# Run a focus session

> Work on one task with a Pomodoro timer that follows you around the app, keeps count of your sessions and shows how much you focused today.

Source: https://priortasks.com/docs/planning/focus-timer/
Last updated: 2026-11-05

The **Focus** page is a Pomodoro timer built around one task: work for a set time, rest, repeat. Open it from the sidebar, with <kbd>G</kbd> then <kbd>F</kbd>, or by searching **Start a focus session** in the [command palette](https://priortasks.com/docs/getting-started/command-palette/). If Focus is missing from your sidebar, turn it on in **Settings → General → Navigation**.

## A cycle

The timer has three phases: **Focus**, **Short break** and **Long break**. By default a focus session lasts 25 minutes and a short break 5. After 4 focus sessions, a long break of 15 minutes replaces the short one. The dots under the dial show how many sessions you have done before the next long break.

## Start

1. In the **Pick a task** card, press one of the suggested tasks: they come from today's picks and your top-ranked tasks. Press **All tasks** to search every open task, or to choose **No task** for a free session.
2. Press **Start**. The dial counts down and shows when the phase ends.
3. When the phase ends, Prior plays a soft chime, sends a notification if you allowed them, and shows the countdown in the window title. The next phase waits for you, unless **Chain sessions** is on.

You can also click a phase to switch to it by hand. **Pause** stops the clock, **Reset** restores the full length and **Skip** moves to the next phase. Skipping a focus session does not count it.

| Key | Action |
| --- | --- |
| <kbd>Space</kbd> | Start or pause |
| <kbd>R</kbd> | Reset |
| <kbd>S</kbd> | Skip |
| <kbd>F</kbd> | Full screen. <kbd>Esc</kbd> leaves it. |

## Work on the task

The **Working on** card shows your task's checklist: tick steps off there. **Mark as done** finishes the task, **Open** shows it and **Change** picks another. The card also counts the sessions and the time you have already spent on it.

Type in **Park a thought for later…** when a distraction pops up. It is saved to your Inbox, and the timer keeps running.

## See your focus

The **Today** card gives sessions and minutes so far, a bar chart of the last seven days and the latest sessions of the day. Prior keeps your finished sessions for two months. [Prior Wrapped](https://priortasks.com/docs/planning/prior-wrapped/) and the [weekly review](https://priortasks.com/docs/planning/weekly-review/) read them.

## Settings

Press the sliders button to open **Timer settings**:

- **Classic** (25 / 5), **Deep work** (50 / 10) and **Sprint** (15 / 3), or your own lengths: focus from 5 to 120 minutes, short break from 1 to 30, long break from 5 to 60, and a long break every 2 to 8 sessions.
- **Chain sessions** starts the next phase by itself.
- **Chime** plays the sound at the end of a phase.
- **Keep the screen on** holds the screen awake while a focus session runs, where your device allows it.
- [Ambient sound](https://priortasks.com/docs/planning/ambient-sounds/).

## Good to know

- One timer runs for the whole app. Leave the page, and it keeps going: Today shows a small card with the countdown and a play button.
- On Android, the end of a phase rings even with the phone locked.
- The timer and its history stay on the device where you run them.