# Five Bells — user reviews > 39 indexed App Store user reviews of Five Bells by Mark Gould, rated 4.74/5 from 198 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 165 · 4★ 23 · 3★ 4 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 3 ## What do users think of Five Bells? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🔔 Great bell sounds - 👍 Exactly what users wanted - 💡 Useful for time tracking - 💰 Free with donation option - 🌙 Quiet hours feature appreciated - 🧭 Tells sunrise/sunset times - 🎖️ Good for Navy/Coast Guard background - ✅ Works well generally - 👍 Pleasant sounding bells - 🚀 Fast, helpful tech support - 🎯 Perfect for measuring day passage - 🎶 Pleasant bell sound resonance - 👍 Simple and useful free features - 🌟 Best nautical time app - 😊 Makes users feel nostalgic - 🗣️ Catches attention of other boaters - 👍 Great learning tool - 💯 Acts exactly as hoped **Cons** - 🐛 Quiet time feature doesn't work - ⏰ Time incorrect/chiming late - 🔇 Silence function doesn't work - 🔊 Too loud, needs volume control - 🔔 Half-hour bell can be annoying - ⌚ Doesn't work on Apple Watch - ⚠️ Number of bells doubled on iPad - 🔊 Bell pitch too low for outdoors - 🔔 App doubles strikes sometimes - ⚙️ Needs tweaking, bell sound choice - 🐛 Bells stopped working after iOS update - ❓ Bells strike when they want **Commonly reported bugs** - Quiet time feature doesn't work - Time incorrect, chiming late - Silence function doesn't work - App doesn't work on Apple Watch, only one ding - Number of bells doubled on iPad compared to iPhone - App strikes bells when it wants, not always when required - Bells stopped working after iOS 17 upgrade - App doubles strikes (e.g., 16 bells at noon) - Developer webpage link goes to an error **Most requested features** - Nicer clock interface - Volume control or loud/medium/quiet switch - Option to leave out half-hour bell - Ability to have app on Apple Watch - Choice of bell sounds - Fix Apple Watch integration ## Newest reviews (11 of 39) ### 4/5 — IpadOS 17 killed it. *2023-10-27, version 1.4* IpadOS 17.1 it’s working again. ### 5/5 — Looked, tried, disliked, until this *2023-06-30, version 1.4* Thank you for this app, which is exactly what I was looking for. Every other nautical/navy clock app has weird behavior with the current iOS version, or wants way too much money, or ??? This app acts exactly as I hoped, has options, managed the banners (or none!!) correctly and has decent bell sounds. THANK YOU!!! ### 5/5 — Very Happy *2023-06-21, version 1.4* Very happy with this app. Ever since Weems & Plath discontinued their ship’s bell app, I have been looking for a replacement ship’s bell/clock. So glad I found this one. I like the sound and volume level of the bells. We’ll done, and am really enjoying it. ### 5/5 — Only wish could be on my Apple watch also. *2023-06-09, version 1.4* Due to a medical condition I loose track of time. This app has been so helpful keeping me on track. Only wish I could have it along even when not carrying my iPhone. ### 5/5 — Simple and useful free features *2023-06-01, version 1.4* Easy to use. Quiet hours feature is a big plus. Dog watch bells also nice plus at no charge. ### 5/5 — Ships bell *2023-03-19, version 1.4* I like the app, when it works. It strikes when it wants to & not always when required??? Whats up app??? ### 5/5 — Very nautical *2023-01-31, version 1.4* Really dig this app. I’m a mariner who spent 40 years at sea and have retired and this little reminder every hour is pleasant. ### 5/5 — Five Bells *2022-11-11, version 1.4* Great app. Will be be treated to 16 bell at midnight, New Years Eve? ### 5/5 — The best nautical time app! *2022-09-02, version 1.4* This app is the best nautical time app I’ve ever used. Even people who don’t understand nautical time appreciate the productivity/focus/time management benefits of this app. Donate to the developers to say thanks and keep them going! ### 5/5 — FIVE BELLS Marine Watch Bells *2022-08-08, version 1.4* I'm giving this Five Bells app 5 stars even though it doesn't sound the bells consistently. It works more consistently than any of the other 3 marine bells apps installed in my iPhone. I have yet to discover how to keep the «Bells On» permanently for 24 hours … ### 5/5 — Home Sweet Home *2022-07-28, version 1.4* Makes me feel like I am back leaving on our sailboat again. Also catches attention of other boaters. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Apple iwatch *2023-11-15, version 1.4* If you have an Apple Watch, this app doesn’t work. You don’t hear the bells on the phone. It sends a notification to the watch and it’s only one ding. Thankfully this is a free app. Maybe if it worked, I’d give it 5 stars. ### 1/5 — IpadOS 17 killed it. *2023-09-22* After each IOS update I had to turn the bells ON. But with IPadOS 17 it stooped chiming. I have no clue how to adjust the IOS settings if there is a fix. The app no longer has a support website. It was great while it lasted. ### 1/5 — Apple iwatch *2023-04-12* If you have an Apple Watch, this app doesn’t work. You don’t hear the bells on the phone. It sends a notification to the watch and it’s only one ding. Thankfully this is a free app. Maybe if it worked, I’d give it 5 stars. **Developer response:** I’m sorry to hear that you’re not happy with the app. If you take a look in the ‘Help and FAQs’ within the app, there is a section titled ‘If you have an Apple Watch…’, this should solve the problem. If it doesn’t solve the problem, you can contact me directly through the same Help screen. ### 2/5 — Quiet time doesn’t work *2024-05-07, version 1.4* I really wanted this to work but the quiet time feature doesn’t work. Despite it being set to not ring from after 9pm to 6.29am to not annoy the hell out of my wife, we have just been awoken at 3.00am by bells and she reports hearing them every half an hour