Focus Timer (Pomodoro Timer)
A timer that divides work and breaks by time. Choose from 15 + 3 min, 25 + 5 min, 50 + 10 min, 90 + 20 min, or 20 min + 20 sec (the 20-20-20 rule), or set your own lengths. It moves on automatically up to a long break every 4 rounds, and lets you know with a chime and a browser notification. The habits of the Pomodoro Technique work as they are: discard an interrupted round so it isn’t counted, and jot down tasks that occur to you mid-work before returning to it. Rounds you complete are tallied per task and can be converted to time at 30 minutes per round. Includes a large display for screen sharing.
Interval length
The basic form of the Pomodoro Technique. Try this one first.
Work
25:00
of 25 min
Do only one thing during this time. Keep going until it sounds.
Rounds today
0 rounds
About 0 min
Until long break
4 rounds
Rest 20 min
Discarded rounds
0 rounds
Interrupted rounds aren’t counted
What to do in this block (just one)
Split big tasks first, then pick one. Rounds are recorded under the name you write here and tallied per task in the “Log & estimate” tab.
Thoughts (do later)
If you remember another errand while working, write it here and go back to work. Once you no longer worry about forgetting it, you don’t need to keep replaying it in your head.
Alerts
Warning before the end
Sounds a short chime once before the end. Use it as a cue in meetings to say, “We’ll start deciding with 2 minutes left.”
The remaining time is calculated from the end time, so it stays accurate even while you look at another tab. However, while the browser throttles the tab, the sound and notification may be delayed until you return to the screen. If you want it to sound on time, keep this tab open.
On iPhone and iPad, no sound plays if the device is on silent. Also, because sound can’t be played until you have interacted with the page once, the sound is prepared at the moment you press “Start”. The sound may not play when the device screen turns off, so keeping the screen on with “Large display” is the safest option.
Records (date and time, task name, rounds) are saved only in this device’s browser and are not sent to any server.
ABOUT
About Focus Timer (Pomodoro Timer)
The Focus Timer divides work and breaks by time and runs automatically. Besides 25 min + 5 min (the basic form of the Pomodoro Technique), you can choose 15 + 3 min, 50 + 10 min, 90 + 20 min, or 20 min + 20 sec (the 20-20-20 rule), and you can also set your own lengths. It automatically inserts a long break every 4 rounds and signals the end of each interval with a chime and a browser notification. Its distinguishing feature is that the habits of the Pomodoro Technique are built right into the controls: discard an interrupted round so it isn’t counted, and jot down tasks that occur to you mid-work before returning to it. Completed rounds are tallied per task name and can be converted to time at 30 minutes per round, so after a week of data you can use it directly to review how you allocate your time.
How to use Focus Timer (Pomodoro Timer)
- 1Choose an interval length (if unsure, start with 25 min + 5 min)
- 2Write down just one thing to do in this block (split big tasks first, then pick one)
- 3Press “Start working” and do only that until the timer sounds
- 4If you remember another errand while working, write it under “Thoughts” and go back to work
- 5When the chime sounds, get up and take a break (every 4 rounds it switches to a long break)
- 6If a round was interrupted and your work was broken, use “Discard this round” so it isn’t counted
- 7In the “Log & estimate” tab, check the rounds per task and the time including breaks
Great for
- Run the Pomodoro Technique’s 25 min + 5 min without watching the clock
- Lower the barrier to getting started by working on a reluctant task for just 15 minutes
- Work in 50 min + 10 min blocks when writing prose or code
- Rest your eyes during screen work with a 20-second break every 20 minutes (20-20-20 rule)
- Log study time by rounds and count a week’s worth of study
- Share the “Large display” in a meeting so everyone can see the time remaining
- Tally the rounds you complete each day per task and decide next week’s time allocation
- Cap the time you spend on videos or social media at “15 minutes”
Good to know
- The remaining time is calculated from the end time, so it stays accurate even while you look at another tab. However, while the browser throttles the tab, the sound and notification may be delayed until you return to the screen.
- Sound can only play after you have interacted with the page once (a browser restriction). The sound is prepared at the moment you press “Start”.
- On iPhone and iPad, no sound plays if the device is on silent. It may also not sound when the device screen turns off, so keeping the screen on with “Large display” is the safest option.
- Browser notifications require permission the first time. If you don’t allow them, the on-screen remaining time and the sound still work.
