Settings

Choose durations, cycle length, auto-start, notifications, and other options.

Open Settings from the app. Session options live in the Sessions section. Other options are under General.

Durations

Flow Duration sets the length of a Flow. The default is 25 minutes. You can also choose 15, 20, 30, 45, 50, 60, or 90 minutes.

Break Duration sets the Short Break and Long Break. Defaults are 5 and 30 minutes. Short Break options are 5 or 10 minutes. Long Break options are 15, 20, or 30 minutes.

Custom durations (1–90 minutes) require Flow Pro.

You can also change the current phase duration from the timer by pressing and holding the time.

Cycle

Cycle is the number of Flows before a Long Break. The default is 4. You can choose from 1 to 10 Flows. Changing the cycle requires Flow Pro.

Auto-start

Start Breaks Automatically starts the next break when a Flow ends
Start Flows Automatically starts the next Flow when a break ends

These settings are off by default. They are not used on Apple Watch.

Notifications

Notifications can alert you when a Flow or break ends. You can choose separate sounds for Flow Complete and Break Complete, set volume, and turn on Show Motivational Quotes so a quote appears after each Flow.

Flow may ask for permission the first time you start a session.

Sounds

Metronome plays a ticking sound during a Flow (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro). You can adjust its volume.

On Mac, Flow Pro also includes Enable Ticking Sound.

Appearance

Appearance can follow the system, or stay Light or Dark.

Commitment Mode

Commitment Mode is a Flow Pro setting. When it is on, you cannot stop, skip, or restart a running Flow. See Using the timer.

On Mac

On Mac, Flow is a menu bar app. It does not show a Dock icon. Open it from the menu bar. If the icon is missing, there may be too many menu bar items. Hold Command (⌘) and drag icons to rearrange them.

Launch

In Launch:

Launch at Login opens Flow when you log in
Show Window at Launch shows the main window when Flow starts
Reset Cycle at Launch starts each launch at the beginning of a cycle
Start Timer at Launch starts a Flow when Flow opens

Windows

In Appearance:

Fullscreen at Start of Break shows a fullscreen break
Hide Window When Timer Starts closes the main window when a session starts
Open Statistics in Separate Window
Keep Window on Top keeps Flow above other windows

You can also open a compact Mini window from the main window.

Menu Bar Icon style can be Default or Classic. Solid, Circular, and Progress bar require Flow Pro.

Show colored icon during break is available to everyone. Show session title in menu bar icon requires Flow Pro.

Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts require Flow Pro. These are not the same as actions in the Shortcuts app. See Automation for Shortcuts and AppleScript.

Local Shortcuts work when Flow is focused:

Start or stop timer — Space
Close window — Esc
Open settings — ⌘ ,

Enable Global Hotkeys lets you assign system-wide shortcuts for:

Start or stop timer
Skip session or break
Reset cycle
Show or hide window