The Problem With Tab-Based Timers
Most productivity tools are built for the environment they are supposed to help you escape.
Browser-based timers live inside your distraction environment.
A tab is not a dedicated focus space. It is one of thirty. Notifications, bookmarks, and auto-play content are never more than one click away.
Most Pomodoro apps are over-engineered.
Features pile up until simplicity is gone. Dashboards, analytics, streaks, integrations. The tool becomes a task in itself — one more thing to manage before you can start working.
No system-level integration.
Your desktop environment does not know whether you are in a focus session or a break. Nothing changes around you. The visual and ambient context stays identical regardless of your work state.
No break guidance.
Five unstructured minutes almost always become five minutes of passive screen consumption. Without a prompt, breaks rarely restore focus — they extend distraction.
Cloud dependency and data collection.
Accounts, sync, analytics — required for tools that do not need them at all. Your focus sessions do not need to be stored on a remote server or tied to a subscription.
PulsoDoro Solves Each of These
A Pomodoro timer that operates at the operating system level — not inside the browser it is meant to replace.
Native desktop app — runs outside your browser
PulsoDoro is a compiled desktop application. It has no browser tab, no web page, no URL bar. It lives on your taskbar and nowhere else.
Clean, distraction-free interface
One timer. One state. No dashboards, no analytics panels, no onboarding flows. The interface gets out of the way so you can work.
Desktop wallpaper switching — your environment changes with your work state
When a focus session starts, your wallpaper switches to your configured focus image. When a break begins, it switches again. Your physical environment reflects your mental one.
Guided break activities — stretch, hydrate, breathe, walk
At the end of every focus session, PulsoDoro suggests a restorative activity. The suggestions are randomised and designed to move you away from the screen.
Lo-fi music for ambient focus audio
Toggle an optional lo-fi YouTube stream directly from the application. No separate browser tab, no playlist management required.
System tray integration — control without context switching
Start, pause, and reset the timer from the system tray without ever opening the main window. Your workflow is never interrupted to interact with the timer.
Fully local — no accounts, no cloud, no tracking
All preferences are saved locally as JSON on your machine. No sign-up, no subscription, no data leaving your computer. PulsoDoro works completely offline.
How It Works
A single session cycle, end to end.
Launch PulsoDoro
Open the application from your desktop or taskbar. The timer opens to its default state — ready immediately, no setup required for first use.
Click Start — 25-minute focus session begins, wallpaper switches
The countdown begins and your desktop wallpaper changes to your configured focus image. Your environment signals that work has started.
Work — timer counts down, system tray reflects state
Minimise the window. The system tray icon remains visible and reflects the current timer state. You can pause or reset without switching context.
Break — 5-minute break, break activity suggested, wallpaper switches
When the focus session ends, your wallpaper switches to your break image and a guided break activity appears. Step away from the screen.
Repeat — after 4 sessions, 15-minute long break
After four completed Pomodoro sessions, PulsoDoro automatically triggers a longer 15-minute break. The cycle then resets.
Customize — adjust durations and wallpapers via Settings
Open Settings to configure your preferred focus, short break, and long break durations. Assign custom wallpaper images for each session type.
Built Different
The technical decisions behind PulsoDoro reflect a clear principle: use the right tool for the job, and nothing more.
Tauri v2
A modern framework for building native desktop applications using web technologies for the interface and Rust for the backend. The resulting binaries are small, fast, and use significantly less memory than Electron-based applications.
Rust Backend
System-level features — wallpaper switching, system tray management, settings persistence — are implemented in Rust. Memory safety guarantees mean the backend is stable and free from a broad class of crashes.
Vanilla Frontend
The user interface is built with standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — no React, no Vue, no build-time complexity. The result is a UI that loads instantly with no unnecessary dependencies.
Open Source (MIT)
PulsoDoro is published under the MIT license. Download it, build from source, fork it, and modify it without restriction. The full source code is available on GitHub.
Who It's For
Anyone who needs structured, uninterrupted work time and a timer that respects that.
Software developers
Need a timer that respects the terminal and editor workflow — not one that opens a browser tab in the middle of a deep work session.
Students and researchers
Benefit from a structured rhythm for reading, writing, and studying — without the distraction proximity of a browser-based tool.
Writers and designers
Require uninterrupted creative blocks where the tool disappears into the background and the tray rather than competing for attention.
Remote workers
Need external pacing and environment signals to compensate for the lack of office structure and social accountability.
Browser-timer refugees
Tried tab-based timers and found them inadequate — the timer lived inside the same environment it was supposed to help manage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PulsoDoro?
What platforms does PulsoDoro support?
Is PulsoDoro free and open source?
How does the desktop wallpaper switching work?
Do I need an internet connection to use PulsoDoro?
Can I customize the timer durations?
What happens during breaks?
How do I install PulsoDoro?
Get Started
PulsoDoro is free, open source, and available now.