Pomodoro timer
Focus
Round 1 of 4
How to use it
- Choose one task and press Start. Work on nothing else until the sound.
- When the focus phase ends you hear three falling notes and the break starts. Rising notes mean the break is over.
- After four focus rounds the timer gives you a long break, then starts again at round 1.
- Change any length in the boxes. Your settings are saved on this device for next time.
Keyboard: Space starts and pauses, R resets. Skip jumps to the next phase. The tab title shows the phase and the time left, so you can keep an eye on it from another tab. Untick the box if you would rather press Start yourself after each phase.
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
Francesco Cirillo developed the method in the late 1980s and named it after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used (pomodoro is Italian for tomato). Each 25-minute block of focused work is one "pomodoro". After it comes a 5-minute break, and after every four pomodoros a longer break. The fixed end point makes it easier to start a task you have been putting off, and the breaks keep your attention fresh across a long day.
If something interrupts you, press Pause and note it down to deal with in the next break. If the interruption takes more than a few minutes, press Reset and start a fresh focus round rather than finishing a broken one.
How the timings work
With the standard settings, one full cycle is four focus rounds, three short breaks and one long break:
- Focus: 4 × 25 = 100 minutes
- Short breaks: 3 × 5 = 15 minutes
- Long break: 15 minutes
That is 130 minutes in all, or 2 hours 10 minutes. A morning from 9am to 11:10am gives you one full cycle with 1 hour 40 minutes of focused work. If 25 minutes feels too short for deep work such as writing or coding, many people use 50 minutes of focus and 10-minute breaks; set the boxes and the cycle follows.
Each phase counts down to a fixed end time and the sound is scheduled in advance, so the timer stays accurate if you switch tabs. The next phase starts exactly where the last one ended, so a cycle never drifts.
Related timers
For a single block of time, use the online timer or a preset such as the 30-minute timer. For exercise, the interval timer alternates work and rest in seconds. To time how long a task really takes, use the stopwatch.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Pomodoro?
25 minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break. After four Pomodoros you take a longer break, set to 15 minutes on this timer.
Does the Pomodoro timer work in a background tab?
Yes. Each phase counts down to a fixed end time and the sound is scheduled in advance, so it plays on time even if you are in another tab. Closing the tab stops the timer.
Can I change the lengths?
Yes. Set the focus, short break and long break lengths in minutes, and how many rounds come before the long break. The timer remembers them on this device.
Why are there two different sounds?
Falling notes mean a focus phase has ended and it is time for a break. Rising notes mean a break has ended and it is time to focus again, so you know which is which without looking.
What should I do in a break?
Step away from the task and the screen: stand up, stretch, get a drink or look out of a window. Checking messages tends to pull your attention back to work.