Pomodoro Timer
Work in focused sessions with short breaks in between. Set your own lengths, pick a face and a tone, and let the timer keep score.
How the cycle works
A focus session runs, then a short break, and after a set number of rounds a longer break. Press start and the timer moves between them on its own; the dots underneath keep count of the focus sessions you have finished.
The default is twenty-five minutes of work and five of rest, with a fifteen-minute break after four rounds. All of it is editable — some people work better on fifty and ten.
Where the idea comes from
The technique was described by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s and named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student. The mechanism is simple: a fixed, visible limit makes starting easier, and a scheduled break removes the argument about when to stop.
It suits work that fragments easily — reading, writing, revision, code, admin. It suits deep creative work less well, where the interruption can cost more than the rest is worth. If a session is going well, finishing the thought before taking the break is usually the better call.
Questions people ask
What session length should I start with?
Twenty-five minutes of work and five of rest. If you are interrupted before the bell, shorten it; if you are still warming up when it rings, try 45 and 10.
Why twenty-five minutes?
It was the setting Francesco Cirillo used on a kitchen timer as a student in the late 1980s. There is nothing magic about the number — it is short enough to start and long enough to finish something.
What should I do during a break?
Something that is not the task. Stand up, get water, look out of the window. Checking messages usually starts a new task rather than resting from the old one.
What happens after four rounds?
A longer break, fifteen minutes by default. Both the count and the length are adjustable.
Should I stop mid-sentence when the bell goes?
If the work is going well, finish the thought first. The technique is a scaffold, not a rule.
Does it count my sessions?
Yes, with a dot for each completed focus block. The count resets when you reload the page.
What if I am interrupted during a session?
Note the interruption, deal with it after the bell if you can, and carry on. If it cannot wait, reset and start again afterwards.
Is the Pomodoro technique good for creative work?
Less so. Deep creative work often needs a longer run-up, and a scheduled interruption can cost more than the rest is worth. Longer sessions suit it better.
Can I use it for study?
It suits revision particularly well, because recall improves with spacing and the breaks build that in.
Does it work for physical tasks?
For repetitive ones, yes — sorting, cleaning, practice drills. For anything needing a warm-up, use longer blocks.
Can I skip a break?
Press Skip and it moves straight to the next session. Doing that repeatedly is usually a sign the session length is wrong.
Will it keep running if I look at another tab?
Yes, and the remaining time stays in the tab title.
Where to go next
Keep Pomodoro timer to hand — and if you need a different place rather than a different tool, world clock time covers every country.
- Countdown timer — count down from any length you set
- Stopwatch — count up, with laps and splits
- Alarm clock — ring at a set time while the tab stays open
- Kitchen timer — preset times for eggs, rice, pasta and tea
- world time clock — the current time in every country, territory and US state