About the Pomodoro Timer
This Pomodoro timer runs the classic focus technique in your browser: work on one task for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and after every four “pomodoros” take a longer 15–30 minute break. Start, pause, skip and reset the timer, and an alert sounds when each phase ends so you can keep your eyes on your work.
Every length is adjustable, so you can use popular variations such as 50/10 for deep work or 15/3 for tasks you are avoiding. The session planner shows exactly when a block of pomodoros will finish if you start at a given time, how much of that time is real focus, and a minute-by-minute schedule you can follow or share.
The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s and is popular with students, programmers, writers and anyone who works at a desk. The timer runs entirely on your device; nothing is uploaded.
How to use the pomodoro timer
- 1Pick one task and set the focus and break lengths (25/5/15 is the classic).
- 2Press Start and work only on that task until the alert sounds.
- 3Take the short break — stand up, stretch, look away from the screen.
- 4After four pomodoros take the long break, then start the next set.
- 5Use the planner to see when a block of sessions will finish.
Formula and method
A plan of n pomodoros has n focus blocks of length F and a break after every block except the last. Every k-th break is a long break of length B, the rest are short breaks of length S, so the number of long breaks is ⌊(n − 1) ÷ k⌋. Adding the minutes to the start time gives the finish time.
The live timer cycles through the same sequence: focus, short break, focus … and a long break after every k focus sessions. The classic settings are F = 25, S = 5, B = 15–30 and k = 4, which keeps roughly 75–85% of a working block as focused time (about 82% for eight 25/5/15 pomodoros).
- n
- Number of pomodoros (focus sessions)
- F, S, B
- Focus, short-break and long-break lengths in minutes
- k
- Pomodoros between long breaks
Worked examples
Classic 25/5 with a 15-minute long break, 8 pomodoros from 9:00
Eight 25-minute sessions are 200 minutes of focus. Seven breaks sit between them: the 4th is a 15-minute long break and six are 5-minute short breaks, adding 45 minutes. Starting at 9:00 the block ends at 1:05 PM, and about 82% of it is focus.
50/10 deep-work blocks
Six 50-minute sessions are 300 minutes. The third break is a 30-minute long break and the other four are 10 minutes, adding 70 minutes, so the day runs 370 minutes from 8:30 AM to 2:40 PM — about 81% focused.
Short study sprint
Four pomodoros need only three short breaks (the long break would come after the fourth), so the sprint takes 100 + 15 = 115 minutes, ending at 8:55 PM.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pomodoro Technique?+
It is a time-management method created by Francesco Cirillo: work in focused 25-minute intervals called pomodoros, separated by 5-minute breaks, with a longer break after every four. The fixed timer makes starting easier and the breaks prevent fatigue.
Why is a pomodoro 25 minutes?+
25 minutes is long enough to make real progress but short enough that starting feels easy and focus rarely fades. Many people adapt it — 50/10 for deep work or 15/3 for hard-to-start tasks all follow the same principle.
What should I do during a Pomodoro break?+
Step away from the task: stand up, stretch, drink water, look out of a window or walk around. Avoid email and social media, which tend to pull you into new tasks and make the break longer than planned.
How many pomodoros should I do in a day?+
There is no fixed number. Eight pomodoros is about 3.3 hours of pure focus and twelve is 5 hours, which is a full day of deep work for most people. Track how many you actually complete and use that count to plan tasks more realistically.
What happens if I am interrupted during a pomodoro?+
The classic rule is that a pomodoro is indivisible: if you have to stop, it does not count and you restart. Jot quick distractions down and deal with them in the break instead of switching tasks.