- Rounds are recorded only when the work phase finishes. A round ended with “Discard this round” is not recorded and does not affect the timing of long breaks.
- “Slot incl. breaks” is the value obtained by converting one round into time as “work + break” (30 minutes for 25 min + 5 min).
- Interval lengths, task names and round records are saved only in this device’s browser and are not sent to any server.
- The 20-20-20 rule interval has only a 20-second break, so it does not include long breaks. If you also want a proper break, choose 25 min + 5 min.
Questions this tool answers
Use Focus Timer (Pomodoro Timer) for searches like these:
- I want to use a Pomodoro Technique timer right away in my browser
- I want something that automatically repeats 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest
- I want to split study or work time and count the rounds I complete
- I want a work timer with a length that suits me, such as 50 or 90 minutes
- I want a cue to rest my eyes using the 20-20-20 rule
- I want to show everyone the remaining meeting time by screen sharing
- I want to record how many times I focused in a day and review how I spend my time
- I want to use a timer without installing an app
FAQ
- How do I do the Pomodoro Technique?
- Decide on one thing to do, set a 25-minute timer, and work only on that until it sounds. When it sounds, rest for 5 minutes, and after repeating this 4 times, take a long break of 15 to 30 minutes. If you choose “25 min + 5 min” in this tool and start, it switches between work, breaks and the long break automatically, so you never have to think about how many minutes to time next. As long as you stick to two points, not switching to other work midway and always taking your breaks, the finer adjustments are up to you.
- 25 minutes is too short. Can I change the length?
- Yes, you can. For work where getting back into the flow takes time, such as writing prose or code, 50 min + 10 min suits well, and for reluctant tasks or memorization, 15 min + 3 min does. For work that demands deep concentration such as design or research, you can also choose 90 min + 20 min. If you choose “Custom”, you can specify lengths in 1-minute steps. However, keep these three points: do only one thing, continue until it sounds, and take your breaks. If you drop them, you are merely measuring time.
- What should I do if someone talks to me in the middle?
- For a short interruption, stop with “Pause” and resume when you are back. If the work itself was broken off, press “Discard this round”. A discarded round is not recorded and does not affect the timing of long breaks. This is because counting a half-finished round pulls your record away from reality and makes it useless as material for estimates. For errands you remember on your own, write them under “Thoughts” and you can go back to work without worrying about forgetting them.
- How many rounds a day is enough?
- On a typical workday with meetings and messages, 6 to 10 rounds is a realistic range. With 25 min + 5 min a round is 30 minutes, so simple arithmetic fits 16 rounds into 8 hours, but because of meetings, commuting and messages you will not actually reach that. Being able to complete about the same number every day matters more than a high count. The “Log & estimate” tab lists the last 7 days of rounds, so check whether your numbers swing from day to day.
- Is it OK to close the tab or look at another tab?
- Time keeps running correctly while you look at another tab. The remaining time is calculated from the end time, and it also appears in the tab title. However, if the browser throttles the tab, the chime and notification may be delayed until you return to the screen. If you want to be notified on time, keep this tab open or use “Large display”. Closing the tab stops the timer.
- Can I show the remaining meeting time to participants?
- Pressing “Large display” gives you a screen with only the remaining time. If you share this screen, everyone learns at the same moment that time is up, so cutting things off no longer looks like the facilitator’s decision. If you set “Warning before the end” to 2 minutes, a short chime sounds 2 minutes before the end, which you can use as a cue to announce, “We’ll start wrapping up with 2 minutes left.”
- Can I use it for the 20-20-20 rule?
- Yes. If you choose “20 min + 20 sec”, a 20-second break comes every 20 minutes. During the break, look away from the screen and gaze into the distance. However, 20 seconds is too short to get up from your seat, so if you also want to relieve fatigue other than eye strain, 25 min + 5 min is easier to put into practice. The trick is to treat the timer sound as a cue to stand up.
- How should I use the recorded rounds?
- After a week of data, you can see how many rounds each task took and use that for your next estimates. The “Log & estimate” tab also shows the “Slot incl. breaks”, which converts each task’s rounds to time at 30 minutes per round. If you enter this number into the 24-hour Time Use Chart Maker together with sleep, work, commuting and so on, you can see the gap between your assumptions and reality at a glance. Records stay only on this device and can be deleted at any time.
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