1 July 2025
Why I built Pomodoro Beat
While working, I kept switching between a timer in one window and music in another. A playlist, notification, or extra tab would distract me along the way. I wanted the music and countdown in one place, so I built Pomodoro Beat.
The Pomodoro technique alternates focused work blocks with breaks. In the app, I set the block length, choose some music, and get to work. A sound marks the end of the block, then it’s time for a break.
I built it with AI and started using it every day. Using it showed me which parts I needed to adjust to the way I work.
After 25 minutes, I was only just getting started
After a year of use, I changed the default work block to 90 minutes in August 2026. The usual 25 minutes felt too short: just as I got into the task, the timer ended and I was clicking Start again.
Ninety minutes gives me enough time to get absorbed in the work. That’s my setting for the way I work; anyone using the app can adjust the block length.
When the music stops, the break starts
The music originally kept playing through breaks, making them easy to miss. I changed it to stop at the end of a work block and return with the next one. The break starts automatically, without another click.
I hid the Long Break switch from the header, leaving Working and Break. I kept the long-break code because I wasn’t sure yet whether I’d miss it.
What was still unresolved after that update
In the August version, I ran into a Chrome issue: when I hid the app behind another window, the countdown slowed down and stopped matching real time. That was still waiting for a fix.
The most useful change for me was making the music signal the end of a work block. If you listen to music while using a timer and keep missing breaks, try connecting the two. It means I don’t have to keep checking the countdown.