What is the Pomodoro Technique?
Created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, the Pomodoro Technique breaks work into focused 25-minute intervals (named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student) separated by short 5-minute breaks. After every fourth interval, you take a longer 15–30-minute break.
It's effective for two reasons:
- External structure replaces willpower. The timer decides when you start and stop — you don't have to.
- Time becomes visible. A ticking clock turns abstract "I'll do it later" into concrete, observable progress — especially helpful for ADHD brains, which often experience "time blindness".
Built for focus — especially ADHD
If your attention wanders, you're in good company. This timer is designed with ADHD in mind:
- Floating nudges — gentle reminders drift across the screen during sessions, naming common ADHD struggles ("Open tab #47?", "Time blindness is real") right alongside the solutions ("Tiny chunks beat big plans", "Done is better than perfect").
- Visible progress. The animated ring fills round the clock so your brain has something to track without having to mentally compute "how much longer".
- Cycle dots show how many pomodoros you've stacked toward the next long break — small, frequent dopamine hits.
- Streak counter rewards showing up even one session per day. Consistency » intensity.
- Auto-start removes the decision fatigue of "should I keep going" between segments.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Space — start / pause
- R — reset current segment
- S — skip to next segment
FAQ
Why 25 minutes specifically?
Short enough that almost any task feels approachable; long enough to make real progress. If 25 feels too long, try 15 or even 5 — the technique still works at any duration.
What happens if I miss a session?
Nothing — just hit Reset and start the next one. The streak is forgiving: as long as you complete at least one focus session per day, your streak grows.
Is my data shared?
No. All settings, stats and streaks stay in your browser via localStorage. Use the "Reset stats" button to clear everything.
Can I keep the timer running in another tab?
Yes — the timer continues regardless of tab focus. The browser tab title also updates with the remaining time so you can peek at it without switching tabs.
Does the chime work in all browsers?
It uses the Web Audio API, which is supported in every modern browser. If the chime doesn't play, click anywhere on the page first — some browsers block audio until a user interaction has happened.