Glueys · Guides
Break reminder apps for Mac, compared
Most break reminders stop your work to make you rest: a window pops up over what you're doing, or the whole screen fades into a break. Glueys does the opposite. Your screen stays yours, and a tiny bunny, koi or lumberjack in the menu bar takes the break with you.
Time for a break4:59Skip
😌 three slow blinks with me
At a glance
| App | At break time | Your screen | Price | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glueys | A bunny, koi or lumberjack in your menu bar does the break with you | Stays yours: nothing covers it | $2.99 once | macOS 14 or later |
| Stretchly | A break window pops up over your work, on every screen | Covered by the break window (full screen if you choose) | Free, open source | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Time Out | Your screen fades into a break screen: a scene, a message or your photos | Filled by the break, with a panel to postpone or skip | Core features free; Supporter from $4.99 for 3 months, $59.99 lifetime | macOS 26 (an older version for macOS 10.15+) |
| LookAway | A heads-up, then a break screen with a countdown | Taken over by the break screen until it ends or you snooze | $19 once (one Mac, a year of updates) | macOS (Windows coming soon) |
From each app's own website and default settings, checked 3 November 2026. Apps change; follow the links for today's details. We make Glueys, so weigh that in.
Why Glueys feels different
- It never takes your screen. No window over your work, no fade to black, nothing to dismiss. A reminder you don't have to fight is one you keep.
- It does the break with you. Every 20 minutes your Gluey (Gloop, Ripple or Cedar) blinks slowly and looks far away with you; every half hour it hops up and stretches; it sips water with you. Taking a break feels like keeping a friend company, not obeying a timer.
- It counts what you really did. Tap ✓ Done when you've stood up, and breaks you take on your own count too.
- It knows when to stay out of the way. It hides during calls and full-screen apps.
- It's private and paid once. No signup, no analytics, no internet connection. $2.99, no subscription.
Try Glueys: see it in action or get it on the Mac App Store, $2.99 once.
When another app might suit you
- You also use Windows or Linux: Stretchly runs on all three, and it's free.
- You want breaks you can't ignore, a screen that goes away until the break is over: Time Out or LookAway.
- You want detailed scheduling rules around calendars, apps and Focus: Time Out.
If reminders have never stuck for you because they get in the way, that's exactly the problem Glueys was made for.
What to look for in any break reminder
- It doesn't fight you. Reminders that block your screen tend to get skipped, snoozed, then uninstalled.
- It stays quiet in calls and full screen. A reminder during a presentation is how these apps get removed.
- Time away counts. If you just walked to lunch, you don't need a break reminder when you sit back down.
- It's private. A break reminder only needs to know whether you're at your Mac, not what you're doing.
- It's easy to tune or snooze, so it fits your day instead of fighting it.
Related: the 20-20-20 rule on a Mac · how often to stand up at work