Pomodoro Timer

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It breaks work into focused intervals — traditionally 25 minutes — separated by short breaks. Each interval is called a pomodoro (Italian for tomato, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used as a student). After completing 4 pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15–30 minutes. The technique works by reducing the impact of internal and external interruptions on focus, creating a sense of urgency that combats procrastination, and building awareness of how long tasks actually take. Our pomodoro timer implements the full technique with customisable durations, automatic phase transitions, desktop notifications, and session tracking.

1. Choose a Phase and Start: The pomodoro timer defaults to a 25-minute focus session. Click Start to begin the countdown. The circular progress ring fills as time passes. Switch between Focus, Short Break, and Long Break using the phase tabs at any time.
2. Work Until the Timer Rings: Focus on a single task until the pomodoro timer completes. When the session ends, the timer plays an audio alert and sends a desktop notification (if permitted). The session is logged in the history panel and a dot is added to the progress row.
3. Take Your Break and Repeat: After each focus session, take a short break. After every 4 pomodoros (configurable), take a long break. Use the Settings panel to customise all durations and enable auto-start for seamless transitions between phases.

• Pomodoros Today: The number of focus sessions completed today, shown in the stats row. This resets at midnight based on your local time.
• Total Completed: The total number of pomodoros completed in the current browser session since the last reset.
• Session History: A log of the last 20 completed sessions showing phase type, completion time, and duration — useful for reviewing your productivity patterns.
• Progress Dots: A visual row of dots representing completed pomodoros. Blue dots mark long-break milestones (every 4th pomodoro by default), making it easy to see where you are in the cycle.

Before starting a pomodoro, write down the specific task you will work on — this prevents scope creep and keeps you accountable. If an interruption occurs during a pomodoro, note it down and return to it after the session rather than breaking your focus. If a task takes more than 4–5 pomodoros, break it into smaller subtasks. If a task takes less than one pomodoro, combine it with other small tasks. The pomodoro timer's session history helps you estimate how many pomodoros future tasks will require, improving your planning accuracy over time.