suntreee

suntreee / LookAway

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A native macOS menu bar eye break reminder

11
0
89% credibility
Found May 29, 2026 at 14 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
Swift
AI Summary

LookAway is a simple macOS app that lives in your menu bar and reminds you to take eye breaks throughout your workday. It displays a countdown timer that tracks how long you've been working, and gently prompts you to look away from the screen when it's time to rest. You can choose from preset timers like the 20-20-20 rule (work 20 minutes, rest 20 seconds), Pomodoro (work 25 minutes, rest 5 minutes), or deep focus mode (work 50 minutes, rest 10 minutes). You can also create your own custom work and rest durations. The app tracks your daily statistics so you can see how much time you've spent working versus resting, and it can automatically start whenever you log into your Mac.

How It Works

1
👀 You learn about eye health

You discover the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to protect your eyes.

2
⬇️ You download the app

You get LookAway from the internet and install it on your Mac, just like any other app.

3
🔝 A tiny timer appears in your menu bar

LookAway settles quietly at the top of your screen, showing a small progress bar and countdown that fills up as you work.

4
You choose your rhythm
👁️
20-20-20 Rule

Work for 20 minutes, rest for 20 seconds

🍅
Pomodoro Timer

Work for 25 minutes, rest for 5 minutes

🎯
Deep Focus

Work for 50 minutes, rest for 10 minutes

✨
Your Own Rhythm

Set any work and rest duration you prefer

5
📊 You watch your daily progress

The settings window shows how long you've worked today and how much rest you've taken, helping you stay mindful of your habits.

6
🌿 A gentle reminder pops up

When it's time to rest, a small window floats up saying 'Look at something far away' with a countdown, reminding you to give your eyes a break.

🎉 Your eyes stay healthier

With regular reminders throughout your workday, you've built a simple habit of looking away from the screen and giving your eyes the rest they need.

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AI-Generated Review

What is LookAway?

LookAway is a native macOS menu bar app that reminds you to take eye breaks throughout the workday. It displays a countdown timer and progress bar directly in your menu bar, then pops up a floating reminder when it's time to rest your eyes. Built in Swift using AppKit, it supports three built-in rhythms (the 20-20-20 rule for reducing eye strain, the classic Pomodoro 25/5 technique, and a deep focus 50/10 mode) plus custom intervals you can define yourself. The app tracks your daily focus and rest totals, persists your settings across restarts, and can launch automatically when you log in.

Why is it gaining traction?

The killer feature is the visual progress bar rendered directly in the menu bar icon. Most eye break apps hide their status in a separate window or require you to click to see how much time remains. LookAway gives you instant awareness at a glance while keeping your screen completely clear. The 20-20-20 preset (20 minutes of focus, 20 seconds of rest) is backed by ophthalmology research and serves as a low-commitment entry point compared to the 25-minute Pomodoro sessions. The custom rhythm support means you can experiment with different work/rest ratios without being locked into opinionated defaults.

Who should use this?

Developers and designers who spend 8+ hours daily at their screens and want to build healthier habits without another full-screen app competing for attention. Writers and researchers who work in focused sprints will appreciate the statistics tracking that shows how much time they're actually spending in focus versus rest mode. Anyone who already uses a Pomodoro app but finds the interruptions disruptive will find the unobtrusive menu bar approach more sustainable.

Verdict

LookAway solves a real problem with a clean, minimal implementation. At 11 stars, it is clearly early-stage, and the lack of a signed build means you'll encounter macOS gatekeeper warnings on first launch. The Swift codebase is straightforward and well-organized, suggesting the author has strong native macOS foundations. For a tool you'll trust to run silently in the background all day, the low maturity is worth watching but not disqualifying. Try it if you want eye health reminders without visual clutter.

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