# Viraam — Complete Reference

> This is the extended version of llms.txt. For a summary, see /llms.txt
> Last updated: 2026-03-23

## What is Viraam?

Viraam (विराम, pronounced vi·raam) is a native macOS wellness app that helps people who spend long hours at screens take better care of their eyes, body, and mind. The name comes from Sanskrit, meaning pause, rest, or intermission.

Viraam is not just a break reminder. It is a context-aware wellness companion that adapts to your workflow — automatically detecting meetings and full-screen video playback, grouping overlapping breaks, and offering guided eye exercises. It lives in the menu bar and stays out of your way until you need it.

## Core Problem Viraam Solves

Prolonged screen time causes dry eyes, eye strain, poor posture, dehydration, mental fatigue, and disrupted sleep. Most people know they should take breaks but forget, get interrupted at the wrong time, or find existing reminders annoying. Viraam solves this by:

1. Making breaks automatic and gentle — not intrusive
2. Detecting when you're busy (meetings, videos, presentations) and waiting
3. Grouping multiple breaks into one to reduce interruptions
4. Offering guided eye exercises backed by the 20-20-20 rule
5. Tracking streaks and habits to build lasting wellness routines

## Who Uses Viraam

- Software developers and engineers working long coding sessions
- Designers spending hours in design tools
- Writers and content creators
- Students studying or attending online classes
- Remote workers on frequent video calls
- Anyone with ADHD who benefits from structured break reminders
- Professionals concerned about digital eye strain

## All Features in Detail

### 8 Break Types

**6 Break Reminders:**
1. **Rest Your Eyes** — Based on the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds). Customizable intervals.
2. **Stand & Stretch** — Movement reminders to combat the effects of prolonged sitting.
3. **Stay Hydrated** — Regular water intake reminders.
4. **Take a Break** — Flexible general break for coffee, socializing, or stepping away.
5. **Walk** — Short walking breaks to boost creativity, energy, and circulation.
6. **Meditate** — Mindfulness moments for mental clarity and stress relief.

**2 Animated Wellness Nudges:**
7. **Eye Blink Reminder** — A subtle animated reminder that follows your cursor, reminding you to blink. Reduces dry eye symptoms.
8. **Posture Reminder** — A cursor-following animation that gently reminds you to check your posture alignment.

Each break type can be individually toggled on/off with custom intervals ranging from minutes to hours.

### Smart Break Grouping

Viraam's signature feature. When multiple breaks are scheduled within 5 minutes of each other, Viraam intelligently combines them into a single notification. Instead of being interrupted three times in 10 minutes, you get one grouped break that covers all your wellness needs. Fewer interruptions, same benefits.

### Sound-Guided Eye Exercises

Full-screen guided sessions with sound cues. Includes palming exercises, blink sequences, and combined routines. Invited periodically after Eye Rest breaks and available on demand from the menu bar. Eye exercises use their own guided audio — separate from the themed wellness sounds used by break notifications.

### Intelligent Workflow Awareness

**Meeting Detection:** Automatically detects active video calls on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, FaceTime, and other conferencing apps. First time a meeting is detected, Viraam asks how you'd like to handle breaks — pause until the meeting ends, pause for 30 minutes, or remember your preference. After you choose "remember," it's fully automatic from then on.

**Full-Screen Video Detection:** Detects when you're watching full-screen video (YouTube, Netflix, streaming apps) and pauses breaks automatically. Uses the same prompt-then-remember pattern as meeting detection.

**Idle Detection:** Recognizes when you step away from your Mac and pauses break timers. Breaks resume when you return.

**Screen Sharing Privacy:** Break notifications are automatically excluded from screenshots, screen recordings, and screen sharing. When presenting on Zoom or sharing your screen, attendees won't see your break reminders.

**Multi-Monitor Support:** Works correctly across multiple displays.

### Three Notification Styles

1. **Subtle** — A friendly animation in the menu bar area. No modal, no interruption. Best for users who want minimal disruption.
2. **Gentle** — A toast-style notification with contextual wellness messages and exercise suggestions. Appears briefly and dismisses automatically.
3. **Immersive** — A beautiful full-screen experience with your own music, customizable accent colors, and guided content. Best for users who want a complete break experience.

