In short
- Every display, one moment. A separate full-screen overlay is drawn on each connected monitor simultaneously.
- No side doors. Always-on-top, Alt+F4 swallowed, and it follows you across virtual desktops.
- Hot-plug safe. A monitor connected mid-break gets covered too.
Why the second screen defeats break apps
Multi-monitor setups are the norm for the people most likely to need a break enforcer: developers, analysts, traders, editors, anyone who keeps documentation on the right and work on the left. Yet a surprising number of break tools were designed around a single display and treat additional monitors as an afterthought.
The failure is not subtle. The break fires, your main screen goes dark, and your hands move to the other keyboard-and-mouse-reachable window without any conscious decision at all. You have technically taken a break on one third of your desk. Eye strain, posture and the mental reset all depend on actually stopping, and none of them are served by a partial cover.
It is worth being fair here: for a gentle reminder app, single-screen coverage is a reasonable design. The problem is specifically claiming enforcement while leaving a fully working computer one mouse-movement away.
What StopBurnout does
- Per-display overlays. One borderless, always-on-top window per monitor Windows reports, shown together when the break begins.
- Mixed resolutions and DPI. A 4K primary next to a 1080p secondary, or a laptop panel at 150% scaling beside an external display, are all covered correctly.
- Ultrawides and vertical monitors. Coverage follows the display geometry Windows reports rather than assuming a landscape 16:9 shape.
- Virtual desktops. Ctrl+Win+→ does not produce a clean desktop; the break comes with you.
- Display changes mid-break. Connecting a monitor during a running break covers the new display rather than opening a gap.
- No fixed monitor limit. Three, four or more screens behave the same as two.
The overlay itself is only half of it. In the locked protection levels, settings are password-guarded too, so you cannot respond to a covered second screen by shortening the break instead.
Cover the whole desk
Full-screen breaks on every connected monitor, three protection levels, no account and no telemetry. Free for 14 days.
Test it on your own setup
Set a two-minute work interval and a one-minute break, then try each of these when the break starts:
- Move the mouse to every secondary display in turn. Is each one covered?
- Press Ctrl+Win+→. Does the break follow to the new virtual desktop?
- Unplug and replug a monitor. Does the reconnected display come back covered?
- Press Alt+F4 on each screen.
Run the same four steps against any app you are comparing. It takes five minutes and it is the most informative test in this category.
Common questions
Does the break cover all my monitors?
Yes. A separate full-screen overlay is drawn on every connected display at the same time, so no screen stays usable during a break.
How many monitors are supported?
There is no fixed limit. An overlay is created per display that Windows reports, including mixed resolutions and DPI scaling.
Can I escape using a virtual desktop?
No. The overlay follows you across Windows virtual desktops, so Ctrl+Win+Arrow does not reveal a working desktop.
What if I plug in a monitor during a break?
It is covered as well. Unplugging and replugging a display is not a way out of a locked break.
Does it work on a laptop with the lid closed?
Yes — coverage follows whichever displays Windows currently reports as active, so a docked laptop driving two externals is covered on both.