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Support

We're glad you're brewing with it.

Have a question, a bug, or an idea? Email hello@gongfutimer.app and you'll hear back. Please include your operating system and app version if it's a problem.

Common questions

Does it work over other apps?

Yes — that's the point. On Windows the widget floats on top while a steep is running and during the “ready” window, then steps back when idle. You can set it to always stay on top, or never, in Settings.

Why did I see a warning when installing?

If you installed a direct download rather than the store version, Windows may show an “unknown publisher” notice because the build isn't code-signed yet. The Microsoft Store version is the trusted, one-click way to install.

macOS: “Gongfu Timer can’t be opened” — how to install

The Mac build isn’t notarized by Apple yet, so the first time you open it macOS asks you to confirm. It’s safe — just a one-time step:

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg and drag Gongfu Timer into your Applications folder.
  2. In Applications, right-click (or Control-click) Gongfu Timer and choose Open, then Open again in the dialog. After this first time it launches normally.
  3. If macOS instead says the app is “damaged” or can’t be opened, open Terminal and run:
    xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Gongfu Timer.app"
    then open it normally. (This just clears the “downloaded from the internet” flag.)

A properly signed & notarized build (no warnings at all) is on the roadmap.

Where is my data kept?

Entirely on your own computer, in your user application-data folder — your teas, steep counts, and settings. Nothing is sent anywhere. See our privacy policy.

How do the steep times work?

Each tea has a list of steep times plus a small increment that's added for steeps beyond the list — so long sessions keep getting sensible times. Pick a preset when you add a tea, then adjust to taste. You can nudge any steep by ±5 seconds before starting it.

Will there be a Mac or phone version?

There's a macOS build (universal — Intel and Apple Silicon); see the install note above for the one-time “Open” step. A mobile version is planned too — on phones the always-on-top idea becomes a lock-screen / notification experience, since phones don't float windows.

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