A stand up reminder for Mac that knows when you're actually working

A simple stand-up timer counts clock time: every hour, it tells you to stand. But if you were just away from your desk for twenty minutes, you don't need to stand up again, and if you're halfway through a call, you can't. StandUp is a Mac menu-bar app that counts only the time you're actually working, so its reminders come when you've really been sitting for a while.

Why clock-time sitting reminders get it wrong

A reminder that counts clock time doesn't know what you've been doing. It fires right after you come back from lunch. It fires while you're presenting. It's easy to end up switching it off.

How StandUp counts your sitting time

StandUp uses macOS's idle timer and screen-lock events to notice when you step away. It stops counting while you're gone and picks up when you're back. If you were away long enough, that counts as a completed break, so you don't get a reminder you've already acted on.

Calls are handled too. StandUp is built not to interrupt calls in supported apps: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Slack, Webex, Discord, or a web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge) for browser-based calls such as Google Meet. You can edit the list in Settings. When your camera or mic is in use with one of them, call time still counts as work time and a due break waits until the call ends. Fullscreen apps work the same way. If you use another call app, add it under Settings.

The break, step by step

1. A heads-up first. A heads-up card appears at the top of your main display before every break (60 seconds by default), with Start Now, Snooze and Skip. A small countdown also follows your cursor for the last few seconds (10 by default; adjustable or off in Settings). Snooze gives you 10 to 300 seconds, whichever you set.
2. A full-screen break. A full-screen overlay covers every display. The countdown, prompt, Skip and Lock Screen buttons are on your main display; the others are blurred and dimmed. The prompt is short, such as "Straighten your posture".
3. Back to work. When the countdown ends, you're back where you were. Gentle sound cues mark the moments before a break, its start and its end.

Suggested settings for standing up

Short breaks are a quick rest from the screen; longer breaks give you time to stand up and move. One setup to try:

• Work Duration: keep the default 35 minutes, or shorten it if you want to move more often.
• Long breaks: on by default at 2 minutes after every 2nd break; change them to 5 minutes after every 3rd break. With 35-minute work periods that's a stand-and-walk break after about 1 hour 45 minutes of active work; with 20-minute work periods, about once an hour.
• Wellness reminders: turn them on (they're off until you do) and add reminders you create yourself, such as "Stand up and stretch your legs".

The WHO's 2020 guidelines advise adults to limit time spent sedentary, and say that replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity, including light intensity, provides health benefits (WHO). StandUp is a reminder, not a health treatment, and can't tell you how often is right for you.

In one workplace field study, adding a 5-minute break each hour was associated with less discomfort (Galinsky 2000). StandUp's long-break length is configurable if you want to try something similar.

Wellness reminders

Wellness reminders are optional and off until you turn them on in Settings. Once they're on, StandUp shows small prompts between breaks, plus reminders you create yourself for anything you want to remember, like checking your posture or refilling your water.

StandUp vs a simple stand up timer

Single-purpose stand reminders do one thing: tell you to stand at a fixed interval. If that's all you want, one of those may be enough. StandUp does more around the reminder:

• It counts only active time, instead of clock time.
• It holds a due break until your call or fullscreen app is done.
• It gives you a heads-up first, then a full-screen break on every display.
• It mixes short eye breaks with longer stand-up breaks.

A note on posture

If you're searching for a posture reminder, know that some apps may use a camera to watch how you sit and warn you when you slouch. StandUp isn't one of them. It doesn't detect posture. What it offers is reminders: break prompts like "Straighten your posture" and custom wellness reminders such as "Check your posture". For many people a regular nudge is enough; if you want real-time slouch detection, look for a camera-based posture app.

See also: a 20-20-20 rule app for your eyes, how StandUp handles calls, and what helped my arm pain from typing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get StandUp to remind me to stand up?

Use long breaks. They're on by default (2 minutes after every 2nd break); in Settings you can make them longer, for example 5 minutes after every 3rd break. Use the short breaks to rest your eyes, and the long ones to stand up and walk around.

Does StandUp detect my posture?

No. StandUp doesn't use your camera to watch your posture. It offers reminders: you can add a custom wellness reminder such as "Check your posture", and some breaks prompt you to straighten your posture.

Does the sitting timer keep counting when I'm away from my desk?

No. StandUp counts only active work time. When you step away or lock your screen it stops counting, and a long enough pause counts as a completed break.

Will it tell me to stand up in the middle of a meeting?

StandUp is built not to interrupt calls in supported apps. When your camera or mic is in use with one of them, call time still counts as work time and a due break waits until the call ends. If you use another call app, add it under Settings.

Does it need special permissions?

No Input Monitoring or Accessibility permission. StandUp uses macOS's idle timer to see whether you're active and only checks whether your camera or microphone is in use. It never asks for access to them.