How to use Untimer
A session from the first hold to the break, and the 4 screens around it. This guide covers each control and what it does.
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Articles about how Untimer works
Each article explains one part of Untimer and the research behind it. You can also follow them by RSS.
7 October 2026 · 5 minute read
29 August 2026 · 6 minute read
How Untimer counts a day
Untimer counts a day in 25 minute sessions of the same size. Here is what a session records and how the day is drawn. It also shows what changes when you count in sessions and stop guessing in hours.
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29 August 2026 · 5 minute read
Milestones make a faraway goal feel close
A game rewards you within seconds. A report rewards you weeks later. Milestones close that gap with facts about your sessions. Here is how they work and the research behind them.
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29 August 2026 · 5 minute read
Why starting work is hard
Most of what gets called procrastination is a starting problem. Untimer makes the start small and gives it weight with a hold of the hourglass. A session is also easy to stop, and that makes it easier to begin.
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29 August 2026 · 5 minute read
What Insights shows
After a few weeks of sessions, Insights starts to answer questions. It shows which tasks your sessions went to and when you focus best. It also shows what pulls you away. Here is what each panel shows.
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22 August 2026 · 6 minute read
How the timer keeps running after a refresh
Most browser timers forget the session when you refresh the page. Untimer stores each session on the server as an end time. A refresh or a sleeping laptop leaves the session running. Your other devices show the same session.
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22 August 2026 · 5 minute read
Stopping a session early
A session you stop adds no time to the day. It stays on the record with its real length. Here is why Untimer counts it that way and why it counts returns instead of streaks.
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22 August 2026 · 4 minute read
How Untimer handles interruptions
An interruption does not end a session in Untimer. You press Interruption and write one line about it. The line comes back under Where you left off. A study by Leroy and Glomb is behind it.
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22 August 2026 · 5 minute read
Why a session is 25 minutes
A session is 25 minutes and a break is 5 minutes. A 2023 study found that a fixed schedule of focus and breaks raised concentration and lowered fatigue. Here is why Untimer sets the lengths for you.
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22 August 2026 · 5 minute read
Why you hold the hourglass to start a session
Holding the hourglass for 2.5 seconds makes the start of a session a decision. This article gives the research behind the hold. It also explains how the hold works with each kind of input.
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