A macOS menu bar app for the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes of screen work, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
twen doesn't block you or pop up alerts. When a break is due, the screen slowly fades to grayscale, and the colour comes back once you've taken the break.
With Homebrew:
brew install --cask kannwism/tap/twenOr download twen-<version>.zip from Releases, unzip it and move twen.app to /Applications.
twen is not notarized yet, so macOS may block the first launch. You can allow it in System Settings → Privacy & Security, or remove the quarantine flag:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/twen.appTo build from source (requires macOS 13+ and Xcode 16 / Swift 6), run make app. The app is written to build/twen.app.
| Icon | State | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 |
Working | The lens fills as the 20 minutes build up. An empty eye means the timer hasn't started (it starts on your first input). |
 |
Fading | Break due. The screen is fading to gray, and the lid closes at the same pace. |
 |
Gray | Screen fully gray. It stays that way until you take a break. |
 |
Break | The 20-second countdown, starting at XX (twenty) and running down to 01. Colour returns as it runs. |
 |
Break taken | You were away for at least a minute while the screen was gray. Colour returns on your next input. |
 |
Paused | Paused from the menu (1 hour / until tomorrow) or because you're on battery. |
 |
On hold | Something that shouldn't be interrupted is running (see below). |
States with an arbitrary fill are shown half full. Wherever the pupil sits below the fill line, it's drawn as a hole instead of solid.
Start a break from the menu or with the global shortcut (default ⌥⌘B).
twen won't start or continue fading while any of these is true:
- Display-sleep power assertion: an app is holding
PreventUserIdleDisplaySleep. Video players, presentations, video calls and games do this. - Screen sharing: Screen Sharing / Remote Desktop style sessions.
- Camera in use: most likely a video call.
- Fullscreen window: a window covers an entire display.
While one of these is active, colour comes back within 2 seconds and the eye shows the hollow square. The timer stays full rather than resetting, and once the signal clears the fade starts over from the beginning.
The work timer also stops counting when you're not at the keyboard:
- Idle for 1–3 minutes pauses the timer. Idle for more than 3 minutes resets it.
- Screen lock, sleep and switching users count as idle.
- A manual pause, or Pause while on battery in Settings.
GPLv3. See LICENSE.