Pomodoro Timer - Free Online Focus Timer

How to use this tool

1. Start a work session. Choose a preset or keep the classic 25-minute session, then click Start or press Space. The timer counts down and the title bar shows the remaining time.
2. Take a break. When work ends, the timer switches to a short break. Start it with the button or Space, unless Auto-start next phase is enabled in settings.
3. Take a long break. After completing the configured number of work sessions, the timer switches to a long break. The dots show today’s completed work sessions; skipped phases do not count.
4. Customize settings. Open settings to choose Classic, Sprint, DeskTime 52/17, or Ultradian intervals; edit durations; toggle audio; enable notifications; or opt into automatic phase starts.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The name comes from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro is Italian for tomato) he used as a university student.

The basic cycle:

1. Choose a task to work on.
2. Start the timer for 25 minutes and work without interruption.
3. When the timer rings, take a 5-minute short break.
4. After every 4 pomodoros, take a longer 15–30 minute break.

Why does it work?

The technique works by chunking work into manageable intervals and building in mandatory rest. Key benefits:

• Reduces procrastination: Committing to just 25 minutes feels less overwhelming than "work until it's done."
• Improves focus: Time-boxing discourages multitasking and context switching.
• Prevents burnout: Scheduled breaks maintain energy and concentration.
• Tracks progress: Counting pomodoros gives you a concrete measure of how much focused work you accomplished.

Customizing your Pomodoro intervals

The classic 25/5 split works for most people, but you can adapt it. Common alternatives:

• 52/17: A DeskTime study found top performers worked 52 minutes then rested 17.
• 90 minutes: Matches one "ultradian rhythm" cycle; good for deep work.
• 15/3: Useful for tasks requiring very high concentration (coding, writing).

Open Show settings and choose Classic (25/5), Sprint (15/3), DeskTime (52/17), or Ultradian (90/20) to apply the full rhythm in one step. Each preset also sets a long-break duration and how many work sessions come before it. Edit any duration to create a custom rhythm. Presets change the next phase if a timer is already running; when paused, they reset the current phase to its selected duration.

Keyboard shortcuts and automatic phases

Keep the timer easy to control while you work: press Space to start or pause, R to reset the current phase, or S to skip to the next phase. Shortcuts are ignored while you type in the Task field or a settings input. Pressing Space on a button or link keeps that control’s normal keyboard behavior.

The timer stops when a phase ends unless you turn on Auto-start next phase in settings. With that option enabled, the next work or break phase begins automatically. You can pause it at any time. Automatic starts are off by default so the timer will not begin another interval unexpectedly.

Tips for using this timer effectively

• Write the task name in the "Task" field before you start. It commits you to that specific goal.
• Enable browser notifications so the alert reaches you even in a background tab.
• During breaks, step away from the screen. Short breaks are more restorative than scrolling social media.
• The timer keeps a total of completed work sessions for today. The Task field is temporary and is not saved or connected to a per-task history, so keep a separate note if you want to compare similar tasks over time.

Task batching

Group similar shallow tasks into a single Pomodoro session to minimize context-switching overhead. Examples: answering emails, reviewing pull requests, approving invoices. Reserve dedicated sessions for deep work (writing, coding, designing) that requires full uninterrupted immersion — batching these with shallow tasks destroys the focus benefit.

Common failure modes

• Phone notifications: a single buzz resets your attention and costs 10–20 minutes to fully recover. Put your phone in Do Not Disturb before starting.
• “Just one more thing” creep: extending a session past the timer defeats the technique. When the bell rings, stop. Write the remaining thought in a capture note.
• Unexpected interruptions: apply the four Ds — Do it (takes <2 min), Defer it (schedule later), Delegate it (hand it off), or Drop it (not important enough). Then restart your Pomodoro.

Productivity tracking

This timer counts work phases that reach zero and shows the completed total for today. A skipped work phase does not count, and the optional Task label is not saved with the count. For a simple personal estimate, record each completed session in your own notes and compare similar tasks over time. Settings and timer state are kept in this browser; no task history or account sync is provided.