A focus timer for Mac built around one task
A lot of timers start with a number. Tidy Day's focus timer for Mac starts with a task. You pick something from today's list, start a session, and the timer belongs to that task until you finish it or stop.
That small change matters. A bare clock tells you how long you've been sitting there. A clock with a task name next to it tells you what you said you'd be doing. When your attention drifts toward email, the island at the top of the screen still reads ● Record demo · 24:18.
It also keeps the timer honest about scope. One session covers one task. If you notice you've drifted into something else, that's a sign to end the session and start one for the thing you're actually doing.
Starting is quick. Open the planner with ⌃⌥D, select a task and press F. You can start a session from any task.
In view while you work
When a session starts, the open island shows the task, the time and three controls. Close the panel and the timer stays in the island, so checking it takes a glance instead of a trip to another window.
A few details keep it useful without getting in the way:
- It stays over full-screen apps. Normally the island fades away when an app goes full screen. During a focus session it stays, so the timer is there even when you've hidden everything else.
- Hover never steals focus. Moving the pointer over the island doesn't take keyboard focus from the app you're in. You can look at the time mid-sentence and keep typing.
- It fits your screen. On MacBooks with a notch, the island wraps around the camera housing. On other Macs it sits in the menu bar. The Dynamic Island for Mac page has more on that.
A clock that stays right
A timer you can't trust isn't much use. Tidy Day's clock runs on timestamps, so it stays right when the panel is closed, when the Mac sleeps and when the app relaunches. If Tidy Day quits and opens again, your session is still there when it comes back.
Sleep is handled on purpose. If your Mac goes to sleep in the middle of a session, the session pauses on its own. Time your Mac spends asleep isn't added to the session.
You can also pause it yourself. With the island open, press Space when someone interrupts you, and Space again to pick up where you left off.
Session lengths, without the rules
If you're looking for a Pomodoro alternative on your Mac, this is the part to read. A session doesn't need a length at all. If you want one, choose a session length, and when you reach it you get a quiet sound or a notification.
You can set 25 minutes if you like the Pomodoro rhythm. But nothing forces a break, and there are no streaks, badges or confetti. The length is a cue, not a rule. When it comes, you decide what happens next.
This suits work that doesn't break neatly into blocks. Writing, debugging and design often need a long run once you're in, and a forced stop at minute 25 can cost more than it saves. Other tasks are better with a firm edge, and a session length gives you one.
If you'd rather not be interrupted at all, leave the length off and let the timer run. If you choose the notification, keep in mind that notifications need your permission in macOS.
Keys, and two ways to finish
Focus mode works from the keyboard while the island is open:
- Space pauses and resumes.
- Return completes the task.
- Esc closes the panel. The timer stays in the island.
A session can end in two ways. Complete task finishes the session and checks the task off. Or end the session and leave the task open, for the times you made progress but aren't done. The task stays on your list for the next session.
Put together with the planner keys, you can go from choosing a task to finishing it without touching the trackpad: ⌃⌥D to open, ↑ ↓ to select, F to start, Return when it's done.
Focus works best when the day is already sorted. If you want a simple routine for that, try planning your day in five minutes, then let the planner at the top of your screen hand you the next task.
