How does the timer work on my Family Hub?

Need ten minutes on the pasta, twenty on homework, or five more minutes of screen time before bed? Just ask your Family Hub! Timers are set through the AI assistant, by voice or by text, and they stay right on top of whatever's on screen so nobody has to go hunting for them.

Timers are available on Family Hub Plus, and on Greenlight Infinity, Family Shield, Infinity Select, and Family Shield Select plans.

Please keep in mind that a Wi-Fi connection is required to start a timer, since your AI assistant needs to be online to hear your request.

WHAT WE'LL COVER

How do I set a timer?

Where does the timer show up?

How do I add time or end a timer early?

What happens when time runs out?

Good to know about timers

How do I set a timer?

Setting a timer takes one request, and you can ask out loud or type it!

By voice

1. Say "Hey Greenlight", or tap the AI assistant icon in the bottom left corner of your navigation bar and tap the microphone icon
2. Ask for your timer and include how long you need. For example, "Set a timer for 15 minutes"
3. Your assistant will confirm with and your timer begins right away

By text

1. Tap the AI assistant icon in the bottom left corner of your navigation bar
2. Type your request, like "Set a timer for 15 minutes", and tap the paper airplane to send it
3. Your assistant confirms and your timer starts!

Anyone in the family can set a timer from any screen on your Hub, and no PIN is needed..

New to your Greenlight AI assistant? Visit How do I use the Greenlight AI assistant in Family Hub? to get started.

Where does the timer show up?

Your timer stays on top of everything else on your Family Hub, including Screensaver mode, so it's always easy to find. You can keep using your Hub while it counts down!

For timers longer than 1 minute, a small timer appears in the bottom left corner of your screen showing the time remaining, along with “+30s” and “End” buttons.

For timers of 1 minute or less, your Hub goes straight to the full screen countdown, since you're already in the home stretch.

The small timer is yours to move and resize:

• To move it — drag it anywhere on your screen
• To make it bigger — tap it to fill the screen with a large minutes-and-seconds countdown
• To shrink it back down — tap the minimize button to return to the small timer in the corner

How do I add time or end a timer early?

You'll find these buttons on the small timer and on the full screen countdown, so you can adjust things whenever you need to.

• Need more time? Tap “+30s” to add 30 seconds. Tap it as many times as you like!
• All done early? Tap “End” to stop your timer right away.

Or, just ask! Your assistant can adjust a running timer for you, hands free. Try:

• "Add five minutes to my timer"
• "Take two minutes off my timer"
• "Cancel my timer"

Good to know: Asking is the only way to take time off a running timer, since the on-screen buttons only add time.

What happens when time runs out?

The last minute

When 1 minute is left, your Hub switches to a full screen countdown so the whole room knows it's almost time. You'll see how long your timer was set for, the words "Get ready!", and the seconds ticking down.

+30s, End, and the minimize arrows are all still here, so tap the minimize if you'd rather send the timer back to the corner and keep using your Hub.

Time's up!

At zero, your Hub celebrates with a "Time's up!" screen, confetti and a sound, so you'll hear it from the next room!

This screen stays up until someone dismisses it, so you won't miss it if you stepped away.

• Tap “Done” to close your timer
• Tap the restart icon, the circular arrow, to start a new timer for the same amount of time

Good to know about timers

• One timer at a time — starting a new timer replaces the one that's already running
• Timers can't be named — your timer simply shows as "Timer" on screen
• Restarting your Hub ends your timer — if your Hub restarts, your timer won't pick back up, so you'll want to ask for a new one
• Timers stay on the Hub where you set them — if your family has more than one Family Hub, your timer shows only on the Hub you set it on
• Your timer plays at your Hub's volume — the "Time's up!" sound uses whatever volume your Hub is set to, so turn it up if you'd like to hear it from further away
• Anyone in the family can use it — setting, adjusting, restarting, and dismissing a timer never needs the admin PIN

Having trouble starting a timer? If your assistant isn't responding, check out How do I fix Wi-Fi and sync issues on my Family Hub? For microphone and audio issues, click here.

Still need help? We're here for you.

Text us at 404-974-3024 | Call us at 888-483-2645