# Simple Meditation Timer — user reviews > 104 indexed App Store user reviews of Simple Meditation Timer by Never Can Tell, rated 4.50/5 from 101 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-meditation-timer/id1318993458/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-meditation-timer/id1318993458.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 76 · 4★ 11 · 3★ 6 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 6 ## What do users think of Simple Meditation Timer? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Simple and minimalistic design - 🧘‍♀️ Perfect for meditation practice - ✨ Elegant and clean interface - 🚫 No ads or upsells - ✅ Does one thing and does it well - 💖 Beautiful gong/bell sound - 📊 Records mindfulness minutes in Apple Health - 💡 No bloat or unnecessary features - 🙏 Appreciated by users for its utility **Cons** - 🐛 Bell/gong doesn't always work - 🔇 No sound when screen is off/phone locked - 🔊 Volume too loud for headphones - ⏳ Timer doesn't work reliably in background - 🎛️ Limited customization options - ⚠️ Bell can be jarring or too loud **Commonly reported bugs** - Bell/gong doesn't ring sometimes - Timer doesn't work when phone is locked or screen is off - Gongs don't stop until manually stopped - Timer fell asleep and didn't go off - Bell stopped working after an update - Circle graphic doesn't fully reset - App not found in DND allowed apps settings **Most requested features** - Add Apple Watch app - Vibration feedback when timer ends - Option to set number of bells/gongs - Allow timer to run in background with screen off - Option to change volume of the bell/gong - Media controls for lock screen - Option to hide clock/interface elements - Interval timer with short signals - Singing bowl chime at the beginning - Open-ended timer that counts up - Silent (no bell) option - Visual hint when timer ends - Ability to select ringtone/music file - Add lock-screen support - Haptic feedback on Apple Watch ## Newest reviews (14 of 104) ### 4/5 — Bell doesn’t work *2026-05-20, version 1.1.2* Great app but bell doesn’t always work as others have mentioned ### 4/5 — really good but more settings would be nice *2025-10-21, version 1.1.2* like for example making the phone vibrate after the timer is up, i noticed that if i have my phone locked it just doesn’t give any feedback when the timer is up, and the bell only rings when the app is open and the screen is unlocked. also it would be greatly appreciated if there was an apple watch app so i wouldn’t have to use my phone, also prefer light vibration when timer ends on the watch, otherwise this app is perfect and there is no bloat and nothing unnecessary included ### 3/5 — Apple Apps Problematic *2025-06-01, version 1.1.2* Well, like so many Apple apps, there are always more problems than they’re worth. Despite setting this up to record sessions with Apple’s Health function, it doesn’t. I can’t say what the problem is but Apple has so many restrictions with how we can do things as well as how apps can function on their phones that this problem is not unique to this app. So it most likely has more to do with Apple than the app itself. Apples so called walled in garden has become a high security electric fenced in prison yard guarded by armed militia over the past 15 years. This will most likely be my last Apple phone if not product altogether. The limitations are just not worth the cost. I need technology that “just works”. Not toys that serve as front doors to subscription services. I sure do miss the Apple of two decades ago. ### 3/5 — Volume is too loud for headphones *2025-05-22, version 1.1.2* I would give this app 5 stars if it had an option to change the volume. I often meditate while wearing headphones to minimize distractions in my noisy home. The chime/bell is VERY loud and VERY jarring. and there’s no way to change it. No volume setting anywhere, and it’s not responsive to changes to my iPhone’s volume. Even if I wasn’t wearing headphones, I’m guessing it would be too jarring for me (I like my meditation chimes to be set at around 30-35%, and I’m guessing that this one’s probably set to maybe 80-85%), so I’m back out looking for another simple meditation timer. Aside from this deal-breaker, I absolutely love it. ### 4/5 — Great! Even better if … *2025-04-15, version 1.1.1* Great App!! I only wish I could set the number of bells - at the beginning and in the end: between 0 and 3. Would make it a great Timer for Zen Meditation. ### 3/5 — Health app? *2025-02-13, version 1.1.1* Health app integration? ### 5/5 — The best meditation timer there is *2025-01-09, version 1.1.1* This is simple, effective and won’t pretend to be something it ain’t, unlike most of the other ‘meditation’ timers out there, which are just platforms to sell more distractions! ### 5/5 — Awesome app *2024-10-25, version 1.1.1* Simple and no frills and just what everyone needs thanks ### 5/5 — Pretty much perfect *2024-10-23, version 1.1.1* Simple and without distraction. No ads or prompts before starting the timer, and a countdown I can see without my glasses. Ending sound is pleasant, I would just like to be able to change the number of strikes. ### 3/5 — Almost perfect *2024-10-04, version 1.1.1* This is almost the perfect minimalistic meditation timer app, but unfortunately no sound plays to indicate that the timer has ran out, which is a desirable feature ### 5/5 — Lange so eine App gesucht! Einfach und schön vom Design her! *2024-08-14, version 1.1.1* Lange so eine App gesucht! Einfach und schön vom Design her! Es wäre noch sehr schön wenn Intervalle nur einen kurzen Signal machen würden, und den Gong nur am Anfang abspielen. Weil jeden internal einen Gong zu hören lenkt etwas ab von meditieren. Beste Grüße! ### 3/5 — Nice, but needs improvement *2024-07-11, version 1.1.1* Nice, with a clean UI, but, as mentioned in other reviews, the timer doesn’t work as expected when the phone is locked. ### 5/5 — Works *2024-07-09, version 1.1.1* Simple is best - and this works perfectly. ### 3/5 — Almost perfect. *2024-05-26, version 1.1.1* Clean and minimalistic. Unfortunately does not the play the chime sound when screen is locked. Hoping on an update, then 5 stars. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Simply does not work *2026-02-11, version 1.1.2* Set the timer and it will count down but it does not actually play any sound when the time is up. Maybe you need to keep it as the active, open app in order for it to work, however that is not practical unless you set your device screen to never go to sleep/lock. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work if screen is off *2024-11-22, version 1.1.1* So this timer doesn’t work unless you keep the screen on. I accidentally meditated for 45 mins, lol. It’s kind of annoying to fix, I know, but given that the app only does one thing, I think the developer needs to get on it. ### 1/5 — Gongs don’t stop *2024-10-04, version 1.1.1* Wanted just ONE gong to gently alert me it was time to end my meditation, but this keeps gonging until you manually stop it. I want to take a few minutes to come out of a deep state before I have to open my eyes and move. It would have been perfect if there was an option to chose how many gongs we want. But this is no different than the timer on my phone. ### 1/5 — Unbrauchbar *2023-02-17, version 1.1.1* Kein Gong nach der eingestellten Zeit! Soll man etwa den Timer im Blick haben und dann aktiv auf Stop drücken? Dafür habe ich diese teure App nicht gekauft. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2022-02-26, version 1.1.0* Tried this timer several times and it doesn’t play any sound when it goes off unless your screen is on. What is the point? Also no settings for it show up in system preferences. ### 2/5 — Bugs with the timer *2024-07-18, version 1.1.1* The concept of a simple timer is perfect - but from time to time, the bell won’t go off and I end up sitting until I look down and realize I’m way ver time. This is a big flaw, especially for trying to fit meditation into a busy life. ### 2/5 — Bell doesn’t ring sometimes *2023-03-04, version 1.1.1* The bell at the end of the timer doesn't go off sometimes. I have tested to see if it is relying on the silent mode or not but it isn’t. So its a bit unreliable. ### 2/5 — Timer did not go off in time *2023-01-15, version 1.1.1* Had my phone in airplane mode, set the timer to 40 minutes. I sat and it started to feel like it had been longer than that and when I checked, it had been an hour, and when I opened my phone the timer was ticking down still with 23 minutes left. It must have fallen asleep somehow. I like the simplicity and the gong sound but if the timer doesn’t work reliably then it’s not useful ### 3/5 — Fine but no standby *2025-09-09, version 1.1.2* Good design but no sound with screen off. So thanks for nothing. ### 3/5 — App para Apple Watch *2025-06-17, version 1.1.2* 😔😔😔 ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Perfect! *2026-03-05, version 1.1.2* As an energy healer and mindfulness instructor, this is all I need for my personal practice as well as for my work! Thank you! ### 5/5 — Just The Thing *2026-02-15, version 1.1.2* After using Headspace for years and suffering through its increasing bloat and busyness, I realized all I wanted was a simple timer with a gentle bell. I tried a few other apps but they were full of pop-up suggestions and upsells. And then I found this sweet app. It couldn’t be closer to my wishes if I’d written it myself. Thank you. ### 5/5 — Simple but perfect *2026-01-25, version 1.1.2* It’s a simple but effective timer for meditation which does exactly what I want from such a thing, and unlike almost every other timer I’ve tried, it doesn’t try to sell you anything else or insist on sending you notifications etc! A big thank you to the developer ! ### 5/5 — It is perfect *2025-07-08, version 1.1.2* I was looking for a very simple timer for meditation. Until now I have simply been using the timer in the iOS clock app, but I wanted a more beautiful sound for the end of my meditation. This app does exactly what I was looking for and nothing else. Thank you! ### 5/5 — Does one thing and does it right *2025-06-12, version 1.1.2* This is my kind of app. It does one thing only: a timer that records Mindfulness minutes in Apple Health. No options no ads no graphics. Hopefully no feature roadmap or growth hacking monetization strategy. Works perfectly for me and I hope it never changes. ### 5/5 — No-nonsense meditation app *2025-04-21, version 1.1.1* This is exactly the meditation app I was looking for. I wanted a replacement to the Apple Watch Mindfulness Breathe/Reflect app since it drains battery needlessly with taptics, limited to 5 minutes max, and had to be on during the session. This app fits just right: simple, elegant, not bloated with features and updates mindful minutes in the Health app. ### 5/5 — Simple *2025-04-02, version 1.1.1* Love it. Plain and simple. Nobody trying to sell me meditation courses, just a simple timer, exactly what I want. ### 5/5 — No ads or anything: simply perfect. *2025-01-21, version 1.1.1* Probably my favorite app. No ads, no sign up, no accounts of any kind; no “Upgrade to Premium!” or any of that nonsense. Its simplicity is beautiful, and actually motivates me to work on mindfulness daily. Bravo. ### 5/5 — The best! *2025-01-19, version 1.1.1* I am so glad I found this timer! I’ve been searching for a simple timer without all of the bells and whistles and distractions. This is it! AND, it has the most beautiful gong sound. Just perfect! ### 5/5 — Super App *2025-01-19, version 1.1.1* Die App ist wirklich toll und ich nutze sie täglich. Ohne Ablenkung, ohne Schnickschnack und v. a. sammelt sie keine Daten oder will einem etwas verkaufen. Eine zusätzliche Version für die Apple Watch wäre toll, damit man die App auch nutzen kann, wenn man das Handy nicht dabei hat oder die Nutzung unpassend wäre, z. B. beim stillen Gebet in der Kirche. --- *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 2026-09-02.*