How a set runs
A set is four focus blocks. Each of the first three is followed by a short break, and the fourth by a long break. The defaults are 25 minutes of focus, 5 minute short breaks and a 15 minute long break.
| Step | Phase | Default length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Focus, round 1 | 25 min |
| 2 | Short break | 5 min |
| 3 | Focus, round 2 | 25 min |
| 4 | Short break | 5 min |
| 5 | Focus, round 3 | 25 min |
| 6 | Short break | 5 min |
| 7 | Focus, round 4 | 25 min |
| 8 | Long break | 15 min |
After the long break the next focus block starts round 1 of a new set.
Start a focus block
- The page opens with Focus loaded. The main button reads Start focus and the status line reads Ready · Round 1 of 4.
- Press Start focus or Space. Pause, resume and reset work as on the countdown; Reset puts the current phase back to its full length.
What happens at the end of each phase
- End of a focus block: one short chime, and the break starts running on its own. There is nothing to press.
- End of a break: the screen reads Break over! and the alarm rings for up to about 25 seconds. The main button reads Stop alarm, then Start focus.
- The next focus block waits for you. It only starts when you press Start focus, so a break never rolls into work while you're away.
The single chime and the break alarm both follow the sound switch. With sound off, the break still starts on its own and Break over! still shows.
Jump to a phase
The three buttons Focus, Short break and Long break show each phase with its length. Tapping one loads that phase at its full length, stops any alarm and waits for Start.
Use them to take the long break early or to skip a break. The round count doesn't change when you jump.
Round dots and Reset rounds
- Four dots fill in as focus blocks finish. All four are filled during the long break.
- Next to them a count reads, for example, 2 focus blocks done. It keeps counting across sets.
- Reset rounds appears once the cycle has moved on. It empties the dots, sets the count to 0 and loads the first focus block of a fresh set.
Change the lengths
- Open Change the lengths.
- Type the minutes for Focus, Short break and Long break.
- Press Save.
- Each phase can be 1 to 180 whole minutes. Anything else shows a message such as Focus needs whole minutes from 1 to 180.
- If the timer hasn't started, the clock takes the new length at once. Mid-run, the new lengths apply from the next phase.
- The lengths are saved in this browser and come back next visit.
The cube in the Pomodoro timer
The Pomodoro timer opens in Digital. Switch to Cube and the side faces carry the next blocks in order, labelled with their length and FOCUS, BREAK or LONG BREAK. Each change of phase turns the next face to the front. The top and bottom faces show the round number.
Full screen, the float and the tab title
- In full screen, a caption above the clock reads, for example, Focus · Round 2 of 4, and the bottom bar has the three phase buttons instead of presets.
- The floating timer shows the phase and round under the time.
- While a phase runs, the tab title shows the time and the phase, such as 18:20 · Focus · TimerFlip. When a break ends it reads Break over · TimerFlip.
- The Pomodoro timer has no Second screen button. Use full screen on the display you want to show it on.