README.md

February 27, 2026 · View on GitHub

AFK

A break reminder for developers who forget to blink.

AFK is a lightweight break reminder that lives in your menu bar. It follows the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Simple, unobtrusive, effective.

Why AFK?

It was 2 AM. Four hours deep into debugging. Eyes burning, neck stiff, hadn't blinked in what felt like forever.

Most break reminders are either too aggressive (popup every 5 minutes) or too easy to ignore (a tiny notification you dismiss without thinking). AFK strikes a balance: a fullscreen reminder you can't miss, but with skip/snooze options when you're in flow. No guilt trips, no gamification — just a simple tool that does one thing well.

AFK vs Alternatives

Feature	AFK	Stretchly	Time Out	Pomatez
Open source	✅	✅	❌	✅
Fullscreen breaks	✅	✅	✅	❌
Menu bar timer	✅	✅	❌	❌
Statistics dashboard	✅	❌	❌	❌
Health exercises	✅	✅	❌	❌
Global shortcuts	✅	✅	❌	❌
App size	< 5 MB	~200 MB	~15 MB	~100 MB
Built with	Rust + Tauri	Electron	Native	Electron
macOS	✅	✅	✅	✅
Linux	✅	✅	❌	✅
Windows	🔜	✅	❌	✅

Install

macOS — Homebrew (recommended)

brew tap Harry-kp/tap
brew install --cask afk

macOS — Direct Download

Download the latest .dmg from releases.

First launch: Right-click → Open → Open (required for apps outside the App Store)

Linux — AppImage

Download the .AppImage from releases, then:

chmod +x Afk_*.AppImage
./Afk_*.AppImage

Linux — Debian/Ubuntu

# Download the .deb from releases, then:
sudo dpkg -i afk_*.deb

Features

Fullscreen break reminders — Gentle overlays that respect your workflow
Configurable timing — 15-50 min sessions, 20s-5 min breaks
Long breaks — Automatic extended breaks after multiple sessions
Menu bar timer — Always know when your next break is
Statistics dashboard — Track focus time, breaks, and streaks
Global keyboard shortcuts — Control AFK from anywhere (⌘⇧N, ⌘⇧P, ⌘⇧B, ⌘⇧S)
Health reminders — Stretches, eye exercises, and hydration tips during breaks
Skip or snooze — You're in control
Launch at login — Set it and forget it
No account required — Your data stays on your machine

Roadmap

Linux support (AppImage + .deb)
Windows support
Customizable break screen themes
Plugin system for custom exercises
CLI mode for headless/SSH sessions

Have an idea? Open a discussion.

Development

# Prerequisites: Node.js 18+, Rust, Xcode CLI tools (macOS)

git clone https://github.com/Harry-kp/afk.git
cd afk
npm install
npm run dev

Build for production

npm run build
# Output: src-tauri/target/release/bundle/

Tech stack

Framework: Tauri + Rust
Frontend: React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
Build: Vite