[Feature request]: fixed break times

[tharban]

Version

• I'm using version 1.17.2

Existing requests

• I've checked Existing requests

Advanced Preferences

• I've checked Advanced Preferences

What operating system are you using?

Windows

Operating System Version

Windows 11 (latest)

Problem description

I struggle with taking lunch breaks or ending to work. But I love the way how stretchly shows reminders without being annoying. I want to use that.

Possible solution

A new type of break, that pops up at predefined times of the day. With a separate notification. Maybe with a different color/icon. Could be just within the JSON config file.

If you give me a pointer, I could look into how to implement that.

Alternative solutions

Calendar reminders or blockers do not work for me.

Another separate app to enforce breaks would be redundant. And it would look different and obnoxious. Also, I don’t know one that I would use. Other than Windows on board methods.

A significant other calling for lunch with work if I had that.
Colleagues that go for lunch in parallel that I see walking by would help. But I work from home. So no dice.

Additional information

No response

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

[tharban]

Is it possible to trigger stretchly with a custom message? Then I could schedule that with a cron job or the Windows task scheduler.

[hovancik]

Hi @tharban there is a command line interface, so yes :)

Usage: stretchly <command> [options]

Commands:
        stretchly help            Show this help message
        stretchly version         Show current Stretchly version
        stretchly logs            Show location of logs file
        stretchly reset           Reset breaks
        stretchly pause [options] Pause breaks
        stretchly resume          Resume from a pause
        stretchly toggle          Pause/unpause breaks
        stretchly mini [options]  Skip to the Mini Break, customize it
        stretchly long [options]  Skip to the Long Break, customize it
        stretchly preferences     Open Preferences window

Options:
        -T, --title    Specify title for next break (Long or Mini)
        -t, --text     Specify text for next break (Long Break only)
        -n, --noskip   Do not skip directly to this break (Long or Mini)
        -w, --wait     Specify an interval to wait before skipping to this break (Long or Mini) [HHhMMm|HHh|MMm|MM]
        -d, --duration Specify duration for pausing breaks (Pause only) [indefinitely|until-morning|HHhMMm|HHh|MMm|MM]

Examples:
        stretchly pause                                  Pause breaks indefinitely
        stretchly pause -d 60                            Pause breaks for one hour
        stretchly pause -d 1h                            Pause breaks for one hour
        stretchly pause -d 1h20m                         Pause breaks for one hour and twenty minutes
        stretchly mini -T "Stretch up!"                  Start a Mini Break, with the title "Stretch up!"
        stretchly long -T "Stretch up!" --noskip         Set the next Break's title to "Stretch up!"
        stretchly long -T "Stretch up!" -t "Go stretch!" Start a long break, with the title "Stretch up!" and text "Go stretch!"   
        stretchly long -w 20m -T "Stretch up!"           Wait 20 minutes, then start a long break with the title set to "Stretch up!"
        stretchly preferences                            Open Preferences window

[tharban]

I scheduled it like follows with these arguments:

long -T "Mittagessen!" -t "Man kann nicht gut denken, gut lieben, gut schlafen, wenn man nicht gut gegessen hat!"

But when it klicks in and expires it does not autoclose like any other interception.

[hovancik]

@tharban could please explain what do you mean?

if I understand correctly you say that Break window is not closing when it recheas zero?

edit: just tested this and seems to works fine for me.

[tharban]

This is correct. I need to add that I went on break early so the scheduler kicked in while the machine was locked. I unlocked my machine and the scheduler triggered, the break timer went down. I waited for the timer to finish. Because it was a non skippable break. And the gray overlay just stayed. Am Mo, 15. Sep 2025, um 14:19, schrieb Jan Hovancik:

…

*hovancik* left a comment (hovancik/stretchly#1638) <#1638 (comment)> @tharban <https://github.com/tharban> could please explain what do you mean? if I understand correctly you say that Break window is not closing when it recheas zero? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1638 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AALJVWJV7QIOIA7LPUEI6AD3S2VFPAVCNFSM6AAAAACGGUVVROVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTEOJRHA4DGOJRGE>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- Nils Drews ***@***.***

[hovancik]

Hi, just released new version, can you try with that?

If issue is still there, can you please tell me what you used to set your setup and make a screenshot of error? thx

[tharban]

Can you commit the latest release to winget? I am managing all my installations from there and would like to keep it that way. Not sure what happens if I simply install something manually now.

[hovancik]

Created PR https://github.com/microsoft/winget-pkgs/pull/293332/files

[gomomentus-nilsd]

Interestingly I could approve this PR!? Wondering if I should ...

Will test as soon as it's available on winget.

[hovancik]

yeah, there is some issue with the tool that I used to create a PR, so it is not accepted yet. will have to fix it somehow.

[hovancik]

latest version is in there :)

[alexandrucojocaru-creatopy]

@hovancik Any plans to add fixed timers in the app? I would also like to be able to schedule a break at a fixed time and have it repeat every X minutes/hours. I could not find an app that does this, at least on macOS, so I think this would be a nice and unique feature.

[hovancik]

@alexandrucojocaru-creatopy hi, i don't plan to do that, it would probably be big change to already complicated system. (TBH I am scared to touch current system).

There's lateron.app that I did as alternative approach, you can try that, but it is different, only regular notifications.

[alexandrucojocaru-creatopy]

@hovancik Hi and thanks for the quick response. For me, LaterOn does not work, I'm not getting any reminder on macOS. I'll continue using Stretchly to mimic this. Thanks a lot for your work!