How to use the Focus Pomodoro timer in Left

Focus turns work and rest into a visible cycle. Start with the familiar Pomodoro rhythm, change every duration, and keep the current phase available on your Lock Screen, widget, or Apple Watch.

Start with the default cycle

The default cycle is 25 minutes of Focus, a 5-minute short break after each session, and a 20-minute long break after four completed focus sessions. Focus is available with Left Premium.

Open Focus, choose the phase you want, and tap Start. Pause and Resume preserve the current phase. Reset returns it to the beginning.

Customize durations and cycles

Set focus sessions from 1 to 180 minutes, short breaks from 1 to 60 minutes, long breaks from 1 to 120 minutes, and choose a long break after 1 to 12 completed focus sessions. New settings apply to the next phase, not a timer already in progress.

Use timer controls and styles

Extend the current phase by 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes, skip to the next phase, or reset the cycle. Tap the timer to move between Digital, Circle, Dimming dots, and Pulse glow styles.

Choose what happens when time ends

Continue automatically starts the next focus or break phase when the current one ends. Keep going when time ends counts upward past zero until you choose to skip. These options are mutually focused on different working styles, so choose the one that matches how you want a finished phase to behave.

Notifications, Live Activities, widgets, and Apple Watch

Phase notifications tell you when it is time for a break or a new focus session. The Live Activity keeps the active timer on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. A Focus widget shows the current phase and controls, while Apple Watch lets you start, pause, resume, skip, extend, and reset from your wrist.

Review Focus history

My focus records completed focus and break sessions. Review totals and patterns, correct a session's start or end time, or delete an entry that should not count.