# Focus timer: a five-minute start, pomodoro and visual timer

> Start a five-minute focus block, or choose your own length. The countdown remains accurate when the tab is in the background.

A small start is useful when the task feels too large to begin. Name the next visible action, choose a length and let the timer provide a clear stopping point.

## How it works

The timer calculates from an end timestamp rather than counting animation frames, so a throttled background tab does not make it run slowly.

Five minutes matches PlexiDesk’s Home focus timer. For a Pomodoro-style block, choose 25 minutes and take a break when it ends.

## Sources

- [Duke Academic Resource Center: Pomodoro Technique](https://arc.duke.edu/pomodoro-technique)
- [PlexiDesk focus timer](/help/home-widget-focus-timer)

## Questions

### Does it keep counting in another tab?

Yes. It recalculates from the clock, including after the browser has throttled this tab.

### Is my task saved or sent?

No. The task exists only in this page until you close or reload it.

### Can I use it without PlexiDesk?

Yes. It is a standalone browser timer. PlexiDesk also has focus and desk timers beside the work itself.