The Pomodoro Method, and a Browser Timer That Actually Notifies You

The Pomodoro Technique alternates 25 minutes of focused work with 5-minute breaks; after four cycles, take a longer 15–30 minute break. Zro7 Pomodoro Timer handles the cycle counting, uses the browser Notifications API to alert you even when the tab is backgrounded, and stores nothing on any server.

Why it works

• Time-boxing removes the 'when do I stop?' decision.
• Short bursts fit human attention spans and mitigate deep-focus fatigue.
• Break intervals prevent the sunk-cost trap of forcing progress on a stuck problem.

The Notification API trick

A vanilla setTimeout in a background tab is throttled by the browser (to ~1s minimum in most, but the schedule is preserved). Zro7 complements the timer with a scheduled Notification that fires from the OS notification layer — so even if the tab is asleep, you hear the ping.

Suggested schedule

1. Work: 25 min → Break: 5 min.
2. Repeat 4 times, then a long break: 15–30 min.
3. Two of those macro-cycles = ~4 hours of focused work per day. That's a lot.

Steps

1. Open Pomodoro Timer.
2. Grant Notifications permission when prompted.
3. Start; the timer handles cycle transitions automatically.
4. Adjust work / break lengths if 25/5 doesn't fit your task.