25 Minute Timer
Free shareable timer - copy the link and anyone can start counting down instantly.
Why a 25 minute timer?
Twenty-five minutes is not an arbitrary number. It is the length of one pomodoro in Francesco Cirillo's technique, developed in the late 1980s and named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student. One block of focused work, then a five-minute break, and a longer break after four blocks.
The reason the method works has less to do with the specific number than with the commitment it creates: a pomodoro is indivisible. If you break off to check a message, the block does not count. That rule, rather than the twenty-five minutes, is what does the work.
What people use a 25 minute timer for
- Pomodoro focus blocks. One full pomodoro of uninterrupted work, followed by a five-minute break.
- Study sessions. Long enough to get properly into a topic, short enough that starting is not a decision.
- Writing sprints. A fixed block with no editing allowed until the timer stops is the most reliable way past a blank page.
- Deep work on one task. Single-tasking for twenty-five minutes beats an hour of switching between three things.
- Shared study sessions. Send the link to a study group so everyone runs the same block at the same time.
Other preset timer lengths
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a pomodoro 25 minutes?
Francesco Cirillo settled on twenty-five minutes when developing the technique as a university student in the late 1980s, using a tomato-shaped kitchen timer - pomodoro is Italian for tomato. The length is a practical compromise: long enough for meaningful work, short enough to commit to without hesitation.
What happens if I get interrupted mid-pomodoro?
In the original method the pomodoro is indivisible - an interrupted block does not count and you restart it. That rule is deliberate: it makes protecting the block feel worthwhile.
What comes after 25 minutes?
A five-minute break. After four pomodoros you take a longer break, typically fifteen to thirty minutes.
Can I share this link with my class?
Yes - just copy the link from the box above and paste it into your LMS, email, or messaging app. When students open it they get a 25m timer that's ready to start with one tap. No account or download needed.
Does the timer save my progress?
The timer runs entirely in your browser - progress is not saved between page loads. If you refresh or close the tab the timer resets to 25m. For a timer that auto-starts when someone opens the link, add ?autostart=1 to the URL or use the shareable timer generator.
Can I add a label to my timer?
Absolutely. Add a ?label= parameter to the URL - for example https://stopwatch.now/timer-link/25m?label=Math+Quiz. The label appears above the countdown. You can also use the timer link generator to build a labelled timer link without editing URLs by hand.
Can I make the timer auto-start when someone opens the link?
Yes. Add ?autostart=1 to the URL. For example: https://stopwatch.now/timer-link/25m?autostart=1. The timer will begin counting down the moment the page loads - no click required.