What is a pomodoro timer?
It's a simple way to work. You work for a set time. Then you rest for a set time. Work, rest, repeat.
The rest is a promise, and that promise makes starting feel safe. For an ADHD brain, starting is the hardest part.
The classic way is 25 minutes of work, then a 5-minute break. But those numbers came from one man in the 1980s, timing himself with a kitchen timer. They were never tested on ADHD brains.
So this timer treats them as a starting point, not a rule. If they don't fit you, that's the setting's fault, not yours.
Three patterns, one tap
- Easy start: work 15 minutes, rest 10. Can't face the task? Fifteen minutes is small enough to say yes to. And a 10-minute rest is a real reward. Pick this if starting is your fight.
- Classic: work 25 minutes, rest 5. The normal rhythm, for days when work is flowing fine.
- Deep focus: work 45 minutes, rest 15. For big tasks where just getting into it takes 15 minutes. A longer work block, then a proper rest. Pick this if the bell keeps breaking your focus.
What makes it ADHD friendly
- Time's up never cuts you off. At zero you hear one soft chime, and the disk turns a calm amber and counts up. Deep in your work? Keep going. Tap "I'm done" when you finish, and your break starts.
- Breaks start themselves. Finish a work block and the break begins on its own. When it ends, the next round is one tap. Fewer choices means fewer places to fall off.
- You can see the time. The same shrinking disk as our free visual timer, because ADHD brains read shapes faster than numbers. More on why in our visual timers guide.
- Dots you can fill. Each finished round fills one dot under the clock. Four dots earn one extra-long break. Progress you can see, and no streaks you can lose.
- Amber, not red. Chime, not buzzer. Panic does not help ADHD brains finish. Nothing on this page is made to scare you.
- It remembers your choice. Saved on your device. No account, ever.
Which one should I pick?
Ask one question: what usually goes wrong?
If starting is the fight, pick Easy start. If the bell keeps interrupting you mid-thought, pick Deep focus. If neither, Classic is fine.
Try one of each this week and keep the one that felt easiest to repeat. That's a real test on yourself, and it beats any generic advice.
Still torn between pomodoro and time blocking? We compared them honestly for ADHD brains: Pomodoro vs time blocking. Short answer: mix them. Visible time plus flexible blocks, which is exactly what this page does.
Want the timer that learns your time?
This free web timer runs great work-rest rounds. The TimeNinja app goes further. It remembers how long your tasks really take and saves that in your own Real Time Library.
So after a few weeks it knows "write report" takes you 40 minutes, not the 20 you keep guessing. Your plans stop lying to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pomodoro timer?
It's a simple way to work: you work for a set time, then you rest for a set time. Work, rest, repeat. The classic way is 25 minutes of work and then a 5-minute break. The promised break is what makes starting feel safe.
Does the pomodoro way work for ADHD?
Often yes, but not always with the classic numbers. Some ADHD brains need shorter work times and longer breaks, like 15 minutes of work and a 10-minute rest. Others focus deeply and need longer blocks, like 45 minutes of work and a 15-minute rest. The method should fit your brain, not the other way around.
Why doesn't the classic 25-minute pomodoro work for me?
Because those numbers came from one man in the 1980s timing himself with a kitchen timer. They are not a rule of nature. If 25 minutes feels too big to start, try 15 minutes of work with a 10-minute rest. If the bell keeps breaking your focus, try 45 minutes of work with a 15-minute rest. Failing at the classic numbers is not failing at focus.
What if I'm still working when the timer ends?
Keep going. This timer never cuts you off. At zero it plays one soft chime and starts counting up in a calm amber color. When you finish, tap the "I'm done" button and your break starts. Deep focus is precious for an ADHD brain, and stopping it just to obey a bell wastes it.
Do the breaks start by themselves?
Yes. When you finish a work block, the break starts on its own. When the break ends, the next round is one tap away. Every choice the timer makes for you is one less choice that can pull you off track. Every 4th break is twice as long, as a bigger rest.
Is this pomodoro timer really free?
Yes, fully free. No signup, no account, no ads. It runs in your browser and remembers your choice on your own device. It's made by the team behind TimeNinja, the ADHD planner app for iPhone.