Pomodoro apps have a bootstrapping problem: the timer lives in one window, your group chat lives in another, and the "study together at 8pm" session you promised never quite starts because nobody wants to screen-share a tomato clock.
The fix is to put the timer where the people already are. Focus Timer runs pomodoro sessions inside Telegram — solo by DM, or as a shared group session others can join with one tap.
Solo: the 25-minute default, cron-driven
Type /focus 25 and forget about it. The bot is cron-driven, so there's nothing to watch: when time's up it messages you with an end note and a break prompt. It also tracks a running daily total and a streak of days you focused — which turns out to be the part that keeps the habit alive. /focus stats shows today's minutes, the week, and the streak.
Free tier covers the classic lengths (15, 25, or 50 minutes), capped at 5 sessions a day. Pro (one-time 150 Stars) unlocks custom lengths, unlimited sessions, session notes, and a weekly report.
Group mode: study together, actually
This is the part a standalone app can't do. Run /focus in a group and it becomes a shared session: other members tap Join before it starts, everyone's timer runs in sync, and when it ends the bot posts one summary naming everyone who focused with you.
That last message matters more than it sounds. Accountability in group chats dies because there's no closure — people start, drift off, nobody knows. A named summary is gentle social proof: it turns "I studied" from a claim into a shared event.
Why chat-native beats app-native
- Zero install for the rest of the group — they join from a card in the chat.
- The reminder, the timer, and the audience are the same surface.
- Guests can see the ritual before committing.
If your group already has a "we should study together" message that's three weeks old, try /focus in Focus Timer tonight. The streak starts at one.
Related guides: pomodoro bot guide, habit streaks in Telegram.
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