# Does a NotchStar timer survive quitting the app

> Timers reset when NotchStar quits or restarts. The sound you chose is kept. Closing the notch does not stop a timer; quitting the app does.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-timer-after-quit/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

A NotchStar timer does not survive quitting the app. When NotchStar quits, every running or paused timer, the stopwatch time and the Pomodoro session count are gone. When it starts again, the Timer shows 25 minutes and the Pomodoro shows 25 / 5.

## Closing the notch is not quitting

The notch panel closing, the Mac screen locking and switching to another app do not stop a timer. NotchStar keeps running in the menu bar with no Dock icon. A timer is stored as an end time on the clock, so it is accurate whenever you look.

## What is remembered and what is not

| Item | After quit |
|---|---|
| Running or paused Timer | Gone |
| Stopwatch time | Gone |
| Pomodoro phase and sessions done | Gone |
| Timer length and Pomodoro preset | Back to 25 minutes and 25 / 5 |
| Finish sound | Kept |

## How to avoid losing a timer

Do not choose Quit from the menu bar icon while a timer runs. Updates and restarts also quit the app. If a long block matters, open the notch now and then to check the countdown.

## Limits

The app does not save a timer across a quit, and there is no setting to change that. Details are on the [Timers feature page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/timers/).

## Quick answers.

### What if my Mac restarts?

NotchStar starts fresh. A timer that was running is gone, and the length returns to 25 minutes.

## Keep reading.

- [Timer, stopwatch and Pomodoro in the notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/timers/): A timer, stopwatch and Pomodoro with session tracking, always one hover away in the Mac notch. It keeps counting while the notch is closed.
- [Which timer lengths NotchStar offers](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-timer-lengths/): The NotchStar countdown timer offers 5, 10, 15, 25, 45 and 60 minutes from one menu. There is no custom entry. Here is how to pick one.
- [How to change or turn off the NotchStar timer sound](https://www.notchstar.com/help/turn-off-notchstar-timer-sound/): Pick Glass, Ping, Hero, Submarine or Funk for the timer finish sound, or choose No Sound to make it silent. The choice is remembered.

## More in Timers.

- [How to set a timer on your Mac with NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/set-a-timer-on-mac-notchstar/): Open the notch, choose Timers, pick a length from 5 to 60 minutes and press play. Pause and reset sit beside the play button.
- [How to start a Pomodoro session in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/start-a-pomodoro-session-notchstar/): Open Timers, choose Pomodoro, pick 25 and 5, 50 and 10 or 15 and 3 minutes, and press play. A ring and four dots track the cycle.
- [Which timer lengths NotchStar offers](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-timer-lengths/): The NotchStar countdown timer offers 5, 10, 15, 25, 45 and 60 minutes from one menu. There is no custom entry. Here is how to pick one.
- [NotchStar Pomodoro presets: 25/5, 50/10 and 15/3](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-pomodoro-presets/): NotchStar's Pomodoro timer has three presets: 25 minutes focus and 5 break, 50 and 10, or 15 and 3. Here is how to switch and when to use each.
- [What happens when a NotchStar timer ends](https://www.notchstar.com/help/what-happens-when-notchstar-timer-ends/): When a NotchStar timer ends it plays your chosen sound and resets to its length. It does not repeat, show a banner or move other windows.
- [Can you run more than one timer in NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/help/run-two-timers-notchstar/): NotchStar has one Timer, one Stopwatch and one Pomodoro, each with its own state. Only one countdown should run at a time. Here are the limits.