Timer

How the Timer Works

Unlike Pomodoro timers with fixed intervals, Set’s timer is flexible and tracks your actual work time. It counts up from zero, showing you exactly how long you’ve been working on a task or break.

The timer runs in the background, so you can switch apps or lock your phone without losing your progress. Both tasks and breaks from your Today view appear in the Timer view.

The Timer Screen

The 3.1 redesign keeps the screen clean and symmetrical:

• The large countdown sits dead centre. Tap it to start or pause.
• The ambient-sound button sits in the top-left corner.
• The subtask button (when the current task has subtasks) sits in the matching top-right corner.
• Play/pause, the navigation arrows, and Complete run along the bottom.
• Progress and remaining time show in the bottom corners.

The app-blocker shield badge that used to sit on this screen was removed in 3.1. The App Blocker is now managed from Settings.

Timer Controls

▶️ Play/Pause

Tap the large timer or the play button to start or pause timing.

Long-press the play button to reset the current task’s timer to zero.

⬅️➡️ Navigate

Use the left and right arrows to move between tasks and breaks.

Skip without losing progress: When you navigate away from a running task and return to it, your elapsed time is preserved exactly where you left off. Your progress is never lost when switching between tasks.

✅ Complete

Press the Complete button to mark the current task or break as done and move to the next item.

Auto-Simplify Timer

Turn on Auto-simplify while running under Settings → Timer to strip the running timer down to just the countdown and task name. As soon as you pause, the full controls come back. A companion toggle, Hide status bar when simplified, clears the system status bar too.

This is automatic and tied to running versus paused, which sets it apart from Minimal Mode below (a manual long-press toggle that hides the chrome whether the timer is running or not).

Overtime Counting

When a task’s estimated time runs out, the timer continues counting, into negative time. This recreates the feeling of a deadline ticking past, helping you stay aware of how much overtime you’re spending and motivating you to wrap up.

The timer display turns red to signal overtime.

Time’s Up alerts: When a task’s timer reaches its estimate while Set is in the background, you get a notification in your chosen style, so you never miss the finish even when the app is closed.

Overdue Alarm

Want a firmer nudge than a single chime? Turn on Overdue alarm under Settings → Timer and pick how often it repeats (every 1 to 30 minutes). Once a running task passes its estimate, the timer alarm keeps sounding at your chosen interval until you complete the task or pause the timer.

If Set is in the background, notifications take over so the nudge still lands. The alarm is off by default, and it only applies to tasks; an overrun break never nags.

Timer Subtask Checklist

View and check off your subtasks directly from the Timer page, without leaving your focus session.

If the current task has subtasks, tap the subtask button in the top-right corner to reveal a checklist. Tap any subtask to mark it complete. Your progress is saved immediately.

Ambient Sounds

Set includes over 50 timer sounds across Weather, Water, Nature, Atmospheres, and Rhythmic categories, plus dynamic weather combos (like Rain & Thunder), binaural focus tones for headphones, and real-time coloured noise (white, pink, brown, blue, violet, green, and custom variants).

Tap the ambient-sound button, now in the top corner after the 3.1 redesign, to browse every sound and switch between them live, without pausing the timer. Sounds keep playing when the app is in the background, so the timer can be a focus companion.

App Blocker (Pro, iPhone and iPad)

Block distracting apps, or whole categories, with Screen Time while a task timer runs, or use the Until Today is clear schedule so apps stay blocked until every task in Today is done. The App Blocker is set up and controlled from Settings (the in-timer shield badge was removed in 3.1, so it’s no longer managed from the timer screen). It’s an iPhone and iPad feature; the Mac isn’t supported. See the App Blocker documentation for details.

Control Center (iPhone, iOS 18+)

Add Set’s timer to Control Center for one-tap access. The control shows the task you’re timing and takes you straight to the Timer. Swipe into Control Center, tap Add a Control, and pick Set’s Timer.

Menu Bar Timer (macOS)

Turn on Show timer in menu bar under Settings → Timer to keep the running timer in your Mac menu bar, visible while you work in other apps. This is separate from the Floating Timer window below, so you can use either or both.

Floating Timer (macOS)

On macOS, you can open a mini floating timer window that stays visible on top of all your other apps. See the current task name and time remaining while you work, without switching back to Set.

To open: tap the floating window icon in the Timer toolbar.

Customization

🎨 Color Mode

Tap the task name or project label to cycle between color modes:

• Project: Color based on the task’s project
• Priority: Color based on task priority (Urgent, High, Medium, Low)
• Accent: Use your app’s accent color

🌓 Dark Mode

Long press the Progress percentage (bottom left) to toggle between light and dark mode.

📱 Minimal Mode

Long press anywhere on the background to toggle minimal mode. This hides all UI elements except the large timer, perfect for distraction-free focus.

Long Press Actions

The Timer view supports several long press gestures:

• Background: Toggle minimal mode (hide/show all controls)
• Large Timer: Switch between showing elapsed time or remaining time
• Progress (bottom left): Toggle dark mode on/off
• Small Timer (bottom right): Toggle between showing minutes only or full time format
• Play Button: Reset the current task’s timer to zero

Keyboard Shortcuts (macOS)

• Spacebar: Play/Pause the timer

Live Activities (iOS 17+)

When you start a timer on iOS 17 or later, Set displays a Live Activity on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro and later).

🔒 Lock Screen

See your current task and timer without unlocking your phone.

🏝️ Dynamic Island

Running timer visible at the top of your screen (iPhone 14 Pro+).