TapNoiseIf you sit at your Mac for hours, a reminder to stand up and stretch is a simple thing to want. macOS can limit how long you use apps, but as far as I could find, it does not give you a regular “take a break” reminder. Here is what the built-in options do, what people use instead, and how TapNoise handles it.
What Screen Time does
Screen Time is in System Settings. It has App Limits, which cap how long you spend in an app or a group of apps each day, and Downtime, which blocks apps at set times. These are useful for limiting use, but they work differently from a break reminder. An app limit closes or blocks the app. It does not say “stand up now” before you reach the limit.
I could not confirm a regular break reminder in Screen Time on the Mac, so do not expect one. Apple’s Screen Time pages change between macOS versions, so check the current options in your System Settings before you rely on any of them.
Third-party break apps
Break reminder apps are available from the Mac App Store and other sources. They usually run a timer, and some also notice when you have been away from the keyboard, so they reset the countdown when you take a real break. Look at the current price, the last update date and the reviews before you install one. Some offer a full-screen rest screen, and some show a small reminder in the corner. Choose the one that matches how much you want to be interrupted.
Break buddy in TapNoise
TapNoise has a Break buddy. It is a nudge from Tappy, the keycap on your desktop, rather than a full-screen timer. You turn it on in Settings > General, under the Break buddy card.
- Remind me to take breaks turns the reminder on or off.
- Remind me after sets how long you work before the nudge: 30, 50 or 90 minutes. The default is 50 minutes.
Tappy suggests a stretch after a long stretch of work without a break. The Settings copy says that five minutes away from the keyboard counts as one of those breaks.
The Break buddy card also has a second option, Tell me when I type hard. Tappy learns how hard you usually type and nudges you to go easier on your hands. It needs the motion sensor on an Apple silicon MacBook, and the card says so if your Mac does not have it.
What it is not
Break buddy is not a lock, and it does not stop you working. It is a gentle reminder, and it is easy to ignore, which is sometimes the right trade-off. If you need a reminder that you cannot dismiss, a dedicated break app with a full-screen rest screen is a better fit.
It also depends on TapNoise running. If you quit the app, you get no reminders until you open it again.
Setting it up
- Open TapNoise Settings and go to General.
- In the Break buddy card, switch on Remind me to take breaks.
- Pick 30, 50 or 90 minutes in Remind me after.
Break buddy is part of the TapNoise license. A one-time purchase is US$7.99 plus tax, with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and one key works on up to two Macs.
The simple answer
For limits on apps, use Screen Time. For a reminder that you will notice, use a break app or TapNoise’s Break buddy. For a reminder you can ignore while you keep the Mac on, a nudge from Tappy is often enough. Pick the one that suits how you work.