# What are automatic breaks and how do they work?

An automatic break is a [profile]({{< relref "profiles.md" >}}) setting: once your tracked time for the day crosses a threshold you set (say, 8 hours), Swipetimes inserts a break automatically — 45 minutes, for example.

That break reduces your day's tracked total and, through it, your [time balance]({{< relref "time-balance.md" >}}). It isn't subtracted from any one project's time, though, since it isn't tied to a specific project.