15/5 Pomodoro timer
15 min focus, 5 min break, then a 15 min long break after 4 sessions. 1 hr 30 min total.
Space start/pause R reset Esc stop
Focus sessions completed: 0
Settings
15 min focus, 5 min break, then a 15 min long break after 4 sessions. 1 hr 30 min total.
01
What this one is for
The 15/5 Pomodoro timer exists because 25 minutes is not a small ask for everyone. If the hard part of the work is starting it, the size of the block is the thing standing in your way, and fifteen minutes is small enough that the argument with yourself is shorter than the session.
It is a common suggestion for kids doing homework, where a quarter of an hour matches attention better than half an hour does, and it is often floated as a starting point for people with ADHD who find standard pomodoros a set-up for failure. Whether it suits you is something to work out by trying it, or with whoever helps you plan this stuff; this is a timer, not advice about anyone’s condition.
Four fifteen-minute rounds with five-minute breaks comes to eighty minutes, ending in a fifteen-minute break. If the blocks start feeling too short, stretch Focus to 20 and then 25 rather than jumping straight to a long session.
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Good for
- Homework blocks that match a shorter attention span
- Starting on a task you have been avoiding all week
- Building up to longer sessions a few minutes at a time
- Chores and tidying in small, finishable pieces
03
How it runs
15 min focus, 5 min break, then a 15 min long break after 4 sessions. 1 hr 30 min total. Press Start, or hit Space. The digits turn green while a work block runs and grey on rest.
Sound is on by default: a rising pair for work, a falling pair for rest, a tick for the last three seconds and a three-note finish. Mute with the speaker button. The screen stays on while the timer runs and the tab title shows the time left.
Change anything in Settings under the timer. The last setup you used on this page is remembered in your browser.
Questions people ask
- Is fifteen minutes long enough to get anything done?
- For a lot of tasks, yes, and a finished fifteen minutes beats an abandoned fifty. The other thing it does is get you past the start, which is where most sessions die.
- How do I grow the blocks over time?
- Change Focus to 20, then 25, once fifteen stops feeling like the right size. The breaks can stay at five. Your numbers are saved in the browser, so each new default sticks.
- Will the break beep pull my child off task?
- That is usually the point, but if the sound is disruptive you can mute the tab and use the on-screen phase label and the tab title countdown instead.
- Can I use it without setting anything up?
- Yes. Press Space or Start and it runs the 15/5 pattern as it is. There is no account, nothing to install, and after one visit it works offline.