Seconds Interval Timer Reviews

by Joane Joseph

I’ve had the Pro version of SecondsIntervalTimer for over a year and has been working fine, but after a recent update, SecondsIntervalTimer now crashes several times within a single workout. It usually lowers the volume of your background music when counting down between reps, but now the volume does not come back up sometimes, once it has been lowered. Also, sometimes it will not even beep to let you know that a rep is starting/finishing.
This problem has only been present over the last couple of months since the recent update, but the developers have yet to resolve the issue. And based on other reviews I’ve read, I’m not the only one experiencing this problem.
I even tried using their new Beta version to see if it would resolve the problems, but after a few uses started running into the exact same issue. The developers don’t seem like they will be resolving this issue anytime soon, so I suggest looking for a different product.

by SeptemberDjinn

SecondsIntervalTimer could have been useful. You can customize timers to suit your specific needs but you can only use each timer once before you’re prompted to to pay $5 to use it again. You can’t even reuse the preset timers that come with SecondsIntervalTimer without the same issue. So there’s really no point in putting in the effort to use the custom feature or try to use the presets. The developers are sure to let you know about this limitation but they burry the warning on the third page of information you have to click through the first time you open SecondsIntervalTimer and in the second paragraph of SecondsIntervalTimer description, which the user is actively required to open in order to see. The free version is basically useless. So why not just list SecondsIntervalTimer as $5 to begin with? Because fewer people are likely to download a $5 app. I might have been interested in using the paid version but I think this is a pretty crappy business tactic, so I’ll take business elsewhere.

by Eemm1212

I used to love SecondsIntervalTimer. It was the only one I could find where I could created a specific name and time for each interval in a set and audibly spoke the name for each exercise when it started. It also gave a 3 second warning beep at the end of each interval to let you know you only had 3 more seconds in that interval.

All of a sudden after several years of reliably working it has stopped! It doesn’t audibly say the name of the interval anyone and it doesn’t give the 3 second warning to let you know the interval is ending. Without those features nothing else significantly sets SecondsIntervalTimer apart from all the other interval timers out there.

Customer support wasn’t very helpful in fixing the problem as it’s still not fixed and they gave no ideas as to what might be wrong with SecondsIntervalTimer . There are also other reviews of people complaining that SecondsIntervalTimer all of a sudden stopped working and stopped giving audible warnings at the end of each interval.

by SQLguyJPS

This is an excellent app for anyone who does high intensity interval training during their workouts. Almost every aspect of a timer is customizable. Definitely worth the price to buy a pro license. My only two gripes are that timer beeps can't be selected separately for each part of a timer. You can only set a beep pattern for the timer as a whole. That makes it impossible to know what part of a routine you're on without looking at the phone, which can be distracting. Also, the option to disable music volume "ducking" within the timer settings doesn't work. The volume goes down with every beep pattern except the single long beep, even when it's switched off. Hopefully the devs will fix that soon, but until then, you can achieve the same result by going into SecondsIntervalTimer settings menu and changing the ducking volume slider to full. A wider selection of beep styles would be a plus, but the existing choices get the job done. If none of those issues seem important to you, then chances are, you'll love SecondsIntervalTimer.

by Jlewsader

This is a pretty decent app, especially for the price. Offers a lot of options to customize timers.
The main quirk I have found is that if you link it with Apple Health, EACH exercise in a timer will be input as 1 workout. So, if I have a circuit with 6 exercises in 3 sets, I’ll end up with 18 different workouts! That kinda messes up other apps I use to track heart rate zones & other stats, including Apple Health. And to make it worse, you MUST unable the Health app link to use the Watch app because it needs a workout session to stay active in the background on the watch. So.. needless to say, I only use this as a timer on the phone (which is sometimes a pain during a session) and have to use another app to actually track the workout :(

by Eldamien1981

The only reason I'm giving SecondsIntervalTimer four stars is due to the wonky integration with Apple Watch. Everything else about SecondsIntervalTimer is easily worth the price of admission. It's one of the only timers that uses built-in voice prompts so you don't have to look at your phone or even remember what the next workout is. It also allows for many custom workouts to be inputted - so I can easily just tap on my daily workout and get going without having to set up a new timer every morning or evening like other apps.

While Seconds does integrate with Apple Health I've never fully been able to get it to pull data from my Apple Watch. That's not a deal breaker but I consider myself reasonably tech savvy so it's a little baffling the integration isn't easier to pull off. Other than that this is the only app I'll recommend to anyone looking for HIIT or Tabata timers, hands down.

by R-dot.

