A few weeks ago, it was reported that Google's timer and stopwatch tool had gone missing. The tools could be found through a simple Google search for "timer" or "stopwatch," making it convenient and easy to use. Luckily, after a brief hiatus, the tools are now back.

Google's Danny Sullivan, the company's Search Liaison, tweeted that the feature was now back and available for use. While there isn't a specific date, the timer was reportedly removed sometime in mid-July. Sullivan confirmed on August 1 that the timer and stopwatch had indeed been pulled because of an issue. At the time, he did not confirm what kind of issue the tools were having. On August 17, Sullivan tweeted, letting everyone know that timer and stopwatch had been restored. He went on to thank the team at Google for working on the problem but again did not go into detail about what kind of issue it might have had.

If this is all news to you, the Google timer and stopwatch were first made available almost a decade ago. If you've never had the pleasure of using it, it is extremely convenient. To activate the timer, simply perform a google search for "timer" or "stopwatch." This will bring up the tool in the web browser. You can also type "set a timer for (value) minutes" and have it set a timer for whatever value you have entered.

Since it is a simple tool, the timer does have limitations, like having a maximum time of 99 hours for its timer function. Like a real timer, once the countdown is complete, it will sound off an alert, signaling that the countdown has been completed. Of course, if you are doing something more serious, you will most likely want to use a dedicated stopwatch or your phone's timer app. But for quick access, the Google search timer is an excellent choice.

Source: Danny Sullivan (Twitter)

Via: The Verge