How the pomodoro technique works
Francesco Cirillo's method splits work into fixed "pomodoros": 25 minutes of single-tasking followed by a 5 minute break, with a longer 15 minute break after four rounds. The point is not the exact numbers but the commitment — once a pomodoro starts you work on one thing, and anything else that arrives gets written down for later.
Using this timer
Press Start and the focus session begins. When it ends the timer beeps and moves straight into the break, then back into the next focus session, counting completed pomodoros as it goes. Skip jumps to the next phase, Pause holds the current one and Reset clears the count. If you prefer a plain block without the cycle, use the 30 minute timer or set your own length with the countdown timer.
Making the sessions stick
Two habits do most of the work: leave the desk during breaks, and treat a badly interrupted pomodoro as void rather than pausing it over and over. Most people manage eight to twelve pomodoros in a full working day — fewer than they expect, which is exactly the useful information. Track raw effort on a task with the stopwatch if you want the total.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is a pomodoro?
- Twenty-five minutes of focused work followed by a five minute break. After four pomodoros you take a longer break of fifteen minutes.
- Does the timer switch phases automatically?
- Yes. When a phase ends it beeps and immediately starts the next one, so you never have to reset anything mid-cycle.
- What if I get interrupted?
- Press Pause for a short interruption. For a long one, the classic advice is to abandon that pomodoro and start a fresh one afterwards.
- Can I change the 25 and 5 minute lengths?
- This page uses the classic 25/5/15 pattern. For custom intervals, set any duration with the countdown timer instead.
- What should I actually do during the 5 minute break?
- Stand up and get away from the screen — the break exists to reset attention, so scrolling a feed does not count. Walking, water, a stretch or looking out of a window all work; staying seated on another task usually makes the next pomodoro worse.