SlowerA breathing timer (or breathing pacer) shows you when to breathe in, hold and breathe out, so you can slow your breath without counting in your head. If you have no pattern in mind, start with 4 seconds in and 6 seconds out for three minutes. That is six breaths a minute, the pace most slow-breathing research uses.
How to use it
- Choose a pattern. If you are new to this, leave it on 4-6.
- Choose a length. Three minutes is a good default; one minute is fine when that is all you have.
- Press start. Breathe in as the puff grows and out as it shrinks. When it stays still, hold.
- Turn the sound on if you want to close your eyes: a soft tone marks each change.
The puff moves at a constant speed on purpose. Many pacers ease in and out, which looks smooth but makes it hard to tell how much breath you have left. With a steady pace you can see the end of each breath coming.
Which pattern should you pick?
| Pattern | Counts (seconds) | Breaths per minute | People use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long exhale | In 4, out 6 | 6 | Settling down when you feel anxious or wound up |
| Box breathing | 4, 4, 4, 4 | 3.75 | A clear head before something demanding |
| 4-7-8 | In 4, hold 7, out 8 | About 3 | Winding down at bedtime |
| Coherent (5.5) | In 5.5, out 5.5 | 5.5 | A steady daily practice |
| Cyclic sighing | In 3, sip 1, out 7 | About 5.5 | Letting go of tension quickly |
Each of those has its own page with more pace options and a short guide. There is also an alternate nostril timer and a breath-hold stopwatch.
Setting your own counts
Choose Custom and four boxes appear: in, hold, out, hold. Set a hold to 0 to skip it. Half seconds work, so 5.5 in and 5.5 out is fine.
Two rules of thumb if you are building your own pattern. First, the total length of one breath matters more than the exact split: ten seconds per breath is six a minute, twelve seconds is five. Second, when the goal is to calm down, make the breath out at least as long as the breath in. A 2014 experiment found that a longer exhale added to the relaxing effect of slow breathing.
Start easier than you think you need. A 5.5-second inhale is longer than it sounds. Four in and four out, then four and six a few days later, is a kinder way in.
How slow should you go?
The commonly quoted resting rate for adults is 12 to 20 breaths a minute. In a 2018 review of 15 studies in healthy people, breathing slower than ten a minute went with more relaxation and alertness and less anxiety and anger. Slower than that is not automatically better. Pick a pace you can keep up without gasping at the end of the session. There is a longer answer in how to breathe slower.
Slow breathing should feel comfortable. If you get dizzy or tingly, you are breathing too deeply or too fast: stop, breathe normally through your nose, and it passes within a minute. Keep any holds easy, and skip them if you are pregnant or have a heart or blood pressure condition.
Questions people ask
Is this breathing timer free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no signup, no ads and no tracking. Nothing you do here is stored or sent anywhere.
What is the best breathing pattern for beginners?
Four seconds in and six seconds out, with no holds. It is six breaths a minute, and most people manage it on the first try. If six feels long, start with three in and five out.
What is a breathing pacer?
A breathing pacer is a visual or audio guide that sets the rhythm of your breath: it grows or rises while you breathe in and shrinks or falls while you breathe out. It does the counting for you.
How long should a breathing session be?
Three to five minutes is typical, and five minutes a day is the dose used in a well-known 2023 trial. One minute is a fine short version. For a slow daily practice, people often do 10 to 20 minutes.
Can I use it with my eyes closed?
Yes. Turn the sound on and a soft tone marks each change from in to hold to out. The screen stays awake while the timer runs.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes, in any modern browser on iPhone, Android or a computer. On iPhone there is also the free Slower app, which adds haptics you can follow in your pocket.
Sources
- Zaccaro et al. 2018: systematic review of slow breathing in healthy people. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6137615
- Van Diest et al. 2014: inhale-to-exhale ratio and relaxation. doi.org/10.1007/s10484-014-9253-x
- Balban et al. 2023: five minutes a day of breathing practice compared with mindfulness. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9873947/
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Last updated 11 November 2026. Written by the makers of Slower. This page is general information, not medical advice.