NotchMindSetting a timer on a Mac is easy. Keeping an eye on it while you work is the hard part. Here are the options.
The Clock app
macOS has a Clock app with timers, like the iPhone. Open Clock from Applications or Spotlight, choose Timers, set the time and start it. When it ends you get a notification and a sound.
The catch: the countdown lives in the Clock window, which you’ll usually have buried under your work.
Siri
Say “Hey Siri, set a timer for 20 minutes”, or type it to Siri. The timer runs in the Clock app.
A timer in the notch
NotchMind, which I make, keeps the countdown in the MacBook notch, at the top of your screen, where you’ll see it without looking for it.
- Its own timer: open the notch, go to the Timer page on Home, drag the ruler to the minutes you want (up to two hours) and choose Start Timer.
- Clock app timers too: timers you start in Clock or with Siri also appear in the notch, where you can pause, resume or stop them.
- Your alarm sound: Radar, Chimes, Constellation, Night Owl and others.
See set a timer from the notch and Clock app timers.
For longer gaps, use a reminder
For “in 3 hours” or “tomorrow at 9”, a reminder is better than a timer. In NotchMind you type it in plain words, like 3h or tomorrow 9am, on the Reminders page.