Frequently asked questions
Everything people usually want to know before they install — what it counts, what it doesn’t, and what it never does with your data.
Is Touch Grass free?
Yes — completely free and open source under the MIT license. There’s no paid tier, no account, and no ads.
Which Macs does it run on?
macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Does it track me or send my data anywhere?
No. Everything stays on your Mac — no analytics, no network calls, no account, no servers. The only thing it ever reads is your browser’s active-tab URL, locally, to recognize AI sites.
How does it detect AI usage?
Once a second it checks what’s frontmost: apps are matched by bundle id, a frontmost terminal is scanned for AI command-line tools (including interpreter-hosted ones like node …/claude), and a frontmost browser’s active-tab URL is matched against AI domains.
Does time count when I’m not at the keyboard?
A second counts only when you’re present (recent keyboard or mouse activity) at an AI surface, or when an AI command-line tool is genuinely working in the background. Idle time and unrelated apps don’t count.
Does background agent time count — like a long Claude or Codex run?
Yes. If an AI CLI is genuinely working on your behalf and using CPU, that time counts even when you’re not typing.
Can I change the limit and the break length?
Yes. In Settings you can change the limit, the rolling window, the break length, the warning lead time, and exactly what counts as “AI” — which apps, which command-line tools, and which websites.
Can I skip or escape a break?
The break always clears itself on its own timer. There’s no anti-tamper daemon, so if you truly need out you can quit the app (killall TouchGrass); quitting mid-break just resumes the remaining time when you relaunch.
How is it different from Screen Time or a website blocker?
It measures active AI time specifically — across native apps, terminal tools, and AI sites — counts only the time you’re actually engaged, and nudges you with a calming full-screen break instead of a hard block list. It’s independent of Apple’s Screen Time and doesn’t touch your Apple account.
Will it lock me out or block me forever?
No. A break lasts only as long as you set, then clears automatically. It’s a nudge, not a cage.
Is it notarized and safe to install?
It’s distributed as a notarized macOS disk image. Download the DMG from GitHub Releases, open it, drag Touch Grass to your Applications folder, and launch it.
Does it have a Dock icon?
No — it lives quietly in the menu bar (look for the sprout). There’s no Dock icon and nothing in the way.
Why does it ask permission to read my browser tabs?
To recognize AI websites, macOS asks once per browser for Automation permission to read the active-tab URL. It’s read locally, matched on-device, and never stored or sent. Denials are shown in Settings → Permissions.
Where’s the source code?
On GitHub, under the MIT license, so you can read exactly what it does and build it yourself.
Still wondering something? Read how it works or open an issue on the project.
Time to touch grass?
Free · macOS 13+ · Apple Silicon & Intel