LookAway - The Best Break Reminder App for the Mac

Reduce Eye Strain and Work Better

LookAway is a smart break reminder app that helps in reducing eye strain, CVS, and digital fatigue due to prolonged screen use, while increasing productivity.

Download for Mac 12.0+

brew install --cask lookaway Copied to clipboard!

It's highly effective

LookAway has helped 1000+ users improve their eye health. Here are some of the testimonials we've received:

"I often get carried away with work and end up with strained eyes, and LookAway has been a huge help.

It encourages you to take short breaks so that you are not staring at your screen for hours on end. It makes the experience peaceful. It's not interruptive like similar apps because it gives you a heads up with a notification that follows your mouse cursor so it's not unexpected. It doesn't break your focus and it only works when you're working. "

Brandon Butch, Youtube

“Love the app. Haven't had a headache since installing!”

Joshua Burri

“As someone who sits in front of a computer day in and day out for work, this app is so tremendously helpful for not only my eye health, but also my overall health. I will probably live longer simply because of this app.”

James Zhan

“This is by far the most polished and well-executed app in this category I have ever used. The way it gives a gentle heads up and the way it presents the break (as a reminder that you are doing this for yourself) is such a big game changer for me.”

Samuel Hinshaw

How it works

Once launched, LookAway takes a back seat and quietly takes care of your eye health - without interrupting your flow

Focus mode

LookAway tracks how long you've been actively working. If it exceeds the focus time you've set, your Mac enters rest mode.

Rest mode

To help you relax your eyes, LookAway gently blurs the screen of your Mac. Once the break is over, a soft chime is played.

No more digital eye strain

Based on the 20-20-20 rule that helps reduce eye strain and fatigue, LookAway puts your mac on rest mode at regular intervals (which are fully customizable)

Short and long breaks

Rest your eyes with frequent short breaks and relax both your mind and body with occasional longer breaks

Pre-break notifications

A gentle heads-up before your break lets you wrap up tasks and ensures your flow is not abrubtly broken

Easily configurable

Modify break intervals, durations, or choose to postpone - LookAway adjusts to fit your workflow perfectly

Smart and delightful

Idle time

LookAway smartly pauses or resets the timer when you're not working. It only works when you do

Meetings or calls

LookAway knows when you're in a call or meeting and pauses automatically so you're not interrupted

Video playback

Watching a video on Youtube or a movie on VLC? LookAway will make sure not to interrupt you

Scheduling

Enable the work schedule setting to make LookAway suggest breaks only during your work hours

Keyboard shortcuts

LookAway supports extensive keyboard shortcuts to quickly start a break, skip a break, delay a break, and more

Menu Bar app

It comes with a menu bar icon which shows the live status and gives you instant access to quick settings

Multiple screens

Using an external monitor or two? No problem! LookAway handles multiple screens without breaking a sweat

Sound effects

LookAway plays a gentle chime to let you know when a break is over and brings you back to focus mode

Native design

LookAway is designed keeping the Mac's design language in mind so it integrates seamlessly with the OS

Frequently asked questions

LookAway is a macOS app designed to help reduce eye strain by prompting users to take regular breaks after prolonged screen use, a practice recommended by many Ophthalmologists for maintaining eye health.

Every set interval, LookAway puts your Mac in a rest mode, blurring all your screens and displaying a timeout counter. This essentially forces you to rest your eyes, reducing the chance of strain from continuous screen exposure.

The breaks last for 30 seconds by default, but you have the flexibility to customize this duration according to your preferences.

No worries! LookAway sends a gentle reminder a minute before the break starts, allowing you to delay the break by 1 or 5 minutes if you're occupied.

Absolutely! Through the menu bar app, you can either pause the timer or choose to skip a break entirely.

LookAway is smart! It detects idle time and automatically pauses the timer. It restarts the timer when you're back, ensuring you don't miss out on essential breaks.

LookAway knows when you're in a call or meeting and stops for a while, so you're not interrupted. After your call or meeting ends, it starts back up, helping you take breaks and protect your eyes all day.

We'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email at [email protected].

From the blog

The Connection Between Screen Time and Sleep

Excessive screen time before bed makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep

Custom Backgrounds and Sounds in LookAway

Choose your own background and sound for your breaks

Introducing Custom Messages in LookAway

LookAway 1.8.0 adds support for custom break screen messages