Free Reaction Time Test
Test your reaction time free in about 30 seconds, with no sign-up. Wait for the box to turn green, then tap or click as fast as you can. Five goes, and you get your average in milliseconds straight away.
- Free, no sign-up
- Results instantly
- Challenge a friend
- Works on phones
Tap, click or press space. Tapping before it turns green is a false start and that go is done again.
Your average reaction time
0 milliseconds
That’s your full result, free. Nothing to pay and nothing to sign up for.
How to test your reaction time
- Tap the box to start. It turns red: get ready, but don’t tap yet.
- Wait for green. After a random wait of 1.5 to 5 seconds the box turns green.
- Tap as fast as you can. Tap the box, click it or press space. Your time for that go appears in milliseconds.
- Do it five times. Your result is the average of five goes, which is fairer than one lucky (or unlucky) tap. A false start is simply done again.
- Compare and challenge. See how you compare, then send the link to a friend to see who is faster.
Altto reaction time test: quick facts
A free online reaction time test that gives your average of five goes in milliseconds, on a computer or a phone.
Updated
- Price
- Free, with no sign-up and no email.
- Length
- About 30 seconds: five goes with a random wait before each.
- What it measures
- Simple visual reaction time: how quickly you respond when the box turns green, in milliseconds (ms). Lower is faster.
- Your result
- Your average, fastest and slowest goes, false starts and how you compare.
- Devices
- Mouse, keyboard or touchscreen. Screens and touchscreens add a small delay of their own, so compare results on the same device.
- Challenge a friend
- Send a link with your score; your friend takes the test and sees who won.
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
What is a good reaction time?
In laboratory conditions, young adults react to a light in about 190 milliseconds (and to a sound in about 160 ms). An online test also measures the delay of your screen, mouse or touchscreen and your browser, which usually adds a few tens of milliseconds, so most people score somewhere between 200 and 300 ms here.
| Average | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 180 ms | Lightning. Exceptionally fast, at the limit of what screens can show. |
| 180–219 ms | Very fast. Typical of sharp, practised players. |
| 220–259 ms | Fast. Quicker than most people online. |
| 260–309 ms | Average. Where most people land on a phone or computer. |
| 310–379 ms | Steady. Often the device, tiredness or a slower start; try again. |
| 380 ms and over | Relaxed. Check nothing else is running and give it another go. |
Why is my reaction time slower on a phone?
Touchscreens take longer than a mouse to register a tap, and many phone screens update less often than computer monitors, so the same person usually scores a little slower on a phone. Compare your results on the same device, and with friends on similar devices.
What affects reaction time?
Reaction time is fastest in your late teens and twenties and slows gradually from middle age. It is also slower when you are tired, distracted, have been drinking or are not warmed up: most people get faster over their first few goes. Practice helps a little, but sleep and attention make the biggest difference.
Sources
- Mental chronometry (Wikipedia): typical simple reaction times of about 190 ms to a light and 160 ms to a sound in college-age adults, and how reaction time changes with age.