25 minute timer

Ways to use a 25 minute timer

Twenty-five minutes is the length Francesco Cirillo chose for the work part of a Pomodoro, and it has stuck because it feels manageable: almost anyone can focus on one thing for 25 minutes. Use this page when you want a single focus block without the automatic breaks; when you want the full cycle, use the Pomodoro timer.

The remaining time shows in the browser tab title, so you can see it while working in another tab. When the 25 minutes are up, the chime plays even if this tab is hidden, because it was scheduled on the browser’s audio clock when you pressed Start.

What you can do in 25 minutes

• Write 300 to 500 words of a first draft
• Work through one section of your revision notes and test yourself on it
• Clear your inbox down to the messages that need real thought
• Fix one bug or review one pull request
• Plan a week of meals and write the shopping list
• Practise an instrument with a clear goal for the session

Background sound works well with this length: the “Café” and “Rainy study” presets in the mixer are a good place to start. Want 25 minutes of rain with nothing else? Pick 25 in the minutes box and press Rain. For a longer stretch, try the focus timer with 50-minute sessions, or read how the Pomodoro Technique works to get more out of each block.

Make the most of 25 minutes

To get the most out of one Pomodoro, decide in advance what “done” looks like: three pages read, one function written, ten emails answered. Close the tabs you won’t need, mute notifications and put your phone face down or in another room. If you remember something unrelated while the timer runs, write it on paper and keep going; Cirillo’s method treats these as notes for later, not reasons to stop. After the chime, step away for five minutes, then decide whether the same task gets the next block. Repeat four times and you have done a full Pomodoro cycle without even trying.

More timers