A Pomodoro study room with friends

The Pomodoro method in one minute

The classic rhythm is 25 minutes of focus followed by a 5 minute break. After a few rounds, many people take a longer rest. The point is not the exact numbers. It is that every block has a clear start, a clear end and a break you have actually earned.

A timer makes the work feel smaller. You do not have to finish the whole assignment. You only have to stay with it until the clock runs out. Then you rest, and you go again.

How the timer in LockinTown really works

Here is exactly what the app does, so you can plan around it:

• You choose the length. A focus session can be anything from 5 to 120 minutes, set in steps of 5 minutes. The first time it starts at 25. After that it starts at the last length you used.
• Breaks are yours to set. When a session ends you can start a break of 1 to 30 minutes. The break timer starts at 5 minutes, and your seat stays yours while you are away.
• It does not loop on its own. There is no automatic cycle and no forced long break. After each break you choose: another session, or finish and leave. This keeps you in charge of your own rhythm.
• You can pause. A session can be paused for up to an hour in total, and it picks up again by itself once that budget runs out.
• Starting by mistake is fine. You get a few seconds to cancel right after you press start.
• Leaving early has a rule. Once you are past half of the planned time, you can end the session and keep the coins for the minutes you focused. Before halfway, stopping means that session earns nothing.

Want to copy the classic rhythm? Set 25 minutes, then a 5 minute break, and repeat. Want longer blocks? Try 50 minutes and a 10 minute break. The same controls cover both.

What makes it a study room, not just a timer

A plain timer app counts down in a corner of your screen. In LockinTown the timer lives in a room. You sit at a desk in a cozy 3D space, and other people sit at theirs. Everyone's timer and focus state is visible to the room, so you can see the whole room working while you work.

That shared presence is a gentle push. When you take a break, you can see others are still in the middle of a block, and when you come back, the room is just as busy as you left it.

Focus timer with friends

There are a few ways to study with people you know:

• Add friends and join the same room, or start a private room just for friends. A private room is never listed publicly, and whoever you share the invite link or code with can come in.
• Join a server. Servers are communities with their own pages. They can schedule a group focus session in advance, and members vote on which room to use.
• Focus together for a bonus. Sessions earn coins, and the amount doubles when a friend in the same room focused alongside you for at least half of your session. Sessions of 25 minutes or more also earn 20 percent more coins.

Coins are the in-app currency you earn by focusing. You can spend them in the store on outfits and extras for your character.

Make each block count

• Add a tag and a goal. Study, Reading, Coding, Writing and Math are there to begin with, and you can make your own. A one line goal such as "finish the lab report intro" keeps you honest.
• Attach a book. If you are reading, pick one book to go with the session.
• Keep a streak. Any day with at least 5 minutes of focus counts, and the app tracks your days in a row.
• Choose your sound. Music stations and ambient sounds like rain or a fireplace are one tap away, and you can keep it silent.

No camera, no microphone

You will not be asked to switch on a webcam or talk. People in the room see your character and your timer, nothing more. If you want to say something you can send a wave, nod or cheer, or write a short text message.

Start your first block

Choose a room, set your minutes, name your task and press start. LockinTown is free to join with Google, Apple or as a guest. Phone apps for iPhone and Android are coming.