About the Pomodoro Timer
The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. You work in 25-minute focus sessions followed by a 5-minute break, and take a longer 15–30 minute break after every four sessions. Short, fixed deadlines keep you focused, and scheduled breaks stop you from burning out.
This timer switches between focus and break phases automatically and shows with dots which session you are on. Every completed focus session is saved under Today with its start and end time, so you can see how much deep work you did. All settings and logs stay on this device.
How to use
- Press Start to begin a 25-minute focus session. Work on one task only.
- When it ends, a sound plays and a short 5-minute break begins. Turn on Start next phase automatically to continue without pressing anything.
- After every four focus sessions you get a long 15-minute break. The dots show where you are in the cycle.
- Change the lengths and the long-break interval under Settings, for example 50 minutes of focus and 10 minutes of rest.
- Check the number of completed sessions and your total focus time under Today.
Popular Pomodoro settings
| Style | Focus | Short break | Long break |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Pomodoro | 25 min | 5 min | 15–30 min (every 4) |
| 52/17 | 52 min | 17 min | — |
| 50/10 study | 50 min | 10 min | 30 min (every 3) |
| Hard to focus | 15 min | 3 min | 15 min (every 4) |
Start with the defaults (25/5/15). If your focus keeps breaking, shorten the sessions; if breaks interrupt a good flow, make them longer. Students sometimes match the session length to a real exam section to practise stamina.
Rules that make Pomodoro work
- No distractions during focus: jot down messages to answer or things to look up and handle them in the break.
- Step away from screens on breaks: stretch, drink water or look out of the window to rest your eyes and body.
- Interrupted? Start over: strictly speaking, an interrupted Pomodoro doesn’t count. This timer only logs sessions you finish.
- Plan in Pomodoros: estimate tasks in sessions, e.g. “write report – 3 Pomodoros”, to make planning easier.
FAQ
Is the timer accurate in a background tab?
Yes. The time left is calculated from the end time and the sound is scheduled in advance, so it stays accurate in the background. With auto-start on, any phases that ended while you were away are caught up when you return.
Does a skipped session count?
No. Only focus sessions you finish are logged and count toward the long break. Skipping a break goes straight to the next focus session.
When is the log cleared?
The log is stored per day and starts fresh the next day. Press Clear log to delete today’s entries right away.
Can I change the focus time to 50 minutes?
Yes. Under Settings, focus time can be 1–180 minutes, short breaks 1–60 minutes and long breaks 1–120 minutes. The long-break interval can be 1–12 sessions.