Zoom guide

Show a countdown timer in a Zoom meeting

The simplest way: create a free NextTime timer, drop the display link in the Zoom chat, and everyone opens the same synced countdown in a browser tab. No screen share, no app, and the host controls the clock from the console without touching Zoom.

Method 1: a link in the chat

Paste the display link in chat and every participant opens the identical, synced timer in a tab beside their Zoom window. Panelists, judges, and speakers all read the same second. The host runs the console from another tab or a phone: start, pause, add a minute, or flash "wrap up" to everyone at once.

  1. Create a free timer and copy its display link.
  2. Paste the link in the Zoom chat.
  3. Everyone opens it in a tab; you keep the console.

Create a free timer and get your link →

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Live · every tab, same second

Method 2: share the timer tab

If participants should not have to click anything, share a browser tab showing the display link. The countdown takes over the shared screen with text sized to be read in a thumbnail. Best for short segments, since sharing occupies the screen.

Quick take: zero clicks for participants. The countdown fills the shared screen. Keep it for short segments.
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Method 3: a second camera on a physical screen

For workshops run from a room, point the display link at a screen in the room and let the camera see it. Lowest tech for the audience, and the operator still controls it remotely.

Remote formats

Webinars, panels, and remote judging

Timed panels and pitch judging fall apart on Zoom because nobody shares a clock. Give every panelist the link, build the segments in advance, and let auto-advance run the format. A producer anywhere in the world can nudge time or message a speaker without ever appearing on camera.

  • Every panelist opens the same display link
  • Segments built in advance: auto-advance runs the format
  • Nudge time or message a speaker from anywhere, off camera

A producer's message lands on the panelists' timers, never on camera.

Give the whole call one clock

Free to start. Drop one link in the chat and every participant reads the same second.

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FAQ

Zoom timer questions

Does NextTime integrate with Zoom?

No integration, and none is needed. It is a URL: participants open it in a tab, or you share it on screen.

Can the host control the timer during the meeting?

Yes. The console is a separate web page on any device, and every open copy of the timer updates instantly.

Will everyone see the same time?

Yes. Display links sync in real time, whether ten people or two hundred have them open.

Does this work in Teams or Google Meet?

Yes, identically. Anywhere a participant can open a link or you can share a tab, the same three methods apply.

Is it free?

Yes for segments up to 10 minutes each, with unlimited participants watching. Longer segments take a $15 Event Pass or Pro.