Breaks
UnclaimedA quiet, privacy-focused Pomodoro timer for macOS that respects your attention.
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What is Breaks?
Breaks (focus & pomodoro): A quiet, privacy-focused Pomodoro timer for macOS that respects your attention. Breaks is a minimalist Pomodoro timer designed for macOS users seeking a distraction-free focus tool. It lives discreetly in the menu bar, avoiding Dock clutter and intrusive windows, providing a quiet countdown and a popover only when needed. Key capabilities: Lives quietly in the menu bar with no Dock icon or extra window, Tracks real focus sessions with labels and session quality (good, messy, skipped), Customizable short and long break suggestions, Optional export of completed focus blocks to Apple Calendar, "Honest streaks" system with a weekly rest-day budget and idle time prompts. Breaks is free to use with no paid tier.
TL;DR - Breaks
- Menu-bar Pomodoro timer for macOS with no clutter.
- Tracks focus sessions, keeps streaks, and exports to Calendar.
- Free, open-source, and privacy-focused with no accounts or analytics.
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Completely free and open-source with no in-app purchases
- Prioritizes user privacy with no account creation or data analytics
- Minimalist design that stays out of the way, reducing distractions
- Intelligent streak tracking that accounts for real-life interruptions like sleep and rest days
- Universal binary support for both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs
Cons
- Requires manual installation steps due to not being notarized by Apple
- Lacks automatic update functionality, requiring users to manually check for new versions
- Limited to macOS only, not available on other operating systems
Key Features
Lives quietly in the menu bar with no Dock icon or extra windowTracks real focus sessions with labels and session quality (good, messy, skipped)Customizable short and long break suggestionsOptional export of completed focus blocks to Apple Calendar"Honest streaks" system with a weekly rest-day budget and idle time promptsGlobal hotkeys for starting, pausing, skipping, and resetting sessionsConfigurable settings for durations, sounds, hotkeys, and idle threshold
Pricing
Free
Breaks is completely free to use with no hidden costs.
About Breaks
By Toolradar Team·
Breaks is a minimalist Pomodoro timer designed for macOS users seeking a distraction-free focus tool. It lives discreetly in the menu bar, avoiding Dock clutter and intrusive windows, providing a quiet countdown and a popover only when needed. The app helps users track their focus by allowing them to label each work block and categorize sessions as good, messy, or skipped, offering a weekly review to visualize time allocation.
This tool is ideal for individuals who want to implement the Pomodoro technique without the overhead of accounts, analytics, or in-app purchases. It emphasizes user privacy by keeping all data locally on the machine. Breaks also includes thoughtful features like customizable break suggestions, optional Calendar export for completed sessions, and an "honest streaks" system that accounts for rest days and idle time, making it a practical and forgiving productivity companion.
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Breaks FAQ
How does Breaks handle idle time or closing my laptop during a focus session?
Breaks intelligently monitors sleep and wake notifications to reconcile the timer, ensuring your session remains accurate even if you close your laptop. If you're idle for longer than a set threshold, the app will prompt you to decide if that elapsed time should still count towards your session.
What is the 'honest streaks' feature and how does it prevent punishment for missed days?
The 'honest streaks' feature includes a configurable weekly rest-day budget. This means that a certain number of missed days within an ISO week will be absorbed without negatively impacting your streak, allowing for flexibility and preventing discouragement from real-life interruptions.
Why does macOS show an 'unidentified developer' warning when I first launch Breaks, and how do I bypass it?
This warning appears because Breaks is not yet notarized by Apple, which requires an annual developer membership fee. To bypass it, you can right-click the app and choose 'Open' on the first launch, or run the provided
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Breaks.app command in Terminal.Can I customize the suggestions for my short and long breaks within Breaks?
Yes, Breaks allows you to edit the short and long break suggestions. This feature lets you tailor the app's nudges to activities that genuinely fit your daily routine and preferences.
Where can I report bugs or suggest new features for Breaks?
You can file bugs or request features directly on the Breaks GitHub repository under the 'Issues' section. The project's roadmap is also publicly available as a 'Project' on the same repo.
Source: gjinprelvukaj.github.io