Cooldown: native macOS app that tracks AI usage limits and reset windows.

Accurate sound and notification alerts the exact moment your Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini usage quota resets.

Cooldown is an open-source utility engineered by Salto Solutions. Built to solve the daily frustration of developers and operators hitting AI rate limits, the app runs silently in the macOS menu bar with zero battery drain.

Why we created Cooldown

Anyone using frontier language models in their daily workflow (such as Claude or ChatGPT Pro) knows the friction: you are deep in a complex task, hit the message cap, and get a vague notice that you can resume in a few hours.

Instead of checking the browser tab repeatedly, Cooldown tracks the rolling window and fires an interactive notification with a subtle chime as soon as your AI quota is unlocked.

Engineering and privacy highlights

100% Local

Zero telemetry, no remote servers, and no data tracking

Native

Built in pure Swift for macOS, using under 15MB of RAM

Presets

Built-in timers for Claude (5h), ChatGPT (3h), and Gemini (24h)

Open Source

Open source and distributed via Homebrew Cask for the global community

How Cooldown operates in practice

1-click timer trigger

As soon as your AI hits its rate limit, click the menu bar icon and select the corresponding service. The countdown begins immediately.

Instant reset notification

Even while running in the background, macOS displays the alert with a signature chime letting you know your AI quota has been restored.

Quick re-arm for new sessions

The notification itself includes a direct action button to restart the countdown for your next productive work block.

How to install on your Mac

Available for free on macOS 14 (Sonoma) and later via Homebrew:

brew install --cask erickakyo/tap/cooldown