Pomodoro Timer
Focus timer with 25-min work sessions, 5-min breaks, and a long break every 4 cycles. Customizable durations + sound.
Date & Time
Pomodoro Timer
Generated on April 25, 2026
The Pomodoro Technique
Invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s — work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, repeat. Every 4 focus sessions, take a longer 15–30 minute break. The timer keeps you accountable and the breaks prevent burnout.
?What is the Pomodoro Timer?
The Pomodoro Timer implements the classic time-management technique invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s — work in focused 25-minute sprints (called 'Pomodoros' after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used) separated by short 5-minute breaks, with a longer 15-30 minute break every 4 sprints. The technique works because (1) human attention spans degrade after 20-30 minutes of intense focus, (2) knowing a break is coming makes it easier to resist distractions, and (3) the structure makes deep work measurable. This timer runs in your browser, persists your settings between visits, plays an optional beep at the end of each session, and updates the browser-tab title so you can see the countdown even when the tab is in the background.
The Formula
Cirillo's original recommendation is 25-minute work blocks because that's roughly the maximum sustained focus duration for most knowledge workers. Modern research suggests the ideal focus block can be 50-90 minutes for deep cognitive tasks (writing, programming, analysis), so this timer lets you customize. The key invariants are: (1) work uninterrupted during the focus block (no email, no Slack, no phone), (2) take the break (don't skip — the rest is what enables the next sprint), (3) physically move during breaks (stand, stretch, hydrate), (4) use the long break every 4 cycles for proper recovery (eat, walk, get sunlight).
Practical Examples
Standard student session: 4 Pomodoros (25/5 cycle) + 1 long break = ~2 hours of focused study.
Deep-work knowledge worker: 50/10 cycles, 4-6 sessions per day = 4-6 hours of deep work + 30-60 min recovery.
Programming sprint: 90/15 cycles work well for complex feature work where context is hard to rebuild after a break.
Writing: 25/5 is great for short-form (emails, blog posts). 50/10 better for long-form (essays, reports).
Studying for exams: 25/5 for memorization (active recall in 25-min batches works extremely well).
Use the timer's tab-title countdown when working in fullscreen apps (PowerPoint, video editor) — quick glance at the tab tells you how long is left.
Frequently Asked Questions
Popular Conversions
Jump to a ready-made conversion — useful for quick reference and sharing: