What to do while Cursor’s agent runs.
You give Cursor’s agent a task and it goes off to read files, plan, edit and run commands. Sometimes that’s ten seconds, sometimes it’s three minutes. Here’s how to stop wasting those minutes.
Why the agent takes a while
In agent mode Cursor does real work for you: it searches the codebase, reads the files it needs, plans a change, edits several files and often runs your tests or a build. Each step waits on the model. Bigger tasks and bigger codebases mean longer waits, and there’s no reliable way to predict how long a run will take.
Step 1: let Cursor tell you when it’s done
Cursor can play a sound when the agent finishes or needs your attention. Open Cursor Settings, find the Notifications section and turn on the completion sound. There’s also a system notifications option that shows a desktop banner when Cursor is in the background. (Setting names can move between Cursor versions; search the settings for “sound” if you can’t find it.)
With that on, you can look away from the chat without missing the moment it’s ready.
Step 2: use the wait
Good uses of a 30-second to 3-minute gap all have one thing in common: they end cleanly, so you come back with your head still in the task.
- Watch the diff as it forms. Catching a wrong turn early is cheaper than reviewing it later.
- Write the next prompt. Draft the follow-up and list what you’ll check: tests, edge cases, naming.
- Stand up. Stretch, refill your water, look at something far away.
- Play one short round of something with an end. Not a feed: feeds are built to have no stopping point.
A game that fits the wait
That last one is why Bitty exists. It’s a small pixel buddy that sits on your desktop next to Cursor. When the agent starts, click it (or press the shortcut) and play a round sized to the wait: mental math, memory, patterns, logic, “what does this code print?” or a reaction test.
- Start your AI as usual.
- Open Bitty: click the little buddy on your desktop, or press Option+Shift+B on a Mac (Alt+Shift+B on Windows and Linux).
- Pick the wait: a 5-second Blitz, 15, 30 or 60 seconds, or a 5-minute Boss Fight.
- Press Esc when your AI is done. You’re straight back at your work.
Bitty doesn’t plug into Cursor and never reads your code, files or chats. It doesn’t need to: Cursor’s completion sound tells you when to stop. It also works with Cursor’s background agents, Claude Code, ChatGPT or a slow test run.
Try Bitty free
Bitty is a free download for macOS, Windows and Linux. The free plan includes 5 challenges a day plus unlimited 5-second Blitz rounds and the Daily Challenge, every core game and three buddies. Premium adds unlimited play, Boss Fights and more.
Download Bitty freeSee the games
More: What to do while your AI codes · Claude Code notifications · Brain games for programmers · Bitty vs CodeBreak