The optional on-page timer is a compact countdown chip synced to the service worker — not the engine that schedules reload.
Wall operators and kiosk viewers often want to see “how long until the next refresh” without opening the popup. Auto Refresh Turbo can show a draggable glass LED-style chip on the page. Timing authority still lives in the worker with Chrome alarms; the chip ticks locally and resyncs.
What you get
- A compact visual countdown on the page
- Drag positioning so it stays out of critical tiles
- Sync with the same session the popup and optional badge follow
Core reload does not require injecting UI. Leave the visual timer off if you only want silent tabs.reload.
How to enable
- Open the tab you are refreshing
- Open Auto Refresh Turbo
- Enable the visual timer option
- Set your interval (or random range) and press Start
- Confirm the chip appears and matches the popup countdown
On-page tools use a content script, so they need page access when enabled. Permission wording: Chrome permissions explained and Privacy Policy.
After a full reload
Reload creates a new document. The chip remounts and resyncs with the worker. Early inject keeps the blank gap short. If the chip is missing after load, check that the option is still on and that the URL allows content scripts.
Lifecycle context: Chrome tab lifecycle and reload.
Badge vs on-page chip
The toolbar badge (when enabled) is a short countdown for the active tab only — glanceable from the Chrome UI. The on-page chip is for people watching the page itself, including viewers who never open extensions. Use either, both, or neither.
Interaction with other options
- Stop on click/type — still protects edits; the chip disappears with the session when refresh stops
- Suspicious-page stop — may end the session on challenge-looking pages
- Daily schedule — outside the window the session pauses; the chip should reflect pause/resume, not invent its own clock
- Hard refresh — still cache-bypass only; cookies stay
When to skip it
- Sensitive internal pages where you want zero injection
- Fullscreen dashboards where any overlay is unwanted
- Pages that already show their own “next update” clock
Silent scheduling is enough for many NOC tabs; the popup LED panel remains available when you need numbers.
Multi-tab
Each session is independent. Enabling the chip on one board does not force it onto every tab. Keep overlays only where humans are looking.
Random and fixed countdowns
With a fixed interval the chip counts toward a steady period. With random mode it counts toward the delay chosen for this cycle; the next cycle may show a different total after reload. That is expected, not a desync bug.
Accuracy expectations
Trust the worker for “when does reload fire?” The chip is a view. Brief drift can appear around reload remount; it should correct on sync. If reload never comes, diagnose schedule pause and stops via troubleshooting, not by staring harder at the digits.
Try it
Install Auto Refresh Turbo, enable the visual timer on a harmless page, and follow Start in about two minutes.