Plain-language entry
Write 'call the dentist in 20 minutes', 'submit report tomorrow 9am' or 'stretch every 2 hours'. A live preview shows exactly when you'll be reminded.
Open source · macOS 14+ · Universal binary · Timers & Reminders
Reminders you
can't ignore.
Type a reminder in plain words and NagReminderBar re-alerts you every few minutes until you mark it done. Press ⌃⌥R from anywhere to add one.
Free & MIT licensed · Apple Silicon & Intel · Latest release
Features
Built to get things done.
One text field, persistent nudges, and nothing leaves your Mac.
Auto-nagging until done
Overdue reminders are re-delivered every 1, 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes, up to a repeat limit you choose or without limit. Done, Snooze and Tomorrow are one click away in the notification.
Global quick-entry hotkey
Press ⌃⌥R in any app to open a floating entry panel. The shortcut is configurable in Settings.
Recurring and grouped
Recurring reminders move to their next occurrence when completed. The menu bar list groups items into Overdue, Today and Later, with a badge counting what's overdue.
Sleep and wake aware
After your Mac wakes you get a single catch-up notification instead of a burst. If notifications are off, nags fall back to a floating panel.
Local, with no network
Reminders are stored as JSON on your Mac. There are no accounts, no analytics and no third-party dependencies.
Screenshots
See it in action.
Install
Up and running in a minute.
NagReminderBar is open source and not notarized with a paid Apple Developer ID, so macOS needs one extra step the first time.
- Download NagReminderBar-macOS.zip and unzip it.
- Move NagReminderBar.app to your Applications folder.
- Clear the quarantine flag once, then right-click the app and choose Open:
xattr -cr /Applications/NagReminderBar.app
- When prompted, allow Notifications for NagReminderBar you can change this later in System Settings → Notifications → NagReminderBar.
Download
Get NagReminderBar for macOS
Free, forever. Built for macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Not notarized: on first launch right-click NagReminderBar.app → Open.
- macOS 14 Sonoma+
- Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel)
- MIT licensed · open source
- No ads, no accounts, no telemetry
- Built with Claude Code · how and why
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is NagReminderBar really free and open source?
Yes. It is free to use and released under the MIT license, with the full source on GitHub. If you find it useful, there is an optional Support button that links to Ko-fi.
What permissions does it need?
Only Notifications, so it can deliver reminders with Done, Snooze and Tomorrow actions. Launch at login is optional. It does not ask for Accessibility, Screen Recording, Calendar, Contacts or network access.
Where is my data stored?
Reminders are saved as a JSON file at ~/Library/Application Support/NagReminderBar/reminders.json. Nothing is sent anywhere, and you can delete the file at any time.
Why isn't the app notarized?
Notarization requires a paid Apple Developer account, which this free project doesn't have. Right-click the app and choose Open once to get past Gatekeeper, or build it yourself from source.
Was this written by AI?
Yes. NagReminderBar was generated by Claude Code from a written spec as a clean-room reimplementation, with no code or assets from any commercial app. The full source is on GitHub under MIT, so you can read every line before you run it. It has had less human review than a hand-written app, so bug reports are welcome.
Support ❤️
Built by one person, given away for free.
NagReminderBar is a free, open-source alternative to paid utilities. If it earns a spot on your Mac, a coffee keeps the updates coming.
☕ Support Or on Ko-fi