Focus with the Pomodoro technique
A free online Pomodoro timer with 25-minute focus sessions and built-in breaks. Customize the intervals, track your sessions, and plan how many pomodoros you need.
Completed focus sessions today: 0
Timer settings (minutes)
Plan a session — how many pomodoros?
Pomodoros needed
8
Total time w/ breaks
4h 5m
What is the Pomodoro Technique?
The Pomodoro Technique, created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, breaks work into focused intervals — traditionally 25 minutes — separated by short breaks. Each interval is called a “pomodoro,” after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used.
After four pomodoros you take a longer break of 15–30 minutes. The rhythm fights procrastination by making the next step small (just 25 minutes), and the regular breaks keep your focus fresh over a long study session.
This timer runs the classic 25/5/15 schedule by default, but every interval is adjustable — switch to a 50/10 deep-work rhythm or anything that suits you, and the session planner tells you how many pomodoros a task will take.
How to use the Pomodoro timer
Start a focus session, work until the chime, then take the break it gives you.
Press Start
Begin a 25-minute focus session. The timer counts down and even updates your browser tab title.
Take your break
When the chime sounds, the timer moves to a 5-minute break automatically. After four sessions you get a long break.
Adjust and plan
Tweak the intervals to fit your style, and use the planner to see how many pomodoros your task needs.
How many pomodoros do you need?
Divide the minutes of focused work a task needs by your focus length (25 by default) and round up. Three hours of work is 180 ÷ 25 ≈ 7.2, so 8 pomodoros.
Wall-clock time is longer because of breaks: one full set of four pomodoros is 4 × 25 + 3 × 5 + 15 = 130 minutes.
The planner below the timer does this math for you and includes the breaks in its total-time estimate.
Pomodoro examples
A three-hour study block
180 minutes of focus ÷ 25 = 7.2, rounded up to 8 pomodoros — about 4 hours of clock time once breaks are included.
One full cycle
Four pomodoros plus their breaks is 4 × 25 + 3 × 5 + 15 = 130 minutes, ending in a well-earned long break.
Writing an essay
A two-hour essay is 120 ÷ 25 = 5 pomodoros — five focused sprints with breaks between to step back and reread.
Deep-work rhythm
Prefer longer focus? Set 50-minute sessions: a three-hour task becomes 180 ÷ 50 ≈ 4 pomodoros with 10-minute breaks.
Popular Pomodoro presets
Common interval setups you can dial in with the timer settings.
| Preset | Focus | Short break | Long break |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | 25 min | 5 min | 15 min |
| Extended | 30 min | 5 min | 20 min |
| Deep work | 50 min | 10 min | 30 min |
| Short bursts | 15 min | 3 min | 15 min |
Long breaks kick in after 4 focus sessions by default — adjustable in settings.
Why the Pomodoro Technique works for studying
- A 25-minute commitment is small enough to start, beating procrastination.
- Regular breaks prevent the focus drop-off that comes with marathon sessions.
- Counting pomodoros makes study time concrete and easy to plan around.
- Breaks are guilt-free rest — you've earned them by finishing a focused block.
FAQ
Pomodoro Timer — FAQ
Answers to the questions students ask most about this tool.
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