I’ve never been good at “just focus for two hours.”
My brain starts wandering after 15 minutes. I check my phone, open a new tab, suddenly I’m reading about how to grow tomatoes indoors.

If that sounds familiar, you’ve probably tried Pomodoro before.
You know the theory: 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of rest. Simple. Except it never sticks.

So I built a timer that actually worked for me. And then I put it online for free.

Why 25 minutes is not random

There’s nothing magical about 25 minutes. It’s not based on hard science.
But it works for one simple reason: it’s shorter than your average procrastination spiral.

Try this right now:

  • Set a timer for 25 minutes.

  • Tell yourself: “I only need to focus until the beep.”

  • No pressure to finish anything. Just exist with the task.

Most people can tolerate 25 minutes. Even on a bad day.
And once you start, continuing is easier than starting from zero.

The problem with most Pomodoro apps (and how this one is different)

 
 
Problem with other timers How my timer solves it
Too many settings (intervals, long breaks, auto-starts) Just one button: start
Require an account to save preferences No account, no data saved
Annoying notifications that feel like an alarm Gentle beep + visual cue
You forget to restart after a break Manual restart (it forces you to commit again)

The last point is intentional.
If the timer restarted automatically, you’d zone out. By forcing you to click “start” again, you make a small decision: “Yes, I want another session.”

That tiny decision changes everything.

A real example: how I used this timer to write this post

I wrote this article using my own focus timer.
Here’s how it went:

  • Session 1 (25 min): outline + title ideas

  • Break 5 min: stood up, drank water

  • Session 2: wrote first 400 words

  • Break 5 min: scrolled Reddit (guilty)

  • Session 3: finished the draft

Three sessions. One article. No burnout.
Without the timer, I would have written the first paragraph, gotten distracted, and finished the post two days later.

Who is this timer actually for?

✅ You have ADHD or attention struggles
✅ You work from home and keep getting distracted by chores
✅ You’re a student who can’t start studying until the last minute
✅ You tried other Pomodoro apps and abandoned them after a week

❌ This is NOT for you if you can already hyperfocus for hours. You don’t need a timer. You need reminders to eat.

Features you won’t find (on purpose)

  • No statistics. I don’t care how many sessions you did yesterday.

  • No leaderboards. This is not a competition.

  • No “smart” AI recommendations. You know yourself better than an algorithm.

What you will find:

  • A clean, giant start button

  • Visual progress circle (because waiting for a circle to close is satisfying)

  • Works on mobile and desktop

  • No sound? No problem. It also blinks the tab title.

Questions people have asked me

Does it work without internet?
Yes. Once the page loads, the timer works offline.

Can I change the 25 minutes?
Technically no. The whole point is to remove decision fatigue. 25 minutes is the default for a reason.

Why did you put ads on a timer?
Hosting costs money, and I don’t want to sell your data or charge a subscription. One small banner keeps the server running. If you hate it, you can refresh or use an ad blocker – I won’t be mad.

Final advice: start imperfect

You don’t need to complete 4 sessions in a row.
You don’t need to wake up at 5 AM.

Just open the timer. Click start. Do 25 minutes of something.
Even if it’s slow. Even if it’s messy.

That’s how I built four apps without burning out. Not with motivation. With a stupid simple timer that beeps every 25 minutes.