suntreee/lookaway

★ 21SwiftAudience · generalComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((LookAway))
    What it does
      Eye break reminders
      Live countdown timer
      Daily focus tracking
    Timer Modes
      20-20-20 default
      Pomodoro 25-5
      Deep focus 50-10
      Custom intervals
    Features
      Menu bar icon
      Pause and reset
      Auto-launch on login
    Audience
      Mac users
      Remote workers
      Eye strain sufferers

mindmap root((LookAway)) What it does Eye break reminders Live countdown timer Daily focus tracking Timer Modes 20-20-20 default Pomodoro 25-5 Deep focus 50-10 Custom intervals Features Menu bar icon Pause and reset Auto-launch on login Audience Mac users Remote workers Eye strain sufferers

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Protect your eyes during long coding or writing sessions by getting reminded to look away every 20 minutes.

USE CASE 2

Follow a Pomodoro or deep-focus work rhythm with automatic break prompts built into your menu bar.

USE CASE 3

Track how much time you have actually focused versus rested across the working day.

USE CASE 4

Set a fully custom work-and-break schedule that is saved and reused every time you open the app.

Tech stack

SwiftmacOSSwiftUI

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

App is unsigned, on first launch right-click it in Finder and choose Open to bypass the macOS security warning. No other setup required.

No license information was mentioned, usage terms are unknown.

In plain English

LookAway is a small macOS app that sits in your menu bar and reminds you to take eye breaks while you work. It follows the 20-20-20 rule by default: focus for 20 minutes, then rest for 20 seconds. When the timer runs out, a pop-up window appears to prompt you to look away from the screen. The menu bar icon shows a live countdown and a progress indicator so you always know how much time is left in the current session. Clicking the menu bar icon gives quick access to pause, reset, skip to break, open settings, or quit the app without navigating anywhere else. Beyond the default 20-20-20 rhythm, LookAway supports a Pomodoro schedule (25 minutes of focus, 5 minutes of rest), a deep focus mode (50 minutes on, 10 minutes off), and fully custom intervals where you can set hours, minutes, and seconds for both the focus and rest periods. Custom schedules can be named and saved so they persist between sessions. The app also tracks how long you have focused and rested today, and it supports launching automatically when you log in. Because the app is unsigned, macOS may warn you the first time you open it. The README explains how to bypass that warning using right-click and "Open" in Finder.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I want to use the LookAway macOS app but macOS says it can't be opened because it's from an unidentified developer. Walk me through how to bypass that warning using Finder.

Prompt 2

Using the LookAway app on macOS, how do I create and save a custom focus schedule, for example 45 minutes of work followed by 8 minutes of rest?

Prompt 3

I'm using LookAway for eye breaks. How do I switch from the default 20-20-20 mode to a Pomodoro (25 min focus, 5 min rest) schedule?

Prompt 4

How do I set up LookAway to launch automatically every time I log in to my Mac, so I never forget to start my eye-break timer?

Prompt 5

I want to contribute to LookAway or build a similar macOS menu-bar timer app in Swift. What are the key components needed to show a live countdown in the menu bar and pop up a reminder window?

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