earlier. So it’s likely to be a delete from me unfortunately and a strong recommendation against them for people who like their sleep uninterrupted by bells. ### 2/5 — Too loud *2022-12-12, version 1.4* I like this app but deleted it after a couple of days. It really needs a volume control or at least a loud/medium/quiet switch like the old Weems and Plath app did. Otherwise, worked great. Would give it five stars if fixed. Also wish it chimed rather than clanged. ### 3/5 — Learned a lot *2024-05-08, version 1.4* This is great. I now understand how the system works, and it helps me keep track of time when working. I do wish the silence function worked. I have to turn my phone off when we sleep.. I don't mind hearing the occasional bell through the night but the wife is not keen. ### 3/5 — Quiet time no longer works *2022-07-22* I set the quiet time to end at 10am while my do not disturb is set to 7am in case of any important calls or emergencies, day before I was disturbed at 7 by the bells going off and found the times were reset to 0, so I reset to my usual start and end and it disturbed me again at 7. I’m going to have to set my do not disturb later until this gets fixed. Edit: where can I contact? The developer webpage link goes to an error and there’s no other places to see on the app listing. **Developer response:** I’m really sorry you’re having problems with this, but as far as I am aware you are the only one. I can only fix issues if people contact me to let me know there is a problem, rather than through a review. This is a ‘live’ app, continuously updated when necessary - one that I use myself every day. Please contact me and I will help to get this resolved. There have been some issues with hacking attempts on the website that are in the process of being resolved. Contact can be made through ‘Contact’ on the ‘About’ screen in the app. ### 3/5 — Maybe someday *2021-11-19, version 1.1* Been evaluating for a couple of days now, and unfortunately I can’t get behind it. The pitch of the bells is too low. It’s too hard to hear outdoors. It sounds as if an actual ship’s bell is being used. Aboard ship, very small bells are used on the quarterdeck or in the pilot house. These smaller bells have a much more pleasing “tinny” sound to them. Much better for hearing outdoors or in louder environments. It’d be nice if there were volume controls within the app independent of the phone’s controls. Also, I don’t care for the visual notifications and I can’t see the need for barometric pressures and temperatures. There are other apps for that. All I’m looking for are ships bells that run in the background. But, I’ll hold onto yours in the meantime. Still hoping. 11/19: New issue. If you’re using, say, YouTube when the bells strike, the app will double-strike. For instance: At 1200 hours (12:00), the app will strike 8 bells . . . twice. Two notifications, 16 bells. ### 4/5 — Time incorrect *2024-11-01, version 1.4* I’ve had this app for quite a while and love it but just recently it started chiming late. Not sure if this can be fixed by the designers but I hope it can. Please try! ### 4/5 — Good app but not customizable *2023-11-27, version 1.4* I used to have a ships bills app on my android that was like this one and I really enjoyed it. The bell sound is really great, the only thing I wish is you could customize it so you can leave out the half hour bell. The bell is going off every 30 minutes can get annoying and distracting very quickly. I had to delete the app because of that reason ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — I wish you joy! *2026-08-06, version 1.4* Nothing beats this app. I love it. A glass of wine with you, sir! ### 5/5 — Perfect *2026-03-06, version 1.4* Just perfect. ### 5/5 — Five bells 🔔 GREAT *2026-01-13, version 1.4* Thank you for having such a good bell 🔔 clock app had an tried others some not loud enough an or not working at all ect, but this one is the best one update it once in awhile an maybe a nicer clock but good other wise 👍👍👍👍👍 ### 5/5 — Fun *2025-01-13, version 1.4* It’s fun. I pretty much can tell time with it all through the night. It’s not intrusive, it’s sort of subliminal During the day it’s a conversation starter. Old sailors hardly seem to hear it. ### 5/5 — Exactly what I wanted *2024-07-18, version 1.4* Standard US Navy six four-hour "watches", appropriate bells on the half-hour. Settings can be customized to your preference -- bells can be "standard", "quieter", or "gentle" (I like the "quieter" bells -- sound is perfect for me). This free app works very well, and doesn't bug you with "in app purchases", so I was quite happy to donate to the author's "tip jar". ### 5/5 — Bells and more *2024-05-25, version 1.4* This app is perfect. It makes the bells, has a quiet option to silence the bells overnight, and uses lat/long to also tell the times of sunrise/set and moonrise/set. ### 5/5 — Great learning tool *2023-11-22, version 1.4* It’s easy to use and a great learning tool. When I watch the seafaring movies I enjoy knowing what the bells mean ### 5/5 — Eight Bells and all’s well *2023-11-20, version 1.4* I’m retired US Navy. If you have a Naval or Coast Guard background and understand the eight bell cycle of time-telling, then this is the app for you. Easy to configure. Pleasant sounding ring tone on the bell itself. Overall, a fun way to keep track of time throughout the day without taking your iPhone out of pocket to glance at it. ### 5/5 — No bells anymore *2023-10-03, version 1.4* No bells after iOS 17 upgrade this morning. I hope there’s gonna be an update to the app. ### 5/5 — Stopped Working *2023-09-29, version 1.4* Stopped working after latest iOS update on iPhone 11 Pro. Sad now. Another bell app had done this and they are no more. Hope updates are pending --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-06.*