Eye Break Reminder Apps for Mac Compared (2026)

An eye break reminder app interrupts you on a schedule you choose, so you look away from the screen and get up now and then. Ideally it also makes the break hard enough to ignore that you actually take it. macOS doesn't include one, so you need an app. For most people, one of these three fits:

• Stretchly: best free option. It's open source, has short and long breaks, and also runs on Windows and Linux.
• Time Out (Dejal): best dedicated Mac break app, with the most scheduling and theme options. The current version needs macOS 26 Tahoe.
• Gubb: best if you also want notes, a timer and clipboard history in the same window for a one-time price. Its break reminders are basic, and we list their limits below.

We make Gubb, so weigh our view accordingly. We've tried to be fair to every app here, including where Gubb is the weaker choice.

What to look for in an eye break reminder app

These points decide whether a break reminder works for you:

• Two kinds of breaks. A short eye break (around 20 seconds) every so often, and a longer break to stand up and move. All three apps here have both.
• How easy it is to skip. If a break dismisses with one click, you'll learn to click it without thinking. Some people want that way out. Others want friction.
• What the break covers. A break that fills one window on one display is easy to work around on a multi-monitor setup.
• Idle detection. If the app doesn't notice you've been away from the Mac, it can interrupt you right after you come back from lunch.
• Your macOS version. Time Out 4.0 needs macOS 26, so it won't install on Sonoma or Sequoia.
• Price model. Free, one-time, or supporter purchases.

The official pages and listings we used don't cover every one of these points for every app. Where they don't, the comparison table says "Not documented" instead of guessing.

Summary table

Prices are as of November 2026.

Time Out (Dejal)

Time Out is a Mac-only app built for one job: reminding you to take breaks. Its first release was in 2003, and its developer describes version 4.0 (released October 29, 2026) as its biggest update.

What it does well

• Two kinds of breaks: a "Normal" break and a second, shorter kind.
• Schedules in 4.0 can be manual, one-time, repeating ("Every") or random.
• A catalog of break themes you can browse, preview and download in the app.
• Action and rule scripts you can search and download in the app, with setup instructions.
• A floating control panel during breaks and a Statistics page.

What it lacks

• Version 4.0 needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later. On Sonoma or Sequoia, the current version isn't an option.
• Several new 4.0 features are rewards for recent supporters only: manual, one-time and random schedules, theme rotation, the Random Hue and Blurred effects, and auto-fading the control panel.
• It only does breaks. There are no notes or other tools.

Price (as of November 2026): free to download and use. Dejal's site lists one-time supporter purchases that don't auto-renew: 3-Month Supporter $4.99, 6-Month Supporter $9.99, 12-Month Supporter $19.99 and Lifetime $59.99. The US Mac App Store listing also shows Monthly ($1.99) and Yearly ($19.99) options, so check the store you buy from. It's also sold on Setapp.

Pick Time Out if you're on macOS 26, want a dedicated break app, and care about schedules, themes and statistics.

Stretchly

Stretchly is a free, open-source break reminder for macOS, Windows, Linux and FreeBSD. It stays in the menu bar and shows a break window from time to time, each with an idea for what to do during the break.

What it does well

• Short breaks and longer breaks, both built in.
• Free for everyone, with the source on GitHub.
• An advanced preference makes breaks act like regular windows: with a title bar, not always on top, and able to be minimized. That suits you if you'd rather a break didn't take over the screen.
• The same app on a Mac and a Windows PC, if you use both.

What it lacks

• Some options are "Contributor Preferences," unlocked for people who support the project with code, translations or money (GitHub or Patreon). Examples are showing the current time during breaks and hiding the menu bar icon. Syncing preferences is also contributor-only.
• It only does breaks.

Install with Homebrew (optional). If you use Homebrew, this installs Stretchly:

brew install --cask stretchly

It downloads Stretchly and puts it in your Applications folder. To remove it, run brew uninstall --cask stretchly.

Price (as of November 2026): free. The latest release on the official repo is v1.22.1, with files dated August 13, 2026.

