# Which timer lengths NotchStar offers

> 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.

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

Published 2026-11-04.

The NotchStar countdown timer offers six lengths: 5, 10, 15, 25, 45 and 60 minutes. You choose one from a menu next to the play button. There is no field for typing your own number, and nothing shorter than 5 minutes.

## How to pick a length

1. Open the notch and choose **Timers**, then **Timer**.
2. Open the menu on the right of the buttons. It shows the current length, such as 25 min.
3. Choose a new length. The timer resets to that length straight away.

Choosing a new length while a timer runs stops the running countdown and starts you over from the new number, so pick before you press play.

## Which length for what

- 5 and 10 minutes suit a quick break, a short call or a kettle.
- 15 and 25 minutes suit a focus block. 25 is the classic Pomodoro length.
- 45 and 60 minutes suit a meeting slot or a long work block.

## What is remembered

The length resets to 25 minutes each time NotchStar starts. The sound you chose is remembered. Timers do not survive quitting, covered in [what survives quitting](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-timer-after-quit/).

## If you need a different length

For work blocks, Pomodoro mode offers 25 and 5, 50 and 10, or 15 and 3. For anything else, such as 7 minutes, the Timer cannot do it. Details of the tool are on the [Timers page](https://www.notchstar.com/features/timers/).

## Quick answers.

### Can I set a custom length or a timer under 5 minutes?

No. The countdown offers six fixed lengths, from 5 to 60 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.
- [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.
- [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.
- [Does a NotchStar timer survive quitting the app](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-timer-after-quit/): 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.

## 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.
- [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.
- [Does a NotchStar timer survive quitting the app](https://www.notchstar.com/help/notchstar-timer-after-quit/): 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.