Break Reminder
Gentle, timed reminders to rest your eyes, fix your posture, stretch, move and drink water during long screen sessions.
- Q Press Q in the popup
- Runs in your browser
- Opens in the DevToolkit popup
A break reminder for long days at the screen
Break Reminder helps you look after your eyes and body while you work. Pick the reminders that suit you and DevToolkit sends a short desktop notification at the right interval, with a simple instruction you can follow in a few seconds. Turn each one on or off whenever you like.
Thirteen reminders in five groups
- Eyes: the 20-20-20 rule (look 20 feet away for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes), the 20-20-20-20 variant with blinking, a blink reminder, dry eye relief and palming.
- Body: posture check, shoulder relax, wrist stretch and neck stretch, at 25 to 60 minute intervals.
- Movement: a walk break every hour to get your circulation going.
- Focus: the 50-10 rule (50 minutes of work, 10 minutes away) and a one-hour screen break.
- Health: a reminder to drink a glass of water every hour.
Setup tips that help all day
Alongside the timed reminders, Break Reminder shares simple setup advice: keep your screen 50 to 70 cm from your eyes, put the top of the screen slightly below eye level, match brightness to the room, reduce blue light after sunset, get time outdoors, and stay off screens before bed.
Why small breaks matter
Hours of close-up screen work tire the eye muscles, reduce blinking and lead to dry, sore eyes and headaches. Sitting still stiffens the neck, shoulders and wrists. Short, regular breaks are one of the simplest habits for easing that strain, and a reminder makes the habit stick.
Who uses it
- Developers and designers who lose track of time in deep work.
- Remote workers without a commute or coffee run to break up the day.
- Students on long study sessions.
Break Reminder offers general wellbeing tips, not medical advice. If you have ongoing eye or joint pain, talk to a professional.
Tip: Start with just the 20-20-20 rule and the posture check. Add more once they become a habit.
How to set up break reminders
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Open Break Reminder
Open DevToolkit and choose Break Reminder (or press Q).
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Turn on reminders
Switch on the eye, body, movement, focus or water reminders you want.
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Follow the nudge
A notification appears at each interval with a quick instruction.
What you can do with Break Reminder
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20-20-20 rule
The classic eye strain reminder, every 20 minutes.
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Posture and stretches
Neck, shoulder and wrist reminders.
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Walk and focus breaks
Hourly walks and the 50-10 rule.
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Water reminder
A glass of water every hour.
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Desktop notifications
Short, clear prompts on your screen.
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Setup tips
Screen distance, height, brightness and more.
Break Reminder questions
Is Break Reminder free?
Yes. Break Reminder is part of DevToolkit's free plan.
What is the 20-20-20 rule?
Every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds. It gives your eye muscles a rest from focusing up close.
Do the reminders work when the popup is closed?
Yes. They run in the background and show a notification as long as Chrome is open. Make sure Chrome may show notifications in your system settings.
Can I choose my own intervals?
Each reminder comes with an interval based on common advice, from 20 to 60 minutes. Turn on the ones whose timing suits you.
Try Break Reminder today
Install DevToolkit free, then unlock every Pro tool with one payment. No subscription.