A cross-platform desktop app that reminds you to take regular breaks to prevent strain and boost productivity.
Stretchly is a cross-platform desktop application that reminds computer users to take regular breaks. It helps prevent repetitive strain injuries, eye fatigue, and mental burnout by enforcing periodic pauses from screen time. The app runs in the system tray and displays customizable break windows with suggestions for stretches or relaxation.
Developers, knowledge workers, students, and anyone who spends long hours in front of a computer and wants to improve their ergonomic habits and productivity through structured breaks.
Developers choose Stretchly for its high customizability, cross-platform support, and non-intrusive design. Unlike simple timers, it offers advanced features like idle detection, Do Not Disturb integration, and a rich preferences system, all while being free and open-source.
The break time reminder app
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Allows fine-tuning of break intervals, durations, and appearance through both GUI and JSON configuration, as detailed in the Advanced Preferences section with options like 'microbreakDuration' and 'breakIdeas'.
Offers native installers for macOS, Windows, and Linux, including support for package managers like Homebrew, Chocolatey, and winget, making it easy to deploy on various systems.
Integrates idle time detection and Do Not Disturb settings to pause breaks automatically, reducing interruptions during inactive periods, with configurable thresholds via JSON.
Provides a command-line interface for controlling breaks and advanced JSON preferences for scripting and deep customization, appealing to developers who need automation.
Requires manual steps like terminal commands or Homebrew flags to run on macOS due to lack of app signing, which can be confusing for non-technical users.
Has known issues such as broken idle detection on Wayland and autostart problems in Flathub and Microsoft Store builds, limiting functionality on some systems without workarounds.
Being an Electron app, it may consume more memory and CPU than lightweight native alternatives, which could be a concern on resource-constrained machines.