The Pomodoro Technique: How It Works (Free Focus Timer)

The Pomodoro Technique is a simple way to focus: work on one task for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and after four rounds take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. Each 25-minute round is called a "pomodoro". The fixed rhythm makes it easier to start and harder to drift. You can run it with the free focus timer, which follows that rhythm and chimes at the end of each round.

The method was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, who named it after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student ("pomodoro" is Italian for tomato). It needs nothing more than a timer and a list, which is why students, writers, developers and anyone with a long to-do list still use it.

How the Pomodoro Technique works

1. Pick one task. Something specific, like "write the introduction" or "solve 10 practice questions", not "study".
2. Start a 25-minute timer and work only on that task.
3. If a distraction pops up, write it down on paper and go back to the task. Deal with it later.
4. When the timer rings, stop and take a 5-minute break. Stand up, stretch, get water. Don't start on email.
5. Repeat. After four focus rounds, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

That's the whole method. The power is in how it changes your behaviour, not in the exact numbers.

Why it helps

• Starting is easier. "Work for 25 minutes" is less daunting than "finish the report", so you put it off less.
• The timer guards your focus. While it's running, you've made a small promise to ignore everything else.
• Breaks are planned. Regular short breaks help you keep going through a long day, and you stop feeling guilty about taking them.
• You learn how long things take. Counting rounds ("that chapter took six pomodoros") makes planning more realistic.

Different people focus best in different ways, so treat it as a tool to try, not a rule. If it helps you start and keep going, it's working.

Using the free focus timer

Open the free focus timer:

1. Press Start to begin a 25-minute Focus round. The big clock counts down, with a progress bar underneath.
2. When it reaches zero, a chime plays and the Short break starts on its own.
3. After the break, the next focus round begins. The row of squares shows how many rounds you've done towards the long break, and the counter shows your total focus sessions.
4. After four focus rounds, you get a Long break.

You can Pause and Resume at any time, Reset the current round, or Skip to the next phase. To jump straight to a phase, pick Focus, Short break or Long break at the top.

The time left also shows in the browser tab's title, so you can switch to another tab to work and still glance at it. Keep the timer's tab open, since closing it stops the timer.

Changing the rhythm

Open Settings to adjust:

• Focus (min), Short break (min) and Long break (min): anything from 1 to 180 minutes. The long break starts at 15 minutes.
• Long break after: 2 to 6 sessions.
• Start the next phase by itself: untick this if you'd rather press Start yourself after each round.

Popular variations

The classic 25/5 split isn't sacred. Common alternatives:

Rhythm	Good for
25 min focus, 5 min break	The classic. A good place to start.
50 min focus, 10 min break	Deep work like writing or coding, once you're used to focusing.
15 min focus, 3-5 min break	Tasks you're dreading, or when energy is low.
45 min focus, 15 min break	Study sessions that match typical class or exam lengths.

Start with 25/5 for a few days. If you keep wanting to carry on when the chime rings, try longer rounds. If you keep drifting off before it rings, try shorter ones.

Tips that make it work

• Plan your rounds the night before. Write tomorrow's tasks and guess how many rounds each needs.
• Put your phone in another room or turn on Do Not Disturb for each focus round.
• Keep a distraction list next to you. Writing a thought down lets you let go of it.
• Use breaks for your body, not your feed. Scrolling during a 5-minute break rarely feels like a rest.
• Group small tasks. Answer emails, messages and quick admin together in one round.
• Don't break a round halfway. If something truly urgent comes up, stop and restart the round later.

For students

The technique works especially well for exam preparation. Break a subject into chapters or question sets, give each one a number of rounds, and track how many you complete each day. A day of eight focused rounds is about 3 hours 20 minutes of real study, which is often more than a day of "studying" with a phone nearby.

To time a single exam paper or a practice test instead, use the free countdown timer. To add up the hours you studied across the week, see how to add hours and minutes.

Start a focus round

Pick one task, press Start and give it 25 minutes. The free focus timer runs in your browser with no account, and chimes when it's time for a break.