Burst Timers on Mac works like it does on iPhone and iPad, with a few extras: the time left in the menu bar and on the Dock icon, and keyboard shortcuts for every action.
Requirements
- Mac running macOS 26.0 or later
The Main Window
Set up Segments, Work, and Rest, and press Start. The window shows the countdown, the next period, and your progress through the run, just like on iPad. See Running a Timer for details.
Menu Bar
Burst Timers adds a timer icon to the menu bar. While a run is in progress, it shows the time left in the current period and its icon, or a pause icon while paused.
Click it to see:
- Before a run: your segments, work and rest lengths, the total, and a Start button.
- During a run: the current period, the segment, the countdown, the progress bar, and Pause/Resume and End buttons.
- After a run: All timers complete, with Restart and Done buttons.
Use Open Burst Timers to bring back the main window, or Quit to quit the app.
To remove the menu bar item, turn off Show in Menu Bar in Settings.
Dock Icon
While a run is in progress, the Burst Timers icon in the Dock and the app switcher shows the current period's icon and color and the time left. While paused, it shows a gray pause icon. The normal icon returns when the run ends.
To keep the normal icon, turn off Show Timer in Dock in Settings. The change applies from the next run.
Keyboard Shortcuts
These are also available from the Timer menu:
- ⌘ Return: Start
- ⇧ ⌘ P: Pause or Resume
- ⌘ Period (.): End the run immediately, without confirmation
- Return: Done, when the run is complete
Settings on Mac
Choose Burst Timers > Settings, or click the gear button in the main window. Mac settings include:
- Rest After Last Segment
- Work and Rest labels, icons, and colors
- Play Sounds
- Show in Menu Bar
- Show Timer in Dock
Saving workouts to Health isn't available on Mac. Mac settings are separate from your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch settings.
Help
Choose Help > Burst Timers Help, or click the question mark button in the main window.