Users can switch between styles at any time from Settings.

### Pomodoro Focus Timer

Built-in focus timer with customizable work and rest cycles. Supports intervals from 5 to 120 minutes with unlimited sessions. Includes a breathing animation during focus breaks. Integrates with the break system — Pomodoro breaks count toward your daily wellness streak.

### Apple Shortcuts Integration (8 Actions)

1. Take Break
2. Start Eye Exercise
3. Pause Breaks
4. Resume Breaks
5. Dismiss Break
6. Show Stats
7. Start Pomodoro
8. Stop Pomodoro

Build custom automations, create widgets, or chain with other apps. Works with Siri voice commands — say "Hey Siri, Start Eye Exercise" to begin a guided session hands-free.

### Focus Filters

Integrates with macOS Focus modes. Automatically adjust Viraam's behavior per Focus mode — pause breaks during Do Not Disturb, use Subtle mode during Work focus, or keep Immersive mode for personal time. Each Focus mode can have different Viraam settings.

### Habit Tracking & Statistics

- Current streak and personal best streak
- Daily break tracking (completed and skipped)
- Weekly and monthly summary views
- 365-day trend analysis
- Habit calendar with heatmap visualization
- Insights on your wellness patterns over time

### Sleep Wind-Down

A 3-step bedtime preparation routine:
1. Gentle nudge before your target bedtime
2. Wind-down overlay
3. Full-screen overlay at wind-down time
Resets daily. Helps establish a consistent sleep routine.

### Working Hours

Schedule active hours so breaks only trigger during your work time. Viraam stays silent outside these hours.

### Deep Customization

- Individual break intervals (minutes to hours per break type)
- Notification style per preference
- Sound selection: themed wellness sounds, standard system sounds, or silence
- Accent color theming throughout the app

## Technical Details

- Built with native Swift and SwiftUI
- Approximately 12MB installed size
- Menu bar app — no Dock icon, no desktop clutter
- Requires macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later
- Universal binary: Apple Silicon and Intel compatible
- VoiceOver accessible
- Light and dark mode support
- All data stored locally on the user's Mac
- No account required, no sign-in
- No tracking, no analytics, no data collection
- iCloud Key-Value Store used only for purchase verification
- Custom-built notifications (not macOS standard)

## Pricing

$14.99, one-time purchase. No subscription, no recurring fees. Every future update is included at no extra cost.

This is the early adopter price — our way of thanking early supporters. Price increases with the next major release.

14-day free trial included. No credit card needed. All features fully unlocked during trial.

### What's Included

- All 8 break types (6 reminders + 2 wellness nudges)
- Sound-guided eye exercises
- All 3 notification styles (Subtle, Gentle, Immersive)
- Smart Break Grouping
- Full Pomodoro customization with unlimited sessions
- Themed wellness sounds
- 365-day trends, insights, and habit calendar
- Full customization of intervals and settings
- Apple Shortcuts (8 actions), Siri, and Focus Filters
- Sleep wind-down routine
- Working hours scheduling
- All future updates

## Privacy

Viraam takes a privacy-first approach:
- All wellness data stays on the user's Mac
- No account or sign-in required
- No tracking or analytics in the app
- No cloud sync of user data
- Camera is never accessed (meeting detection uses app process detection, not camera)
- Break notifications are excluded from screen capture by default
- iCloud Key-Value Store is used only for purchase entitlement verification

## Links

- Website: https://www.viraam.app
- Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/viraam-gentle-break-reminder/id6756242904
- Support: https://www.viraam.app/support
- Privacy Policy: https://www.viraam.app/privacy
- Terms of Service: https://www.viraam.app/terms

## Category

Health & Fitness — Mac App Store

## Brand

- Full name: Viraam: Smart Wellness Pauses
- Subtitle: Guided Eyes, Body & Mind Care
- Tagline: Gentle Pauses for Your Well-being™
- Positioning: Digital wellness and eye care app for Mac
- Origin: विराम (Viraam) — Sanskrit for pause, rest, intermission