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Pomodoro Timer — 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes off

The classic 25 minute interval, preset. Work one pomodoro, take the short break, and after four of them a longer one.

Runs locally — nothing is uploaded

25:00

Remaining

Minutes and seconds may go above 59: 90 in the minute field means one and a half hours.

Quick pick

Runs locally in your browser — nothing is sent.

Other durations

1 minute3 minutes5 minutes10 minutes15 minutes20 minutes30 minutes45 minutes1 hour

A pomodoro is 25 minutes of undivided work followed by a five minute break: press start and the preset timer runs 1,500 seconds, then signals with sound and a visible alert. After four pomodoros you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. The remaining time stays visible in the tab title.

Where do the 25 minutes come from?

From a kitchen timer. Francesco Cirillo developed the technique as a student in Rome at the end of the 1980s, using a wind-up kitchen timer shaped like a tomato — pomodoro is Italian for tomato, and the tool gave the method its name. The 25 minute interval was simply the setting he found workable and kept; it is a convention, not a measured optimum.

What are the actual rules?

Four of them carry the method. One pomodoro is indivisible: if you interrupt it, it does not count and you start over. Interruptions get written down instead of handled. After every pomodoro comes a short break away from the task, and after four comes a long break of 15 to 30 minutes. The point is not the timer, it is the agreement not to switch tasks while it runs.

Does 25 minutes work for everyone?

No, and the technique never claimed it. Cirillo describes the length as adjustable; people doing deep technical or creative work often prefer 45 or 50 minute blocks, while 15 minutes can be the only length that gets a dreaded task started. Use 25 as the default and change the minute field once you know which length you actually finish.

Why not an app that counts the cycles for you?

Because a counter is not the hard part. Automatic cycling turns the method into background noise: the next block starts whether you are ready or not, and the break stops being a decision. Here every restart is one deliberate tap, which keeps the pomodoro count where the technique wants it — on paper next to you, together with the interruptions you wrote down.

How to set the timer

  1. Press start — the 25 minute pomodoro is already set.
  2. Work on one task only; write down anything that interrupts you instead of doing it.
  3. At the signal, set five minutes for the short break, and after four pomodoros take 15 to 30 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the break after a pomodoro?

Five minutes after each of the first three, and 15 to 30 minutes after the fourth. Set the minute field accordingly and press start; the quick-pick chips above the fields cover both lengths with a single tap.

What counts as an interruption?

Anything that makes you switch tasks, including your own ideas. The technique says to note it in one line and return to the task; if it truly cannot wait, you abandon the pomodoro and start a fresh one afterwards rather than counting a half one.

Does the timer keep running when I switch tabs?

Yes. The remaining time is calculated from the timestamp at which you pressed start, not by counting ticks. Browsers slow background timers down to about one call per minute, and a sleeping device stops them completely — a counting timer would fall behind by exactly that amount. This one simply subtracts again when the tab comes back and shows the correct value.

Does the timer send anything to a server?

No. No server is involved at all: the countdown is a subtraction against your device clock, done entirely in JavaScript in your browser. There is no account, no cookie for the timer, and nothing is uploaded or sent anywhere. You can load the page, switch to airplane mode and the timer still runs — which is the simplest way to verify the claim yourself.