Fasting Timer

Intermittent fasting schedules and when each fast ends

Schedules are written fasting hours first, then eating hours, and the two add up to 24. The example assumes you finish eating at 8 pm; shift every time by the same amount if your last meal is earlier or later.

How to use it

1. Tap your schedule. 16:8 is selected; if you are new to this, start with 12:12.
2. Press Start when you finish your last meal of the day, not when you sit down to it.
3. Read the “Ends at” time under the countdown. That is when your eating window opens, so you do not need to keep checking the clock.
4. Close the page if you like. The end time is saved on this device, and the countdown is correct when you open the page again. Turn on Notify me to get a notification at the end while the page is open.

How the 16:8 and other schedules work

Time-restricted eating splits each day into a fasting period and an eating window. The schedule name gives both: 16:8 means 16 hours without food and 8 hours in which you eat your meals. It is the most common pattern because most of it happens overnight. Finish dinner at 8 pm, sleep, skip or delay breakfast, and eat again at noon. A 12:12 schedule asks for little more than no late-night snacks.

During the fast, water, black coffee and unsweetened tea are generally considered fine. Keeping the same eating window from day to day is easier to live with than a window that moves. Beginners usually start with 12 hours and extend by an hour or so at a time, and there is no need to go further if a shorter schedule suits you.

Who should not fast without medical advice

This page is a clock, not medical advice, and it makes no promises about results. Intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone. Do not fast without a doctor’s advice if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are under 18, have diabetes, take glucose-lowering medication or any other medication that must be taken with food, or have or have had an eating disorder.

For everyone else the rule is plain: if you feel faint, shaky or unwell, stop the fast and eat. The countdown is a guide to when you planned to eat, and ending early costs nothing. Press Reset and start again after your next last meal.

Common mistakes

• Starting the countdown hours after your last bite, or before you have finished. The fast runs from the end of the meal.
• Going straight to 18 or 20 hours. Begin with 12, add an hour once that feels ordinary, and stop where it suits you.
• Moving the eating window around every day. A steady window, such as noon to 8 pm, is easier to keep than one that shifts.
• Counting a latte or juice as “only a drink”. Milk, sugar and juice are food for the purposes of the schedule; stick to water, black coffee or unsweetened tea.
• Pushing on when you feel dizzy or ill because the clock still shows two hours. Eat, and talk to a doctor if it keeps happening.

Related timers

Plain timers of the same length