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25 Minute Timer
25 minutes of focus, then a 5-minute break, on repeat. That's the Pomodoro Technique. Press Start, keep this tab open, and it chimes when it's time to stop.
Space starts and pauses. Esc skips a break. Want breaks without keeping a tab open? Peeka does this on your Mac.
How to use this timer
- Pick one task and press Start. Leave this tab open. It keeps time in the background, even when you switch tabs.
- When it chimes, stop. Even mid-thought. Take the 5 minutes away from the screen.
- After four rounds, take a long break. Choose "25 / 15 long break" for one round, then switch back.
The Pomodoro Technique at a glance
| Work | 25 minutes |
|---|---|
| Short break | 5 minutes |
| Long break | 15 to 30 minutes, after four rounds |
| Created by | Francesco Cirillo, in the late 1980s, while he was a university student (his description) |
| Evidence | One controlled study (2023): fixed breaks felt better than self-chosen ones, with the same work done |
| Good for | Getting started on work you've been putting off, and studying |
| Less good for | Deep work that takes a while to warm up. Try the 90 minute timer. |
Where the 25 minutes come from
Francesco Cirillo worked out the technique in the late 1980s, timing his study sessions with a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. Pomodoro is Italian for tomato, and each 25-minute block is called a pomodoro.
The 25 minutes came from Cirillo's own practice, not from a lab. What matters more is the fixed stop: you decide in advance when the break comes, so you don't have to judge it while you're tired.
Does the Pomodoro Technique work?
The best test so far is small but encouraging. In a 2023 study, Biwer and colleagues split 87 students at a Dutch university into three groups for their self-study. One group took breaks whenever they wanted. One took 6 minutes off after every 24 minutes, which the researchers called the Pomodoro condition. One took 3 minutes off after every 12.
The students who chose their own breaks worked and rested in longer stretches, but they reported more fatigue and distraction and less concentration and motivation. All three groups got about the same amount done. The fixed breaks made studying feel better without costing output.
It's one study, with students, so treat it as a good sign rather than proof. The "24 / 6, as tested" button above runs the exact rhythm from the study.
What to do in a 5-minute break
- Look far away first. 20 seconds at the farthest thing you can see gives your eyes a proper rest.
- Stand up and walk somewhere: the kitchen, a window, the end of the hallway.
- Refill your water, roll your shoulders, stretch your arms over your head.
- Leave your phone alone. It keeps your eyes and attention on a screen, so the break doesn't do much.
On the long break, get away from screens completely: go outside, eat something, talk to someone.
Compare the rhythms
| Rhythm | Work / break | Good for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-20-20 | 20 min / 20 sec | Your eyes. Tiny breaks, often. | Open |
| Pomodoro | 25 min / 5 min, long break after four | Getting started, studying, work you've been avoiding. | This page |
| 50/10 | 50 min / 10 min | Lining work up with the hour and your meetings. | Open |
| 52/17 | 52 min / 17 min | Long focus with a break long enough to leave the desk. | Open |
| 90/20 | 90 min / 20 min | Deep work with a slow warm-up: writing, coding, design. | Open |
| Flowmodoro | As long as focus lasts / a fifth of that | Work where being cut off mid-flow costs you. | Open |
| Animedoro | 40 to 60 min / one 20-minute episode | Studying, with a show as the reward. | Open |
Want your own lengths? The break timer takes any work and break time.
Peeka for Mac
A browser tab can't tell when you're busy. Peeka can.
Peeka is a tiny ghost that lives on your Mac's desktop and does this timer's job without a tab to keep open. It gets sleepier as your break gets closer, so the break never takes you by surprise.
- Waits until you stop typing, so it never cuts you off mid-sentence
- Hides during calls, presentations and screen shares
- Dims your screen for 20 seconds and gives you something to look at
- Naps when you step away, and starts fresh when you're back
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FAQ
Questions, answered.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. It keeps time against the clock, so it stays accurate in a background tab, and it remembers where it was if you reload. If your browser puts unused tabs to sleep to save memory, pin this tab.
How will I know it's break time?
You'll hear a soft chime, and you'll get a desktop notification if you allow them. If the tab is in front, a dim blanket slides over the page and counts the break for you.
Why 25 minutes?
It's the length Francesco Cirillo settled on when he created the technique. There's nothing special about the number. If 25 feels too short for your work, the 52/17 or 90 minute timers keep the same idea with longer blocks.
When do I take the long break?
After four 25-minute rounds, take 15 to 30 minutes. Press "25 / 15 long break" for that round, then go back to "25 / 5".
What if I get interrupted?
Press Space to pause and pick it up when you're back, or press Reset to start a fresh 25 minutes.
Does it work on my phone?
It runs in any modern browser, but phones lock their screens and pause web pages, so it works best on a laptop or desktop.
Is it really free?
Yes. No sign-up and no ads. It's made by Sameed, who also makes Peeka, a Mac app that does the same job without a browser tab.