🍅 Pomodoro Timer

01. Work and break phases switch over on their own

When work ends the break starts, and when the break ends work resumes, so you never lose time to a start button you forgot to press.

02. Set work and break anywhere from 1 to 999 minutes

Nothing ties you to the default 25 and 5. The number of cycles before a long break is adjustable too, from 1 to 10.

03. Different alarms for the end of work and the end of a break

Choose from beep, chime, bell and digital. Because the sounds differ, you know which phase ended without looking at the screen.

04. Preview the sound and set the volume before it fires

Hear exactly what will play, and set a level that won't startle anyone around you.

05. Desktop notifications reach you in another tab

You're told when a phase ends even when the timer is out of sight, so there's no need to keep watching it.

06. Completed pomodoros and total focus time are recorded

The day's concentration ends up as a number, and a growing record makes the next session easier to start.

07. Your settings persist in the browser

No reconfiguring on every visit, and no account or login required.

01. Basic Usage

1. Adjust work and break durations in the settings panel (default: 25min work, 5min short break, 30min long break, long break every 4 cycles)
2. Select your preferred alarm sounds and preview them
3. Press Start to begin the timer
4. Focus on work until the timer rings, then take a break
5. Take a long break after completing the set number of cycles

02. Timer Controls

1. Press Pause when you need to interrupt your work
2. Press Skip when you want to end a break early or finish work mid-session
3. Press Reset when you want to return everything, including statistics, to the initial state

Q. What does auto-start change?

A. When enabled, the next timer starts running as soon as a phase changes. That applies both to breaks starting after work and to work starting after breaks. Turn it off if you prefer to start each stretch yourself.

Q. What does Reset clear?

A. Not just the current timer—completed pomodoros, total work time, and the cycle count all return to their initial values. Use Skip instead if you want to move on while keeping your statistics.

Q. Can I get notifications?

A. Turn on 'Notification' in the settings panel and your browser will ask for permission. Once granted, a desktop notification appears when a timer ends. If notifications are blocked at the browser level, a message says so.

Q. What durations can I set?

A. Work, short break, and long break each accept 1 to 999 minutes. Cycles before a long break can be set from 1 to 10. Defaults are 25 minutes of work, a 5-minute short break, a 30-minute long break, and a long break every 4 cycles.

Q. Are my settings saved?

A. Yes. Durations, cycle count, alarm sounds, volume, auto-start, and notification settings are stored in your browser so you can pick up with the same configuration next time.

Q. Can I change the alarm sound?

A. Choose from four options: Beep, Chime, Bell, and Digital. Work end and break end can use different sounds, and the preview button lets you check them beforehand. Volume is adjustable too.

Q. Is it okay to pause the timer?

A. Unexpected interruptions like phone calls are unavoidable, but avoid frequent pausing. The purpose of Pomodoro is to create uninterrupted focus time.

Q. What if the timer rings in the middle of a task?

A. Generally, take the break. If you absolutely can't stop, make a note of your current state before taking a break. Even if you think "just a little more," taking breaks ultimately improves efficiency.

Q. Why 25 minutes?

A. It's considered optimal for maintaining focus without accumulating fatigue. Too short and you can't get into deep work; too long and concentration drops. However, individual differences exist, so finding your optimal duration is important.

Q. What should I do during breaks?

A. Step away from the screen. Stretching, light exercise, hydration, looking out the window, or deep breathing are effective for resting your brain. Avoid checking social media or email as they don't let your brain rest.

01. History of the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Italian entrepreneur Francesco Cirillo during his university years in the late 1980s. 'Pomodoro' means tomato in Italian, named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used.

02. Scientific Basis

Research shows that human concentration begins to decline after about 25-30 minutes. Additionally, taking moderate breaks allows the brain time to organize and consolidate information, improving learning efficiency. This is known as the "spacing effect."

03. Variations

You don't have to stick to the standard 25 minutes. If focus is hard to sustain at first, you can start at 15min work and stretch it out gradually, and other variations include 52min work/17min break (optimal ratio from DeskTime research) and 90min work/20min break (ultradian rhythms). Finding your own rhythm is key.

04. Tips for Better Results

・Before starting a pomodoro, clarify what you'll accomplish in that session ・Record completed pomodoros to maintain motivation ・Eliminate interruption sources (notifications, email, etc.) beforehand

05. Why 25 Minutes?

Cirillo's first attempt ran for just two minutes. Struggling to concentrate as a student, he challenged himself to manage "at least two minutes." From there he stretched to ten, then twenty-five, and 25 minutes settled in as the interval that felt neither too short nor too long. That length also lowers the psychological barrier to starting. "Concentrate for two hours" feels heavy, but "just 25 minutes" is easy to begin — and once you have started, the work itself tends to pull you in.

06. A Pomodoro Cannot Be Split

The original technique includes a strict rule: a pomodoro is indivisible. If you are interrupted partway through, that round does not count as complete and you start over from the beginning. The rule looks harsh, but it functions as a declaration that interruptions are not acceptable. By refusing to record rounds you could not protect, you turn the sheer volume of interruptions into something visible and countable.

07. Why Take a Long Break

The standard pattern calls for a 15-30 minute long break after every four pomodoros. Repeating only short breaks lets fatigue accumulate gradually, and the quality of concentration drops by the afternoon. This tool lets you change the number of cycles before a long break. You can set three cycles on days with heavy work and five on lighter days, matching the interval to the load you are carrying.

08. What to Do During a Break

Spending a five-minute break staring at a phone gives the brain no rest — it simply keeps processing information. Cirillo himself named "nothing mentally demanding" as the condition for a real break. Stand up and walk, drink water, look out a window, stretch a little. These also ease eye strain and reset your posture. Checking email or social media, by contrast, tends to add new worries that follow you into the next pomodoro.

09. Alarm Sounds and Notifications

This tool lets you assign different alarm sounds to the end of work and the end of a break. With a single shared sound, you have to work out which phase just ended every time it rings. The volume can be set to zero, so in a quiet environment you can rely on browser notifications alone. Notifications require browser permission; if you decline, the timer falls back to sound only.

10. Keeping Count Keeps You Going

The screen shows your completed pomodoro count and total work time. The act of counting itself is known to have an effect — behavioral science calls it self-monitoring. Knowing how many pomodoros a day actually holds makes the next day's plan more realistic. Once you can think in terms of "three pomodoros before lunch," you start scheduling by volume of work rather than by hours on a clock.