Short answer. Often, yes, but not because 25 minutes is special. In one study, students on fixed short breaks felt less tired and distracted than students who took breaks whenever they liked. Two newer studies found self-chosen breaks felt as good or better, with the same results. The useful part is deciding your rhythm before you start. Then test it on yourself.
So the real question isn't "25/5 or not". It's fixed breaks vs your own breaks, and the research splits on it. That's why the best move is to try both for a week.
What the Pomodoro technique is
The Pomodoro technique was created by Francesco Cirillo. He started it in the 1980s as a university student, using a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to focus for short stretches (pomodorotechnique.com). Pomodoro is Italian for tomato.
The classic recipe:
- Pick one task.
- Work on it for 25 minutes. That block is one "pomodoro".
- Take a 5-minute break.
- After four pomodoros, take a longer break.
Cirillo's own site says the method is "much more than a sequence of 25-minute sessions" (What is the Pomodoro Technique?). The full system also covers planning your day, estimating effort and writing down interruptions. Most people only use the timer part, and that's what the studies below tested.
What the studies actually found
Here are three recent experiments that compared fixed breaks with self-chosen breaks:
| Study | Who | Compared | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biwer et al., British Journal of Educational Psychology, 2023 | 87 university students, real self-study sessions | 24 min work / 6 min break ("Pomodoro") and 12/3 fixed breaks vs self-chosen breaks | Self-chosen breakers studied in longer blocks and reported more fatigue and distraction, and less concentration and motivation. Task completion was the same, so fixed breaks got there in less time |
| Smits, Wenzel and de Bruin, Behavioral Sciences, 2025 | 94 university students, a 2-hour study session | Classic 25/5 vs self-chosen breaks vs Flowtime (you choose when to stop; break length depends on how long you worked) | With 25/5, fatigue rose faster and motivation dropped faster than with self-chosen breaks. By the end, overall fatigue and motivation were similar. No difference in productivity, task completion or flow |
| Göksu, Wiradhany and de Bruin, Behavioral Sciences, July 2026 | 176 university students, a reading task | 12/3 fixed short breaks vs self-chosen breaks | No significant difference in comprehension scores. Self-chosen breaks gave more energy, concentration and motivation, and less distraction. Most students found 12/3 too frequent and too short |
What to take from this, honestly:
- 25/5 isn't proven to be the best length. The 2023 study tested 24/6, and the 2026 one tested 12/3. The 2025 study did use exactly 25/5, and it didn't beat self-chosen breaks.
- Fixed breaks helped in 2023, not in 2025 or 2026. Results are mixed.
- No study showed a big difference in output. The differences were mostly in how people felt.
- Every sample was university students, and the three studies share authors. So treat this as useful hints, not settled science.
The 2026 authors' own conclusion is practical: no single break strategy suits everyone, and the timing should fit the task.
When Pomodoro works well, and when it doesn't
It tends to work for:
- Tasks you keep putting off. "Just 25 minutes" is easy to start.
- Admin, email clean-up, and other boring work.
- Revision and reading notes.
- First drafts, where the goal is getting words down.
- Days full of interruptions, when you need a clear restart point.
It's less good for:
- Deep coding or design work. A forced stop at minute 25 can break your flow just as you get going. Longer focus blocks often suit this better (more in our review of Deep Work).
- Meeting-heavy days, when you rarely get 25 uninterrupted minutes.
If the bell keeps cutting you off mid-thought, try a longer block like 50/10. Or finish the sentence, function or paragraph before you stop. The 2026 study backs this up: its authors found the 12/3 schedule was mostly perceived as "too frequent and too short".
Try this for a week
Don't trust a study of other people over a week of your own data. Here's a simple test:
- Days 1-3: classic 25/5. Take a longer break after four rounds.
- Days 4-6: your own length, for example 45/10 or 50/10.
- Every day: write down how many tasks you finished and how tired you felt at the end (1 to 5).
- Day 7: compare and keep the rhythm that scored better.
A few rules make either rhythm work better:
- One task per block.
- Phone face down, out of reach.
- When a distraction pops into your head, write it on paper and get back to work. Deal with it in the break.
- In breaks, stand up and look away from the screen. Get water, stretch, look out of a window. Email and social feeds can quietly stretch a short break.
Setting it up in Interval Timer
You can run this test with any timer that cycles breaks for you. I build Interval Timer for iPhone, iPad and Mac, so here's how it works there:
- Open Pomodoro mode. It runs the classic 25/5/15 cycle: 25 minutes of work, 5-minute breaks and a 15-minute long break.
- Press play. The app switches between work and breaks for you and tracks your sessions, so you don't have to count rounds.
- On a Mac, use the keyboard: Space to play or pause, R to reset.
- Turn on notifications, so the end of a break doesn't slip past you. On supported devices, haptic feedback helps too.
- For days 4-6, use Timer mode for your longer block. It counts down from up to 60 minutes, so a 50-minute block fits.
FAQ
Does the Pomodoro technique actually work?
For many people, yes. In a 2023 study, students on fixed short breaks felt less tired and distracted than those who took breaks when they felt like it. But 2025 and 2026 studies found self-chosen breaks felt as good or better, with the same results. It helps most if you'd otherwise skip breaks or put off starting.
Is 25 minutes the best length?
There's no evidence that 25 minutes is special. It's Cirillo's default. A 2025 study tested exactly 25/5 and found it no better than self-chosen breaks; other studies tested 24/6 and 12/3. Start with 25/5, then try a longer block for a few days, and keep whichever leaves you less tired with more done.
What do you do in a Pomodoro break?
Step away from the screen. Stand up, stretch, get water or look out of a window. Avoid email and social feeds: they can quietly stretch a short break. The point of the break is to rest your attention, not to switch it to something else.
How many pomodoros a day is normal?
There's no fixed number. It depends on your work, your meetings and how demanding the tasks are. Use your daily count to plan and to see how long things really take, not as a target to beat. A few properly focused blocks can make a very good day.
Is Pomodoro good for studying?
Most of the research is on students. In the 2023 study, fixed breaks helped mood and efficiency. In the 2026 study, 12/3 cycles felt too frequent, so very short cycles may not suit long reading. If 25 feels too short, try a longer block and compare.
What's the best Pomodoro app?
Any timer that cycles work and breaks for you will do the job, and so will a kitchen timer. Interval Timer has a Pomodoro mode with automatic work-break cycling and session tracking on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Pick whichever you'll actually open every day.
Sources
- Biwer F., Wiradhany W., oude Egbrink M., de Bruin A. (2023). Understanding effort regulation: Comparing 'Pomodoro' breaks and self-regulated breaks. British Journal of Educational Psychology 93(S2):353-367
- Smits E., Wenzel N., de Bruin A. (2025). Investigating the Effectiveness of Self-Regulated, Pomodoro, and Flowtime Break-Taking Techniques Among Students. Behavioral Sciences 15(7):861
- Göksu A., Wiradhany W., de Bruin A. (2026). When to Take a Break: Comparing Effects of Systematic Short (Pomodoro) and Self-Regulated Breaks on Subjective Experience and Actual Learning. Behavioral Sciences 16(7):1158
- Francesco Cirillo: Pomodoro Technique (official site)
- Interval Timer - Focus & HIIT on the App Store
