How it works

How does a session work?

A session is twenty-five minutes of work, a 4-7-8 breath and five minutes of rest, then the timer waits for you to press start again. Presets change both lengths.

1. Press start. The timer counts down twenty-five minutes of work. Presets change the length.
2. Work. Quiet time fades the digits and a thin arc fills in their place. Hover or tap to see the time; the digits return for the last minute.
3. Take the breath. When the block ends, a chime sounds and the timer offers a 4-7-8 breath: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Skip it if you like.
4. Rest. Five minutes of break. The timer counts it down.
5. Start again. When the break ends the timer returns to the work length and waits for you to press start.

What is quiet time?

Quiet time fades the digits while a block runs and fills a thin arc in their place. Hover or tap to see the time. For the last minute the digits stay, so the end never comes as a surprise. It is on by default; press Q to turn it off.

What is the 4-7-8 breath?

A guided breath offered when a break begins: four seconds in, seven held, eight out. Skip it, and the break counts down at once. The same exercise has a page of its own: Breathe.

What is the done list?

A plain record of what you finished. Tick off a task and it moves there. A task can belong to a project, and when you are signed in each finished work block is recorded as a session.

Can I change the colour of the room?

Yes. The wall the timer hangs on is one of five warm colours (night, umber, oxblood, moss and plum), a colour of your own kept to a warm, dark range, or it follows the picture. Choose it under Room in Settings. It is free for everyone.

Can I keep the timer in a small window?

In browsers that support it, such as Chrome and Edge, the timer can open in a mini window that stays on top of your other windows. Where the browser cannot do this, the option does not appear.

Will it tell me when a block ends?

If you ask it to. Turn on “Tell me when a block ends” in Settings and you get one quiet notification when a block ends while the page is hidden. The screen also stays awake during a block. The browser asks for permission once, when you turn it on.

What is the weekly letter?

A few plain sentences about your last seven days: how many times you sat down, your long days, where most of your hours went and what you finished. With an account, it is in Reports. It is written on your device from templates, it only describes, and you can save it as an image or share it.

Which keys does it use?

Every action has a key. Press ? in the timer to see them all.

• Start or pauseSpace
• Reset the current blockR
• Focus modeF
• Quiet time on or offQ
• SettingsS
• Today’s numbersD
• TasksT
• Add a taskShiftT
• MusicM
• Next playlistN
• Next backgroundB
• Close a panel, or leave focus modeEsc

How do I install it?

In Chrome or Edge, the address bar offers Install. On a phone, choose Add to Home Screen. The timer then opens in its own window, and after the first visit it loads without a connection. Photographs need one the first time, and music always does.