How to use the focus timer
- Focus length (minutes): type a whole number from 1 to 480, or press 25, 45, 60 or 90. Break length (minutes) runs from 0 to 120, and 0 means no break.
- What are you focusing on? is optional. The text in the box when the session ends is saved with it in the log.
- Choose whether the next focus session starts by itself after a break, and whether a sound plays when a session or break ends.
- Press Start focus session. The tab title shows the time left, and Pause holds the clock.
- Finish early and log it records the whole minutes you completed. Reset discards the session without logging it.
How it works
The timer stores the moment the session should end and, every quarter second, shows that moment minus the current time. Because it reads the clock instead of counting ticks, pausing or a sleeping laptop cannot make it drift. Browsers slow ordinary timers in background tabs, as MDN explains, so the ticks come from a small background worker. Each finished session is saved with its end time, whole minutes and label, and the daily total adds the sessions that ended on today's date.
The classic Pomodoro is 25 minutes of work and a 5 minute break. For that fixed cycle with a long break use the Pomodoro timer, and for 50 and 10 study blocks logged by subject use the study timer.
Worked example
On first load the boxes read 45 and 10, the clock shows 45:00 under Ready to focus, and the log heading reads Today: 0 sessions. Type Write report and press Start. At zero you hear three beeps, the log gains Write report, 45 min with its end time, the heading becomes Today: 1 session, 45 min focused, and a 10:00 break begins. Start a second 45 minute session and press Finish early after 20 minutes: it logs 20 min (ended early) and the heading reads Today: 2 sessions, 1 h 5 min focused.
Limits and edge cases
- A running session stops if you close or refresh the page, so the browser asks before you leave during a focus session. Phones may freeze a locked page, and the end alert can then arrive late.
- Lengths are whole minutes. A focus length of 0, 500 or 12.5 shows a message and the timer will not start.
- Plan what to work on in the online to-do list, and track showing up with the habit tracker.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best length for a focus session?
There is no single best length. 25 minutes is the classic Pomodoro length, and many people use 45, 60 or 90 minutes for writing, study or deep work. Pick a length you can finish without checking your phone, then adjust.
How is this different from a Pomodoro timer?
A Pomodoro timer fixes the 25 and 5 minute cycle and adds a long break after four rounds. This timer lets you choose any focus length from 1 to 480 minutes and any break from 0 to 120, and it keeps a log of finished sessions with what you worked on.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. It works from the real clock and a background worker, so it stays accurate and still ends on time while you use another tab, and the tab title shows the time left. Closing or refreshing the page stops it.
Does an unfinished session count in the log?
Only sessions that run to the end are logged automatically. If you stop early, press Finish early and log it to record the whole minutes you did. Reset throws the session away without logging it.
Where is my session log kept?
In this browser on this device, newest first, up to the latest 300 sessions. Clearing site data erases it, so press Copy log if you want a record.
Source: Francesco Cirillo, the official Pomodoro Technique site.