The Pomodoro technique is simple: work for 25 minutes, rest for 5, repeat, and take a longer break after four rounds. The hard part on a phone isn't the timer. It's that the timer and Instagram live on the same screen, and checking "just one thing" mid-round costs you the whole round.
So a Pomodoro setup on iPhone needs two things: a timer, and something that keeps your distracting apps shut while it runs.
The classic Pomodoro rhythm
- Pick one task. Write it down.
- Work on it for 25 minutes with nothing else open.
- Take a 5-minute break. Stand up, drink water, look out of a window.
- After four rounds, take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
The numbers are a starting point, not a rule. Many people do better with 50/10 for deep work, or 15/5 when a task feels impossible to start. What matters is that the round is protected.
Option 1: The Clock app timer (built in)
- Open Clock → Timers, set 25 minutes and start it.
- Turn on a Focus mode such as Work or Do Not Disturb from Control Center, so notifications stay quiet.
- Put the phone face down, out of reach if you can.
This is free and fine for a single round. The weak spot: nothing stops you opening TikTok at minute 7. Focus modes silence notifications, they don't block apps.
Option 2: Screen Time limits (built in)
You can set a tiny App Limit (a Time Allowance on iOS 27), like 1 minute a day, on social apps, then remove it after work. It works once, but it's slow to change between rounds, and the limit has an "Ignore Limit" button that's one tap away.
Option 3: A focus session that blocks apps
With ARCO, the timer and the block are the same thing:
- Choose the apps that break your focus under Settings → Apps to block.
- Open Control and start a focus session for 25 minutes (or 50, or whatever your rhythm is).
- The apps stay shut until the timer ends. The time left shows on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island.
- Need a break? Take one: the apps open for a few minutes, then the block comes back on its own.
If you know you'll cut the round short, turn on strict mode. A strict session can't be ended early; breaks still work.
Doing the same deep-work block every day? Make it a timed habit, like Deep work, 10:00, 2h, set to block apps. It sits on your timeline and starts the session when you tap it.
Make the rounds count
- Decide the task before the timer. A round spent choosing what to do is a lost round.
- Keep a "later" list. When something pops into your head, write it down and go back to work.
- Breaks are off-screen. Scrolling on a 5-minute break turns into 20. Walk instead.
- Plan the rounds into your day. Two or three protected blocks on your timeline beat ten good intentions. See how to time block on iPhone.