The 50 best websites to waste your time on

The internet has changed the world in myriad ways — it has reshaped politics, retail, media, to name a few things — but it has entirely redefined the way people waste time.

If the internet was ever good for anything, in fact, my goodness it it fantastic for wasting time or killing boredom.

But not all time wasting is created equal. For instance, your’s truly spends countless hours scrolling through Twitter. That might be bad for me, in the long run. But wouldn’t it be nice to switch up your habits instead of mindless scrolling?

The internet is vast and filled with dozens of websites to help you kill time. We did the work of finding some great place you might not know about. So next time you want a new way to pass the time online, we’ve got you covered.

Here are 15 of the best sites to waste time.

This subreddit collects pure things that’ll lift your spirits when you’ve simply had enough internet for the day. It’s eye bleach, as in, it washes out your eyes from the bad stuff. 

If you’re someone who loves seeing the world, Map Crunch will bop your around random Google Street View locations across the globes. Just tap the green “Go” button to be transported to a new location.

You never know what kind of view you’ll get with Map Crunch.
Credit: SCREENSHOT: MAP CRUNCH

This site is kind of mundane, but fascinating nonetheless. Window Swap is exactly what it sounds like. You get transported to a random view out someone else’s window. (It is not live, so you’re not being that creepy.) It’s kind of cool to see the view and imagine living whatever life (and window) you’re dealt. Also, the ambient sounds that accompany the view are oddly soothing. 

A random view of Vancouver.
Credit: SCREENSHOT: WINDOW SWAP

Honestly, this one is for those days you just need an impossibly dumb outlet. Scream Into The Void lets you type frustrations, and then you hear a scream, and the words you type get sent into “the void.”

GAH!
Credit: SCREENSHOT: SCREAM INTO THE VOID

This site provides a healthy dose of nostalgia for ’80s and ’90s kids who got to play Oregon Trail on days a substitute teacher took over the classroom. It looks and plays exactly how you remember the 1990 version of the classic game, and will definitely kill some time. 

My brave travelers will make it all the way across the country, I’m sure.
Credit: SCREENSHOT: ARCHIVE.ORG

If you can’t tell, I love maps and scrolling through the vast web of imagery Google has created. But Google Earth is especially cool because the massive tech company created ways to explore famous places in-depth. You can get lost virtually traveling to places like ancient Roman, iconic sports stadiums, or use the “I’m feeling lucky” button to randomly jump across the globe.

A beautiful view in North Carolina, courtesy of Google Earth.
Credit: Screenshot: google earth

Autodraw allows you to freehand a doodle and then the site guesses what you were attempting to draw. It’s pretty fun for both the artistically gifted and those who can’t drawn anything (like myself). 

Look at this lovely coffee mug I drew.
Credit: Screenshot: autodraw

This site is a lot like Auto Draw, but gamified. You try to draw a random object and then see if your image was good enough for Google’s neural network was able to guess what it is. 

I am a huge history fan. This massive, interactive timeline of history is dangerous and fun, because it will pull up Wiki pages for all sorts of historical events. Good luck not going down countless rabbit-holes. 

There are so many places to get lost on this site.
Credit: Screenshot: histography

This is exactly how it seems. You go to this website, click a big button then get redirected to a generally useless website. It might kill a few minutes of time, however, with the sheer oddness on display from some of the sites. Sometimes you’ll get a simple game to pay, other times you’ll see a man get slapped with an eel. 

It’s a lot like Map Crunch, except you play a game. You attempt to guess your location based on a random Street View and get a certain number of points based on how close you were to the correct answer. Unfortunately, you do need to create an account to play, but a free one lets you play a certain number of games per day. 

Quite simply, Flight Radar lets you see every aircraft that’s currently in the air. And while the map is a bit of an illusion — planes fly in a three-dimensional sky, not a 2D landscape — it is quite interesting to see how many aircraft pack the sky. Kill some time by seeing where folks are jetting off to in real time. 

That’s…a lot of planes.
Credit: SCREENSHOT: FLIGHT RADAR

Radio Garden lets you listen in to different radio states around the world. Take a tour around the globe and hear what kind of music different folks enjoy.

The premise of this subreddit is simple. People share stories and ask commenters if they’re the asshole in the situation. Yes, some of the tales are almost assuredly fake, but they’re still enjoyable to read. 

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Picture Zillow but for all the strangest houses. Writer Kate Wagner critiques strange, often poorly designed homes. You can lose hours on the site reading Wagner’s commentary on houses built by folks with more money than sense (or taste). 

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Bored still? We’ve got this list of 50 more websites to browse around.

Useless Websites

An Internet version of the hiding game Hot and Cold.

It’s simple. You (harmlessly) bounce virtual cats.

Hollywood-style hacker code. Pound on your keys and freak out your boss.

What’s the point of this? Yeah, I don’t know — just embrace the weird.

Make the worm dance with your mouse. (Warning: Flashing images.)

This site reveals Oprah’s secret plans.

Changes URLs to look like viruses.

A collection of emails from awful people.

A shopping website of stuff you don’t need, but you really want.

Space dogs? Check. War dogs? Check. Famous dogs? Check annnnd check.

Turn on the lights (or a disco ball) in someone’s home from your computer. The site has been running since 1997.

Educational Websites

Stunning photographs of space.

Learn a new language for free.

A forum of good ideas and conversations.

Browser-based educational activities.

Learn the language of music.

A calculator that tells you exactly when to wake up for a good night’s sleep.

Step 1. Learn to Code. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit.

Suggests books and authors based upon your interests.

Free e-books.

Creative Websites

Draw stunning symmetrical images with the click of a mouse.

An idea generator.

Draw things with sand.

Gaming Websites

A Pokémon battle simulator to waste hours on.

This site allows you to upload ROMs (legally obtained, _of course_, unless you’re a bad person) and play with friends within your browser. Pick a game, share a link to your room, and you’re set.

Brain games.

An interactive online RPG.

Multi-player online capture the flag.

Click for cookies and level up.

A running game using your keyboard skills.

A habit building app that treats your life like a game.

A collection of addictive games.

Music Websites

Automatically syncs music, now you’re a DJ.

Syncs police scanners from different cities with ambient music.

Create your own music with just a few clicks.

Mood Websites

Set the mood with weather sounds.

Sometimes, the sound of rain is soothing.

When doing good in the world feels too hard, just vote for good. It won’t change the world, but you the distraction can be nice, even for a moment.

Each questions answered correctly translates to 10 grains of rice donated to a hunger charity.

Utility Websites

Find out.

So. Many. Fonts.

You probably need a new desktop background.

Deals and steals.

Tracks how you spend your money.

Explores your tastes and preferences.

Tips to improve your digital experience.

Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that need improvement.

DIY everything.

Dig deeper and find out the truth.

Stunning photography and backgrounds for all of your devices.

This post was updated in August 2018, and again in July 2021.