Pomodoro Timer

Available on the App Store

At Navel Labs, we’ve been busy. And like most other people, we have a lot of distractions.

While we cook up some neat ideas, we wrote this app to help keep us focused. Ever heard of the Pomodoro Technique?

Take, say, 25 minutes and focus on one thing. Keep working at it until the timer rings. When it does, stop. Take a break, and don’t think about it. Congrats, you just completed one pomodoro. Do it a few more times to keep track of how many pomodoros it takes to get things done.

Just like the mechanical timers that started the idea, this app gives you the wind up and mechanical feel, even if you left your real timer at home.

Seriously, have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique?

Features

  • Hi resolution graphics for the Retina Display
  • Countdown resumes even if quit or run in background
  • Uses local notifications when time is up on iOS 4.0 devices
  • Adjustable volume for ticking and ding
  • Continues to tick while iPod music is playing
  • Track a single session of completed and abandoned pomodoros
  • Choose from several fonts for the focus label

Requirements

  • Requires iPhone or iPod touch OS 4.1 or greater

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the timer keep running even if I quit?

If you don’t have a multitasking on your device, the timer appears to keep running. If you leave and come back, it will pickup where it should have left off. But since it cannot run in the background it won’t ding when finished unless the app is running at the time.

If you do have multitasking or run the latest version of iOS that has local notifications, then the timer will ding even if it’s not running!

Can I listen to music while the timer is ticking?

Yes. Just start the music playing in the iPod app before launching the timer. You can quit and come back, too, if you need to pick a new song or playlist.

Just remember not to get too distracted on your phone. Otherwise you might have to abandon the pomodoro!

Does the screen stay on while the timer ticks?

Yes it does! The screen stays on so you can reference the focus label or glance at the time if you need to. Obviously, this may also run down your battery. If you want to turn off the screen, just press the lock button on the top of the device. The screen will turn off and the timer will still continue ticking.

Does this app track pomodoros over time?

If you’re looking for an app to let you record pomodoros like a long running log book, then this isn’t for you. Still, you certainly can use it as a timer and integrate it with whatever pomodoro workflow you have.

We do offer very simple completed/abandoned tracking as shown in the images above. It’s just a quick place to put your tick marks while you work and you can go back and figure out what you want to do with them later. Whether you use spreadsheets or plain pieces of paper, this app is meant to be a tangible supplement to your workflow.