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Using the Timer

The Timer helps you focus and track how long you actually study. You can use it in three ways: a Pomodoro cycle (work in bursts with short breaks), a Stopwatch (count up freely), or a Countdown (count down from a set time). Every completed session is saved to your history automatically.

Go to Timer in your sidebar to get started.

Choosing a timer mode

At the top of the Timer page you'll see three tabs:

Mode What it does
Pomodoro Counts down a set work period, then automatically switches to a break period
Stopwatch Counts up freely — useful when you're not sure how long a task will take
Countdown Counts down from a set number of minutes you choose

Select the tab for the mode you want before starting a session.

Tip: You can only switch modes before you start. Once a session is running, the mode tabs are locked until you stop.

Starting a Pomodoro session

Pomodoro is the default mode and the most popular way to study. The idea is simple: study for a focused period, then take a short break.

  1. Select the Pomodoro tab (it's selected by default).
  2. Optionally, select a Subject from the dropdown — this links the session to a subject so it appears in your analytics.
  3. Optionally, select a Study Block — if you've scheduled a study block for the subject, linking your timer to it tracks actual time against planned time.
  4. Adjust Work and Break durations if you want something other than the defaults (25 min work, 5 min break).
  5. Select ▶ Start Session.

The countdown begins immediately. Your browser tab title also updates — for example: 24:35 Work — Mathematics | PSB.

During a Pomodoro work period

  • The ring around the clock fills green as your work period progresses.
  • The WORK label pulses in green at the centre of the ring.
  • A cycle counter shows which cycle you're on: Cycle 1 of 4.

The automatic break

When your work period reaches 00:00, the break starts automatically — you don't need to do anything.

  • The ring turns teal and the label changes to BREAK.
  • A brief notification slides in at the top: "Break time! 5 minutes."
  • The countdown continues into the break period.

When the break ends, a new work period starts with the label "Back to work! Cycle 2."

Skipping a break

If you're in the zone and don't want the break, select Skip Break to jump straight back into work mode.

Starting a stopwatch session

  1. Select the Stopwatch tab.
  2. Optionally link a subject.
  3. Select ▶ Start Session.

The display counts up from 00:00. After one hour it shows hours too: 1:23:45.

Starting a countdown session

  1. Select the Countdown tab.
  2. Set your target duration in the Duration field (in minutes).
  3. Select ▶ Start Session.

The timer counts down to 00:00, then opens the Stop modal automatically so you can save your session.

Pausing and resuming

You can pause at any time without losing your progress.

  1. Select ⏸ Pause — the display freezes and turns amber, showing PAUSED.
  2. Select ▶ Resume when you're ready to continue — the timer picks up exactly where it left off.

Pausing doesn't end your session. Your session is still "active" until you stop it.

Stopping and saving a session

When you're done, select ■ Stop. A confirmation window appears showing:

  • How much time you've recorded so far
  • Your timer mode and cycle count (Pomodoro only)
  • The linked subject (if any)
  • An optional Notes field — add a quick reminder about what you worked on

Select Stop & Save Session to save. The page reloads and your completed session appears at the top of Recent Sessions.

If you change your mind, select Cancel to go back to the running timer.

"Mark this study block as done?" prompts

If you stop a session that overlaps a Pending or In Progress study block for the same subject, PlanStudyBoost notices and offers to tidy things up for you.

The next time you visit your Dashboard, you'll see a card for each block this applies to:

"Did you finish Chapter 7 exercises?" — with the subject, planned time, and actual time you just logged.

You have two choices:

  • Mark as done — marks the study block Completed and records the time you spent (from your timer session) as its actual time. This keeps your planned-vs-actual stats accurate without any manual editing.
  • Not now — dismisses the prompt. The study block is left exactly as it was — you can always update its status yourself later from Study Blocks.

Tip: This only happens for sessions linked to a subject that overlap a block you haven't already marked Completed, Cancelled, or Not Done — and only if your timer session wasn't already linked to a specific study block when you stopped it.

The active session badge

While a timer is running, the Timer link in your sidebar shows a LIVE badge. This badge follows you around — if you navigate to your Dashboard, calendar, or any other page, you can still see that you have an active session.

Select the Timer link to jump back to the running timer at any time.

Viewing session history

The right side of the Timer page (or the bottom on mobile) shows your Recent Sessions — up to 20 of your most recent completed sessions.

Each row shows:

Column What it shows
Type badge 🍅 Pomodoro, ⏱ Stopwatch, or ⏳ Countdown
Duration e.g. 25m 00s or 1h 05m
Subject The subject you linked (or No subject)
Date Today 14:30, Yesterday 09:00, or a date like Mon 10 May 14:30

On mobile, the history section is collapsed by default. Tap ▾ Recent Sessions to expand it.

If you're looking for older sessions or want to see charts of your total study time by subject, check the Analytics page.

Customising Pomodoro settings

The default Pomodoro settings are:

Setting Default
Work duration 25 minutes
Break duration 5 minutes

To change them, update the Work and Break inputs before starting a session. Your chosen values apply only to the current session — future sessions will default to your account settings.

On mobile, the settings are collapsed under a ▸ Pomodoro Settings section. Tap to expand it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I link a timer session to a subject I don't have yet?

No — you need to create the subject first. Go to Subjects and add it, then come back to the Timer page.

I started a timer and navigated away. Is my session still running?

Yes. Your timer session is stored on the server, so navigating away doesn't stop it. When you return to the Timer page, the countdown resumes from the correct remaining time.

Can I start a second session while one is already running?

No — only one session can be active at a time. If you try to start another, you'll see a warning: "You already have an active session. Stop it before starting a new one." Navigate back to the Timer page and stop the current session first.

What happens if I close my browser tab while the timer is running?

Your session stays active on the server. When you open the Timer page again, the countdown resumes from where it should be based on the original start time. If you want to cancel it, select ■ Stop and then Stop & Save Session (or just close the modal to go back to the running timer).

Why does my browser tab show a time like "24:35 Work | PSB"?

That's intentional! The tab title updates every second while a session is running so you can glance at another tab and see how much time is left without switching back to PlanStudyBoost.

I can see a "LIVE" badge in the sidebar but I'm not sure why.

The badge appears whenever you have an active timer session — even if you started it in another tab or on another device. Select the Timer nav link to return to the running session.