After my first try, I’m pretty happy with SecondsIntervalTimer. The minimal but colorful designs and the animated transitions between the different timers give it a feeling of high quality. Editing workouts is a little repetitive, but that’s true of every interval training app I’ve tried. I’d like the timing of the voice cues to be a little earlier - if it said the name of the next exercise, then “3...2...1...” that would be more useful than 3...2...1... and then the name of the exercise, which doesn’t give you time to set your starting position. On a similar note, an option for a slight delay when you’re doing an exercise split between left and right sides would help with exercises like side planks, where changing sides takes time.

I appreciate that SecondsIntervalTimer can be downloaded free and tried once before asking you to spring for the paid version.

by Mountaingoat Fancysocks

I know it’s super nerdy to list a timer app as one of my favorites ever, but SecondsIntervalTimer is AMAZING. If there’s a paid version, get it! (I have had mine for so long, I think I was either grandfathered in, or I just ended up buying it when they upgraded it.) A few years ago I started experimenting with apps to help organize my life, and this one is surprisingly versatile. I use it in several ways: to schedule a full day of to-do’s where time management is crucial, for a short list of daunting tasks that are more manageable with time limits (pomodoro style), for multi-step mundane processes (brewing coffee, etc), for exercise intervals, yoga sequences, you name it. As a musician, it helps me organize my practice time. Also, the user interface LOOKS GREAT. It’s simple, but I love all the color coding and customization available. I have several timer apps and organizational apps, and this one is the most robust and customizable for time management. YAY, Seconds! Good job, developers! Thanks for making something so helpful!

by Beaudrybass

This is the first app of this kind that I’m using. I choose this based on all of the great reviews. I love that you can customize your workout in any way including setting a half-way mark and listening to whatever music you want. Going from one exercise to the next I do find it helpful to change songs as it resets your mind to a new vibe for that one challenge that you’re currently on. I only wish there was a button to give you a 10, 20, or 30-second break between exercises to re-set for the next challenge. But that’s easy enough to do on your own by just adding a customized length in between exercises so you can re-set your position before starting the next one.

by Blaisd

For apple users: if you want to be able to share SecondsIntervalTimer with family, do this: don’t upgrade SecondsIntervalTimer in response to the ads. You won’t be able to do family sharing if you upgrade because apple sharing is not available for “in-app purchases”. Instead, purchase the Seconds Pro interval timer from SecondsIntervalTimer Store. That way, SecondsIntervalTimer can be shared with your family.

This is a great app, as many others have described in great detail in prior reviews. I won’t repeat the great features here, read the other reviews. I do a variety of circuit training and HIIT workouts and enjoy making up my own routines. The timer has helped me keep on time, which made my workouts more intense and efficient. I am very happy with SecondsIntervalTimer and would buy it again. As it turns out I will buy it again since I can’t family share the upgrade. My daughter and husband both want the timer.

by CJMcTigue

Easy to customize for any workout. I use it for boxing rounds and the built in “boxing” audio adds a warning 3 seconds before the start of a round and 10 seconds before a round ends. // I would like a sound added to the “boxing” audio for the “half way” alert. //
I also make each round a different color so I can look at my phone from across the room and know where I am in my workout without having to see the numbers (my sight is blurry when my glasses are off). This is also great because I want to do different rounds at different intensity levels so I color the rounds based on my HR zones.
I’m happy I bought the full version so I didn’t have to keep recreating timers.

by Adam Alf

The only reason I wasn’t using SecondsIntervalTimer all the time was that I didn’t understand how powerful it is. Your own creativity is the limit. I made a complete exercise routine followed by a meditation routine all with text to speech prompts. I’ve never found it so easy to stick to a daily habit. Also, the support is world class, which is pretty unusual and should help anybody who is on the fence about spending five bucks on an app (I did the in-app purchase, but the Pro version offers family sharing for the same price).

Only criticisms are:
1. SecondsIntervalTimer seems to mess up my ringer volume when it’s open in the background.
2. A more streamlined iCloud sync of timers between devices would be welcome.

by AlbeeCakes

I never write reviews on apps.. And here I am, writing one. Not only that, but I decided to write this the day after first using it.
SecondsIntervalTimer is fantastic. I decided to take up jumping rope. I found a solid workout online where you have a four set warm-up, alternating between three exercises.. Followed by an eight set workout, alternating between different exercises. Sound confusing??

So I write it all down on paper.... Annoying, but whatever. Then I realize that I need to search for an interval timer because I don't have a clock in my jump rope space. I didn't want to use my phone stopwatch because I wanted it to be easy to listen to music.

I'm sure that doing all of that would have been possible, although pretty inconvenient. When the whole circumstance to starting my workout is too complicated, that's the best way to make me quit. I'm lazy.

So I spent ten minutes, setting up my customized interval workout for my new jump rope routine - pairing each type of exercise with a new song. And now I get to save this timer, along with any workout I challenge myself with in the future. What easier way to keep my workouts interesting and challenging!!

In short, Seconds is likely going to lead to a fitter version of myself. Thank you for making it!

by Ziipppp2

I've had dozens of timers on my phone over the years. But this is the only one that has the power, flexibility and simplicity to have earned and kept it's position on my phone's landing screen.

Seconds has dozens of features that I now have taken for granted and wonder why no one else has all of 'em.

Eg create folders for all your different timers for easy context and access (workout timers vs cooking timers vs boardgame timers etc).

Fully flexible speech so that you can be easily prompted what's next in a sequence.

And talking of sequences you can easily set up loops of time to repeat (eg Sprint/rest - do this 10 times) without having to enter it all manually.

If you really want to get creative you can set a timer within a timer within a timer etc for nested loops (I actually need this for one application). But you can quickly do something as readily as set a 3 minute timer for brewing coffee.

Creativity allows easy color coding.
Pragmatism shows with large easy to read displays that can be stopped/started/reset/repeated with easy pushes - nothing fiddly.

Support from the developer is amazing (as is his other app, Heavyset). All in all - SecondsIntervalTimer does amazingly in a world in which literally hundreds of other apps simply fall short. Invaluable.

by Bhgfdchu

SecondsIntervalTimer is simply superb. You’d think an interval timer would be easy to program; evidently not judging from the number of terrible ones on SecondsIntervalTimer store. First great thing about Seconds is that there is no subscription; it just costs a flat $5 to unlock premium. Second the user interface is perfect and flexible. Third, the Apple Watch integration is great and importantly the Apple Watch app is a standalone app that works without your phone.

Since buying seconds I have created numerous diverse workouts. I am exercising more and having more fine with exercise. Great app!

The only feature I’d love to see is a way to change intervals based on your heart rate, so you could automatically cycle a cardio workout between intense (eg 160bpm) and easy (eg 110bpm)

by DatOneSaltyPotot

I love SecondsIntervalTimer! It’s pleasant to look at and is very versatile with a lot of options to engage in almost any kind of workout you can think of. It’s also cheap to upgrade to the keep-your-timers version. I would make one, suggestion, though: that we can manually decide the order of our timers. Mine go by each day of the week and I’d prefer to have them in order. It would be more pleasing to see, easier to navigate, and go with the color scheme I made to better organize my thoughts for my workouts. I can’t get them into the right order using the already given organizing categories. Anyway, that’s really all I would change about it! If you’re looking for a reliable, easy to use, flexible and useful app for your workouts, this is the right app for you!

by Kiki 302

SecondsIntervalTimer comes alive with the full version. If you are just getting into fitness, you’ll be more likely to stick with it if you pay for it. I was skeptical about paying this much for the full version but after a week of use I know it was worth it. I used to always have to fiddle with my phone in the middle of a set, mentally taking my focus off of what I was doing. SecondsIntervalTimer solves that. It is the best one I’ve tried thus far for two reasons:
1. READABILITY- the screen is super easy to see and read at a glance while working out. The color backgrounds are completely customizable so you don’t even need to read. You can also have SecondsIntervalTimer announce which circuit you’re starting.
2. COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZABLE- there are ENDLESS options. Like soooo many. Use them, or don’t, but I have never seen this many options.

by Rockkandy

I rarely review apps but this one deserves the time to review. I have tried various workout apps. The best feature for me is designing your own routine and ease of editing and arranging the workouts. Importing workouts that others have used to create routines was great.

Now for the #1 feature I like about SecondsIntervalTimer, it announces each work out (if you set that) for me, not having to look at an animation or follow a person on video is best. Just all the exercise and lets me know when the next one is coming up. And you can add music to your workout bu tI tend to change my playlist so I keep that separate.

I guess if you need to watch it being done then this is not for you. I recently started jumping rope and see they use a similar timer style in that app which I find is great. No counting reps just do it as many times in that amount of time.

by Mateyasx

This is an awesome interval app. So many features that may overwhelm you initially, but there’s a well laid out manual in SecondsIntervalTimer . With a little bit of time and patience you’ll create custom intervals and alerts and tabata workouts. Now he’s even included a stopwatch feature! if interested, he’s even got a workout app called Heavyset that is also quality work for if you’re interested in logging your workouts.

I know he just implemented the stopwatch, but in the future it would be awesome to be able to save and log my lap times to track my progress (like in his heavyset app). I understand its not really the focus of SecondsIntervalTimer, this is more of an hiit app, but I envious a track and field or swimming focused app where you can keep track of how your mile splits and lap splits improve over time. Would be an invaluable tool for coaches as well. I would buy it in a heartbeat from this dev.

by Dkorz

I have been using SecondsIntervalTimer for over a year. I started with the free version to be able to set up run walk intervals that my running partners could hear. The free version was fine for a simple interval that I didn't mind setting up each time.

