A Pomodoro timer that just runs
Press start for 25 minutes of focus. Breaks follow on their own, and a long one comes after every fourth session.
25:00
Focus
Timer settings
Keep this tab open. Your browser may delay the end-of-phase sound in a background tab, but the time shown is always right.
Pomodoro Timer is a free browser timer for the Pomodoro Technique: 25-minute focus sessions, 5-minute short breaks, and a 15-minute long break after every fourth session, all adjustable, with no account and no data sent anywhere.
How the Pomodoro Technique works
The technique is a loop of short, fixed stretches of work with breaks in between:
- Pick one task. Something you can make progress on in half an hour.
- Focus for 25 minutes. Work on that task and nothing else until the timer ends. If something else comes to mind, write it down and keep going.
- Take a 5-minute break. Stand up, look away from the screen, get water.
- Every fourth session, take a longer break, 15 to 30 minutes.
That is all of it. The timer above follows these defaults. The dots show how many focus sessions you have finished in the current cycle.
Why a fixed length helps
A deadline 25 minutes away is easy to start against, and a break that is already scheduled makes it easier to ignore the urge to check something “for a second”. The fixed length also turns work into a number you can count. Four sessions is a concrete morning in a way that “work on the report” is not.
Many people find the rhythm useful. The research on the technique itself is limited, so treat the 25 minutes as a starting point rather than a rule. If 25 minutes is too short to get into the work, try 45 or 50 with a 10-minute break.
Getting the most out of a session
- Decide the task before you press start. Choosing what to do eats into the session otherwise.
- Silence your phone, or let the app do it. The Android app can turn on Do Not Disturb for each focus session and off again for the break.
- Actually take the break. The break is what makes the next session work. Skip it a few times and the cycle turns back into a long, tired afternoon.
- Keep a short list of interruptions. Write down whatever pops into your head during a session, and deal with it on the break.
Lengths at a glance
| Phase | Default | Common range |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | 25 minutes | 15 to 50 minutes |
| Short break | 5 minutes | 3 to 10 minutes |
| Long break | 15 minutes | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Long break after | 4 sessions | 3 to 4 sessions |
The guide to the Pomodoro Technique covers where the method comes from and how to adapt it.
The same timer, on Android
Take it with you. The countdown sits on your lock screen, the alarm rings on time even when the phone sleeps, and Do Not Disturb can switch itself on for each focus session.
- Countdown on the lock screen and in notifications
- Ends on time even when the phone is asleep
- Do Not Disturb during focus, off again for breaks
- Every length is adjustable
- No internet permission, no ads, no account
- Available in 49 languages
Free, with no ads.
Want to see your focus add up?
Focus Machine is the paid edition: stats and daily streaks, white, pink or brown noise during focus sessions, and color themes. One purchase, no subscription.
See Focus Machine on Google PlayQuestions
Is this Pomodoro timer free?
Yes. The web timer is free, with no account, no sign-up, and no ads. The Android app, Pomodoro Timer, is free as well. Focus Machine is the paid Android edition with stats, streaks, ambient noise, and themes.
Can I change the lengths?
Yes. Open Timer settings under the timer. Focus can be 1 to 90 minutes, a short break 1 to 30, a long break 1 to 60, and the long break can come after 2 to 8 focus sessions. A session that is already running keeps its time; the new lengths apply from the next one.
What happens if I skip a focus session?
The timer moves on to a short break, but the skipped session does not count towards the long break. Only finished sessions fill the dots above the timer.
Will it keep running if I switch tabs or close the page?
The time stays correct either way, because the timer remembers when the phase ends rather than counting seconds. In a background tab, browsers may delay the end-of-phase sound by up to a minute. If you close the page and come back later, a phase that ended while you were away is finished silently. For an alarm that rings exactly on time with the phone locked, use the Android app.
Does this collect any data about me?
No. The timer runs in your browser and keeps your settings and the current timer in local storage on your device. Nothing is sent to a server while it runs, and the site does not count page views. The privacy page has the details.
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