Screen-break timer

Set intervals that fit your work

Enter a Focus interval from 5 to 90 minutes and a Break duration from 20 to 300 seconds, then select Start. The starting values are 25 minutes and 20 seconds. They are simply this tool's defaults, so change them to suit the task and the time you can actually take.

The countdown begins with focus time. At the end of that interval, the panel switches to a screen-break prompt. When the break countdown ends, another focus interval begins automatically. The timer keeps cycling until you pause or reset it. You do not have to work continuously just because a countdown is running: take a natural stopping point whenever you need one.

What to do when the break appears

Try looking away from the screen, changing position or moving comfortably. The prompts rotate through small suggestions, including looking across the room and noticing your surroundings. Pick one that works in your setting; the prompt is an invitation rather than a task to complete.

The UK's Health and Safety Executive guidance on display screen work favours shorter, more frequent breaks or changes of activity over longer, less frequent ones. It also says the right pattern depends on the work and that a change should offer a chance to move, stretch or shift posture. A 20-second cue can remind you to look away, but it does not replace longer changes of activity you may need during a working day.

Example: an afternoon at a desk

Example: You have a 35-minute writing block and want a more noticeable pause between blocks. Set Focus interval to 35 minutes and Break duration to 90 seconds. Select Start, work on the draft, then use the break to stand up and look away from the display. The next focus interval starts after 90 seconds, so choose Pause if you want a longer break before continuing.

If a call interrupts you after 12 minutes, select Pause. The remaining focus time stays on screen, and Resume continues from there. Reset returns to the first focus interval. Changing either duration also starts a fresh timer, so finish or note your place before adjusting a setting.

Fit it around your day

For reading, writing or design work, a focus interval can mark a useful point to change tasks. For a short administrative job, set a shorter interval if you want an earlier prompt. For work that already involves regular movement, use the timer only where an extra cue would help. The best number is one that works with the job, not a target to push through discomfort or an urgent need to stop.

If you are planning several kinds of activity, the weekly wellness planner can help make room for them across the week. The screen-break timer is for the current session; it does not create a schedule or record how many breaks you took.

Choose visual or sound cues

The countdown also appears in the browser tab title, with the current phase and a paused label when appropriate. For an audible cue at the start of a break, turn on Play sound cues during this timer. Sound starts off. Adjust Cue volume and select Test sound to hear a sample; the test plays once even when timer cues are off. Untick the sound option or set volume to zero to mute it.

Keep the page open. Background tabs can delay updates or sound, and a sleeping device cannot provide a timely reminder. The timer catches up with elapsed time when you return, without replaying a backlog of missed alerts. It does not send system notifications. Use a device alarm if you need a dependable reminder while the browser is inactive.

Pause keeps the time you have left. Reset returns to the first focus interval and restores the normal tab title. Changing a duration resets the timer too; changing the sound controls leaves the countdown running.