# 20-20-20 Timer for Mac > A calm 20-20-20 timer for Mac that lives in the menu bar and nudges you to look away without derailing your work. A good eye break timer should be easy to forget until it matters. Twenty sits in the Mac menu bar, keeps the 20-20-20 rhythm close, and gives you a small nudge when your eyes have been locked on the same few inches of glass for too long. A 20-20-20 timer reminds you to look away from close-up screen work about every 20 minutes for about 20 seconds. Twenty brings that habit to the Mac menu bar. ## What the 20-20-20 rule is The usual version is simple: about every 20 minutes, look roughly 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. It is not a cure-all, and Twenty is not a medical app. It is a practical reminder for a habit that is easy to forget when work gets sticky. Mayo Clinic and the American Optometric Association both describe breaks, blinking, and screen setup as part of reducing screen-related discomfort. Twenty handles the remembering part, then gets out of the way. ## Why a Mac timer helps Most people do not ignore breaks because they are reckless. They ignore breaks because the current tab, build, canvas, message, or sentence feels more urgent. A timer turns the decision into a small routine instead of a debate. The Mac menu bar is useful for this because it is already where small status apps live. Twenty shows the next break, pause controls, and settings without asking you to manage another dashboard. ## A real afternoon It is 3:40pm. You have been reading a diff, squinting at two nearly identical lines, and somehow your face has moved closer to the display. Twenty appears. You look past the screen toward the far wall, blink a few times, and come back without losing the thread. That is the whole job. Not a productivity ritual. Not a lecture. Just a small reset at the right moment. ## Try the rhythm, then keep it on the Mac The free browser timer is enough to see whether 20-second look-aways fit your afternoon. The Mac app is the version that survives a closed tab: menu bar controls, a 7-day trial, and a one-time $10 license for one active Mac. The Mac build is signed and notarized. macOS may still ask you to confirm a download from the web before Twenty appears in the menu bar. ## FAQ ### Is Twenty a medical app? No. Twenty is a break timer for habit support and comfort. It does not diagnose, prevent, or treat any condition. ### Does the Mac app require an account? No. The native app can run without an account, and you can try it free for 7 days. Paid access after the trial uses a license key that activates one Mac at a time. ### Where does Twenty store settings? Twenty stores timing, reminder preferences, and day stats locally for the Mac app experience. ## Related - [Try the free 20-20-20 timer](https://trytwenty.com/tools/20-20-20-timer): Test the rhythm in the browser before installing the Mac app. - [What to look for in a Mac timer](https://trytwenty.com/best-20-20-20-timer-for-mac): Quiet reminders, menu bar controls, and local settings. - [Install the signed Mac build](https://trytwenty.com/docs/installation): Download, open the disk image, and confirm the menu bar timer. ## Sources - [Mayo Clinic: Eyestrain diagnosis and treatment](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eyestrain/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372403) - [American Optometric Association: Computer vision syndrome](https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/computer-vision-syndrome?sso=y) - [Apple Human Interface Guidelines: The menu bar](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/the-menu-bar)