Quick answer
A focus timer counts down one block of uninterrupted work and tells you when to rest. This free online focus timer starts with 50-minute focus sessions and 10-minute breaks, with a 30-minute break after every fourth session. Switch to 25/5 Pomodoro, 90/20 or your own lengths, and track focused time, goals and streaks in your browser.
What is a focus timer?
A focus timer is a countdown for a single block of focused work. You pick one task, start the timer and work on that task alone until it ends. Then you take a short break before the next block.
It is the same idea as a Pomodoro timer with more room. The classic Pomodoro is 25 minutes. Coding, writing, design and analysis often need a warm-up before they flow, and a longer block gives that warm-up time to pay off. That is why this timer opens on Deep work, 50 minutes on and 10 off. Prefer the classic rhythm? The Pomodoro timer is the same tool starting at 25/5.
How long should a focus session be?
Long enough to get into the task and short enough that you can protect it from interruptions. For deep work that usually means 50 or 90 minutes. For small tasks or a slow start, 25 is easier.
| Preset | Focus | Break | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep work | 50 min | 10 min, 30 after four | The default here. Coding, writing, design and analysis: work that needs a warm-up. |
| Long focus | 90 min | 20 min, always | One or two big blocks a day on a single hard problem. |
| Pomodoro | 25 min | 5 min, 15 after four | Getting started, small tasks, email and admin, or a day broken up by meetings. |
| Custom | 1 to 180 min | 1 to 60 min | Your own split, such as 52/17, or one block for a whole afternoon task. |
The break matters as much as the block: step away from the screen and keep the long break long. For a 52-minute rhythm, read the 52/17 rule and set it with Custom.
How do you run a deep-work session?
A deep-work session is one task, one block and no switching. Five steps cover it.
- Choose one hard task. Pick the single piece of work that needs your full attention and type it in the label field.
- Clear the deck. Close the apps and tabs the task does not need, silence notifications and put your phone away.
- Start a 50-minute session. Press Start or Space and work only on that task until the timer ends.
- Park interruptions. When something else comes up, write it down and go back to the task. Handle it in the break.
- Take the break away from the screen. Stand up, stretch and get water for 10 minutes. After four sessions, take the 30-minute long break.
How do you use this focus timer?
Press Start and the timer runs the focus block, the break and the long break for you. Everything else is optional.
- Deep work is the starting preset for new visitors. Pick another under Settings and your choice is saved in this browser for next time.
- Turn on auto-start to run focus blocks and breaks back to back without touching the timer.
- Turn on Notify to get a browser notification when a phase ends while you work in another tab or app.
- Choose a background sound (rain, river, forest, waterfall or wind) and a phase sound, or set the phase sound to Silent.
- Press F for zen mode: a full-screen view with only the sky, the time and the pause button.
- The remaining time shows in the tab title, and the timer can keep your screen awake while it runs.
How do focus goals and stats work?
Every focus session you finish counts toward your daily goal, your weekly goal and your day streak. A session you stop after at least a minute adds its time but not a session.
- The daily goal starts at 2 hours and the weekly goal at 10 hours. Change them with the plus and minus controls.
- Label each session with its project to see how your focused time splits across them.
- Day streak counts consecutive days with at least one completed focus session.
- Stats stay in your browser on this device. Export JSON saves a copy as a file.
How do you protect deep focus?
Most lost focus comes from switching, not from the length of the block. Remove the easy exits before you press Start.
- Decide the task before the timer starts, not during the first minutes of the block.
- Keep one window for the task in front of you. Close chat, mail and feeds until the break.
- Put deep-work blocks at the time of day you think best, and protect them like meetings.
- Use the break to move. Coming back to the desk after a short walk is easier than coming back from a feed.
- On a tired day, drop to 25 minutes. A finished short block beats an abandoned long one.
Studying rather than working? The study timer starts with 25-minute study blocks and tracks hours per subject. For apps that go further, see the best focus app for Mac.
Can a focus timer block distracting apps and websites?
A browser timer counts the time but cannot close the tab you drift to. On a Mac, Nudge blocks the apps and websites you choose for the length of a session, so a 50-minute block stays a 50-minute block.
- Pick the apps and websites that pull you away. They stay blocked until the session ends.
- Start a session from the menu bar. Websites are blocked in Safari and Chrome.
- Works on macOS 13 and later. 7 days free, no card to start, then $9.99 once.
See how the menu bar focus timer works, or read how to block websites on a Mac.
Focus timer FAQ
What is a focus timer?
A focus timer is a countdown for one block of focused work, followed by a break. You work on a single task until it ends, rest, then start the next block. This one is free and runs in your browser.
How long should I focus before taking a break?
Long enough to settle into the task. For deep work, many people use 50 minutes on and 10 off, or 90 and 20 for one big task. If starting is the hard part, 25/5 is easier. This timer starts at 50/10 and lets you set any focus length from 1 to 180 minutes.
What is the difference between a focus timer and a Pomodoro timer?
A Pomodoro timer uses fixed 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks. A focus timer is the general tool and can use any length. This page starts on 50/10 deep work; the Pomodoro timer page on this site is the same timer starting at 25/5.
Can I use a 90-minute focus session?
Yes. Choose Long focus for 90 minutes of focus with 20-minute breaks, or Custom for any focus length up to 180 minutes.
Is this focus timer free?
Yes. The timer, presets, sounds and stats are free, with no account, no trial and no card.
Does the focus timer keep running in the background?
Yes. It counts from a start time, so it stays correct while the tab is in the background and after a reload. It plays the phase sound you picked when a phase ends, and with Notify on you also get a browser notification.
Do my settings carry over to the Pomodoro and study timer pages?
Yes. All three pages use the same timer and the same browser storage, so your preset, goals and sessions follow you on this device. The 50/10 start only applies until you have saved settings of your own.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It works in a phone browser. Keep the page open while you work. Whether sounds and notifications play with the screen locked depends on your browser and phone settings.