Mushroom
A pixel-art pet that lives on your desktop and reminds you to drink water, take breaks and rest your eyes.
Hands the job of remembering your breaks to something cute that never forgets.
Mushroom is a tiny pixel-art pet that sits on your Mac desktop and looks after you while you work. It nudges you to drink water, stand up, take a break and rest your eyes, so you don't have to remember any of it yourself.
It's smart about timing. Mushroom stays quiet when you've stepped away from your desk, so you don't come back to a stack of reminders for breaks you already took.
The pet is the point. A plain timer is easy to ignore. A little character asking for a break is oddly hard to say no to, which is what gets people to actually take them.
It's a one-off purchase on the Mac App Store, with an optional membership that only adds online extras like messaging friends. Your data stays on your device. Mac needs macOS 15 on Apple Silicon, and there's an iPhone companion app.
Best for
- People who sit at a desk for hours
- Forgetting to drink water or take breaks
- Anyone who ignores plain timers
Skip it if
- You find desktop characters distracting
- You're on an Intel Mac
How to set up Mushroom
- Buy Mushroom on the Mac App Store, or download the 7-day trial from getmushroom.app.
- Turn on the reminders you want: water, breaks, eyes.
- Set how often each one should come up.
- Install the iPhone companion if you want your pet on your phone too.
Mushroom pricing
- Mushroom
- $9.99 one-offAustralian App Store price
- Membership (optional)
- $4.99 / monthAustralian App Store price, or $39.99 a year. Online extras only
Prices in Australian dollars unless noted, checked November 2026. Prices change, so check Mushroom's own site before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Mushroom remind me to do?
Drink water, take breaks, stand up and rest your eyes. You choose which reminders are on.
How much does Mushroom cost?
$9.99 once on the Australian App Store as of November 2026. An optional membership adds online extras like messaging friends, but the reminders don't need it.
Will it nag me when I'm away from my desk?
No. Mushroom notices when you're away and holds off on reminders until you're back.
What do I need to run Mushroom?
A Mac with Apple Silicon on macOS 15 or later. There's also an iPhone companion app and a Windows version sold direct.
Alternatives in the stack
Workflo
NewMac app that opens and arranges the right apps and windows for you before a meeting, a focus block or the start of your day.
Automates the two minutes of setup before every task, so you start working instead of hunting for windows.
Streaks
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Makes the habit itself visible and automatic to track, so keeping the streak alive takes the place of willpower.
One Sec
Adds a brief mindful pause before you open a distracting app, backed by a peer-reviewed study showing it cuts how often you open the paused app.
A tiny bit of friction at the moment of temptation, the same principle as automating price-checks so you're not the one doing the tempting re-check.
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