π Pomodoro Focus Timer
Work in focused blocks, rest on schedule, and track your sessions.
Focus Session
How to Use This Pomodoro Timer
Pick a mode, press Start, and work on a single task until the timer ends. The timer uses real clock timestamps, so it stays accurate even when the tab is in the background. Your tasks and completed session count are saved in your browser automatically.
Choose a mode: Focus, Short Break, or Long Break. Adjust the minute lengths above the timer if you want custom durations; the change applies to the current mode while it is idle.
Add your tasks to the task list. Check them off as you finish, delete the ones you drop. They persist between visits.
Press Start and work on one task. Pause if you must, Reset to start the block over. The ring shows progress and the tab title shows the countdown.
When a focus block ends, the timer switches you to a break automatically: a short break after each block, a long break after every four. Complete the break and repeat.
The Classic Pomodoro Rhythm
The defaults are the classic recipe from Francesco Cirillo: 25 minutes of single-task focus, then 5 minutes of genuine rest, repeated four times, followed by a 15 to 30 minute long break. Four pomodoros make one set, and most people do two to four sets per day. During a focus block, work on exactly one task: no email, no messages, no "quick checks." During breaks, actually break: stand up, stretch, look away from the screen, get water. Breaks that involve more screen time do not restore attention nearly as well.
Worked Example: One Full Cycle
It is 9:00 AM and you start a Focus session with the default 25 minutes. You work on your essay, the ring fills, and at 9:25 the timer beeps, marks one completed pomodoro, and switches to a 5-minute short break. You stretch and refill your water. At 9:30 you start the next focus block. You repeat this at 10:00 and 10:30, and after the fourth focus block ends at 11:00, the timer switches to the 15-minute long break instead of a short one, ending at 11:15. That is one full set: 100 minutes of focused work and 30 minutes of rest, and your session history shows four focus entries plus the breaks for the day.
Making It Work in Real Life
Two rules decide whether the technique helps or annoys. First, protect the block: tell people around you you are in a focus session, silence notifications, and keep a notepad for intruding thoughts so you can park them and continue. A block interrupted beyond recovery is simply restarted; guilt is not part of the method. Second, respect the break: the rest is what makes the next block possible, so do not skip breaks to "get more done." If 25 minutes feels too short for your work, lengthen the focus block to 50 minutes with 10-minute breaks rather than abandoning the structure. Your task list and count live in your browser's local storage, so they survive tab closes; only clearing site data wipes them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
A time-management method created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. You work in focused 25-minute blocks called pomodoros, separated by 5-minute breaks, and take a longer 15 to 30 minute break after every four blocks. The ticking timer creates urgency, and the planned breaks keep your brain fresh across a long study or work day.
Why 25 minutes specifically?
Twenty-five minutes is long enough to make real progress on one task but short enough to start without dread. Research on attention suggests most people can hold deep focus for about 20 to 30 minutes before it starts to fade. If 25 feels wrong for your task, this timer lets you change it: try 50-minute blocks for deep coding or writing, with 10-minute breaks.
What should I do if I get interrupted during a focus session?
The classic rule is strict: if the interruption is under a minute, note it on paper and continue; if it genuinely derails you, the pomodoro is void and you restart it. In practice, a quick note-and-continue approach works for most people. Add the interruption to your task list so it is captured and out of your head, then finish the block.
Do my tasks and session count persist if I close the tab?
Yes. Your task list is saved in your browser under the key tb_pomodoro_tasks, and your completed pomodoro count under tb_pomodoro_count, so both survive closing the tab or restarting the browser. They are stored only on your device, never sent anywhere, and clearing your browser data will remove them.
Is the timer accurate if I switch tabs or minimize the browser?
Yes. Instead of counting interval ticks, this timer records a target end timestamp (Date.now() plus the session length) and recomputes the remaining time from the system clock on every tick. Throttled background tabs cannot drift it, so the countdown stays correct even if the tab sits in the background for the whole session.