Pick Stretchly if you want a free break reminder, or you need the same tool on Mac and Windows. For most people who only want break reminders, this is enough.

Gubb break reminders

Gubb is our all-in-one app: notes, checklists and Kanban boards, voice-to-text into notes, clipboard history, a timer, and break reminders. Breaks are one feature among several, so they're simpler than Time Out's. If breaks are the only thing you need, Stretchly or Time Out is the better pick.

How Gubb's breaks work

While Gubb is running, it counts down your work period, then starts a break:

• Micro break (20 seconds by default), headed "Rest Your Eyes".
• Long break (5 minutes by default), headed "Long Break Time". By default it replaces a micro break after every 3 micro breaks.

A notification fires first ("Time for a micro break" or "Time for a long break"). Then the Gubb window goes full screen and stays on top, with a circular countdown, a random eye-health tip, and two buttons: +1 Minute and Skip Break.

Turn on break reminders in Gubb

Break reminders are off by default.

1. Move the pointer to the right edge of the note and click Settings (the gear).
2. Choose Break Time.
3. Turn on Enable Break Timer.
4. Adjust the settings in the table below.
5. Click Save Break Settings.

To follow the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds), set Work Duration Before Break to 20 minutes and leave the micro break at 20 seconds. Then turn Enable Break Timer off and on again so the new interval takes effect.

Long breaks are triggered by micro breaks, so if you turn micro breaks off, long breaks won't happen on their own. More on short breaks in what a micro break is.

Gubb's limits

• Only the Gubb window goes full screen. Other displays aren't covered, so on a two-monitor setup you can keep working on the other screen.
• Breaks can always be skipped. Skip Break is always there. There's no strict mode.
• No idle detection. Gubb doesn't know if you've stepped away, so a break can fire soon after you return.
• It only runs while Gubb is open. Clicking the red close button may quit Gubb, which stops the break timer. To get the window out of the way, left-click Gubb's menu bar icon to hide it instead.
• The micro and long break switches aren't saved separately. Only the main Enable Break Timer switch is remembered.
• Changed intervals may not apply straight away. After changing the work duration, turn Enable Break Timer off and on, or restart Gubb.
• Pinned windows get unpinned. After a break, "always on top" turns off even if you had pinned the window. Click Pin window on top again.

Price (as of November 2026): $59 one-time for a lifetime license from gubb.net, activating on up to 3 devices. You can try the Mac download free for 7 days. It's also on the Mac App Store.

Pick Gubb if you'd use the notes, timer and clipboard history anyway and want skippable reminders in the same window. Setup details are in the help center.

Comparison: how strict is each app?

"Not documented" means the official pages and listings we used don't say either way. Check it on your first day of use before relying on it.

How to choose

• You just want breaks and don't want to pay: Stretchly.
• You're on macOS 26 and want the most control (schedules, themes, scripts, stats): Time Out.
• You're on Sonoma or Sequoia: Time Out 4.0 needs macOS 26, so start with Stretchly or Gubb's 7-day trial.
• You want break reminders plus notes, a timer and clipboard history in one paid-once app: Gubb, accepting that its breaks are skippable and cover only its own window.
• You also use Windows: Stretchly runs on both. See break reminder apps for Windows.
• You want work/break cycles (Pomodoro), not eye breaks: see the best Pomodoro timers for Mac. Gubb's Pomodoro mode is a plain countdown without automatic cycles.

FAQ

Does macOS have a built-in break reminder?
No. Screen Time can set app limits and Downtime, but it doesn't prompt you to rest your eyes or stand up at intervals.

Can a break reminder app force me to take a break?
Gubb can't: Skip Break is always available. The Time Out and Stretchly documentation we used doesn't say whether skipping can be turned off, so test it during setup.

Do break reminders work if the app is closed?
No. Any break reminder only counts down while it's running, and Gubb's breaks stop when Gubb quits. To have one start automatically, open System Settings and search for "Login Items", then add the app there.

What break length should I use for eye strain?
A common habit is the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. In Gubb, set Work Duration Before Break to 20 minutes and keep the 20-second micro break. In the other apps, check their break settings.