Sand Timer 1.3.1

A realistic sand timer that sits on your Mac's desktop, above your other windows.

What's new in 1.3.1

• A natural shadow. It's darkest only where the timer touches the ground (under the base, or under the two end caps when it's lying on its side), fades softly outward, and disappears when the timer floats above the bottom of the screen.

Earlier updates

• 1.3.0: Float Anywhere, and smooth tipping over and standing up.
• 1.2.0: gravity affects the flow (drop it and the stream stops mid-air), about 40% less CPU, and natural-looking sand.
• 1.1.1: a smooth, steady sand stream.
• 1.1.0: 6- and 12-minute timers for 0.1- and 0.2-hour billing blocks.
• 1.0.3: new installs start on the 25-minute 🍅 Pomodoro setting.
• 1.0.2: Support Sand Timer… in the right-click menu; open source under the MIT License.

Download

SandTimer-1.3.1.dmg below. Open it and drag Sand Timer into Applications. Works on macOS 13 Ventura or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Signed and notarized, so it opens without a security warning.

Using it

• Click to start. Click again to pause (it tips onto its side) and again to resume.
• Drag it anywhere; let go and it drops to the bottom of the screen.
• Right-click for durations (1–60 minutes, including a 25-minute 🍅 Pomodoro), sand colors, base style, size, sounds, Start at Login and Hide to Menu Bar.

What's inside

• Sand that behaves like sand: a crater that deepens on top, a pile that builds at the bottom, a stream that loosens as it falls, and a neck sized to the duration.
• Flip, drop, shake and knock it over, and the sand responds.
• Remaining time on a display in the base that switches over when you flip it.
• Sounds made to match: sand pouring onto glass, then onto sand, shaking, landing, and a chime when time is up.
• Hide it to the menu bar with the time left and pause/resume.

SHA-256: 462e0f2fd230069d5be486fa49532b7c28da38ea5c42737f70535403f4a52f90