I now use the paid version for more interval strength workouts. In the training plan I am using, each week we have a new short strength workout with 4 exercises that I need to do for a minute each. I can program these in using the voice prompt to remind me of what is coming up next. Now that I am going through the plan for a second time, I even have all of these workouts already set up and ready to go. I even set up a prompt at the beginning and end reminding me to start and stop my Garmin recording! It even works when I am listening to podcasts or music while doing the workout. It has been well worth the small investment!

by -On The Rocks-

Instantly and repeatedly crashes just setting a HIIT timer with pretty much any or no settings modified. Can’t imagine paying 5 bucks for this experience.

Update: no longer crashes just trying to set a timer with durations (yes, I was setting durations), but now complains that the “timer has no durations” seemingly randomly. Set a duration, no go. Set 2 sets, no go. Change it to 1 set, ok go! Add a name, ok go! What?! Nevermind, that I still managed to crash SecondsIntervalTimer by turning the sets from 1 to 0 (why even have these options if they’re going to cause crashes? Make the default 1!).

The developer obviously cares and takes pride, but unfortunately the logic and error messages are a mess for a relatively simple app with a high price to go pro. In a market with so many other timers it’s hard to justify SecondsIntervalTimer over the others when it’s so buggy.

by Elly216

I want to use SecondsIntervalTimer to time my HIT workouts but I also want to record my workout through the “Workout” app on the watch—-but after I finish my workout using the Seconds app, and then hit done, it gives me an error—-something about giving SecondsIntervalTimer access in settings—-the error gives me the option to discard or dismiss. But only hitting Discard takes me out of the Seconds app. While my rings close, it does it not record the workout. I tried activating both the Seconds app and the Workout app at the same time, but after my workout the Workout app someone closed itself and did not record the workout. I’ve tried going online to see how I can “granted it access” and I’ve look everyone on the phone trying to figure it out, with no success. Can someone help please.

by Chinatimt

I use SecondsIntervalTimer several times a week and it is worth the upgrade! You can customize just about everything and the display is nice and large, especially if you put your phone in the horizontal position. You can have beeps and alarms for the different periods in your workout including midway beeps. The sounds of the beeps and alarms can also be customized. This is where it needs tweaking. I like having a beep to alert me to the next stage but I wish it wouldn’t lower the volume of my audiobook for a couple of seconds during and around the beep. Adjusting the volume of the beeps would also be helpful. On the upside, there are numerous sounds to choose from, even different meditation style gongs are possible. In general, I love SecondsIntervalTimer!!!

by Ptotheatsign

Seconds is a great app, one of the best I’ve ever used;, and well worth the small price.

It’s a very powerful app created by a developer who has thoroughly thought out what a user would want to do with such a program.

It allows me to easily set up several complex timers to use for an elaborate physical rehabilitation program. Without it, using a basic stopwatch or the built-in iPhone timer app would be a major inconvenience and impediment to successfully following such an exercise.

Seconds is not without a few issues, though, which I will highlight in the hope that SecondsIntervalTimer ’s developer will see them.

1. There is no ability to run an entire folder of timers with one button press. Such a feature would treat the folder like a playlist of songs in iTunes. This would be highly useful, and it seems like it would be easy to implement.

2. Sometimes SecondsIntervalTimer will not save changes to timers, such as modifications to the timer's name or duration. Eventually, if I make the change several times, it will often stick, but there sometimes seems to be no rhyme or reason behind this.

3. A phone call, and probably other interruptions, can cause a timer’s alert tones to stop sounding for the remainder of the timer.

by Dlm3 In TX

SecondsIntervalTimer is great to use for solo training. HUGE help in keeping me going and timing each exercise as well as each rest period. Especially appreciate the voice prompts at the half way and end for each exercise.

It has one minor flaw that I hope sees a fix in the near future. While I can cut, copy and paste timers from one folder to another, I can't rename a folder once created. It seems like a little thing, but everything else can be edited, so it would seem good to be able to edit folder names as well in the 'organize' mode by holding down on the item. (The workaround is to create a new folder with the correct name on it, then copy the contents from one to another and delete the original)

by Argella

I've tried a whole lot of timer apps for directing me through my exercise routines so that I don't have to look at a list or remember the order. This timer is the only one I've found that not only can speak the interval names, but also lets you define rest times, number of repetitions of an interval, and marking an interval as split left/right for when you do the same pose or exercise on each side! I like how the interface is so simple, yet you can use it to build almost any kind of routine. It could be useful for other kinds of guided routines as well; it's designed for exercise, but I could also use it as a task/break timer, for example. Very handy app and well designed.