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20-20-20 rule timer

The 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes of screen time, look at something 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for 20 seconds. Start the timer and it reminds you every 20 minutes with a chime or a notification, then counts down the 20 seconds while you look away.

20minutes

Every 20 minutes of screen time

20feet

look at something 20 feet (6 m) away

20seconds

for at least 20 seconds

EYE BREAKS

20:00

Start, then forget about it.

TODAY

0eye breaks

An 8-hour screen day has 24 breaks.

SETTINGS

Keep this tab open. Reminders reach you in other apps when notifications are on.

Why screens tire your eyes

Looking at something close for a long time keeps the eye's focusing muscles working, and people blink much less while they read a screen. The result is tired, dry or blurry eyes by the end of the day, often called digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome.

The 20-20-20 rule, and what helps alongside it

  • Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
  • Blink fully while you look away.
  • Keep the screen about an arm's length away, a little below eye level.
  • Match screen brightness to the room and cut glare from windows.

How many breaks is that?

Screen timeEye breaksTime looking away
2 hours62 minutes
4 hours124 minutes
6 hours186 minutes
8 hours248 minutes
10 hours3010 minutes

Fewer hours on screens helps more than any rule. Find out where yours go with the screen time calculator.

20-20-20 Rule Timer
questions

What is the 20-20-20 rule?

Every 20 minutes you look at a screen, look at something about 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Eye care groups such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend it to ease digital eye strain.

Does the 20-20-20 rule work?

It relaxes the focusing muscles and reminds you to blink, which helps the tired, dry eyes that come from long screen sessions. It doesn't correct vision. If your eyes hurt or your vision changes, see an eye doctor.

Why 20 feet?

At about 20 feet, your eyes focus close to infinity, so the muscles that work hard for near focus can relax. A window, the far end of a room or a hallway works.

Will the reminders work while I'm in another app?

Turn on notifications and keep this tab open in any window. The timer keeps time from the clock, and macOS shows the reminder over your other apps.

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