window (or choose View > Timers), then do any of the following:
Pause a timer: Click Pause or
next to the timer to stop it momentarily. Click Resume or
Remove a timer: Click an active timer in the sidebar, then click Cancel at the bottom of the screen. Or using a trackpad, swipe left on it with two fingers, then click
.