Announcement Useful Timer PRO vs Hobby Blocks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Announcement Useful Timer PRO
This app provides spoken updates every minute for active timers, even when the screen is off. It supports custom timers, multiple simultaneous countdowns, and personalized alert sounds. Ideal for various uses like cooking, naps, or managing tasks.
- Spoken updates every minute
- Customizable timer labels and alerts
- Run multiple timers simultaneously
- Personalized end-of-timer music/sound
- Countdown and time-of-day timer types
- Shortcut buttons for frequent timers
Read full descriptionHide full description
Voice Timer! Spoken updates every minute. Even when you are not looking at the screen, this app tells you how much time is left. Announcement Useful Timer PRO is available on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. This is the paid, ad-free edition of Announcement Useful Timer. Announcement Useful Timer PRO can count down preset items and times, as well as your own custom items and times. It announces the remaining item and time every minute, gives a 10-second countdown before completion, and plays your selected music or sound when time is up. Use it as a cup noodle timer, kitchen timer, nap timer, and more. You can run multiple timers at the same time and quickly set them from the always-visible number input at the bottom of the screen. Shortcut buttons are available on the right (long-press to assign different items). Items are shown in a list, frequently used timers are ranked to the top, and you can start timers from history or favorites. Swipe left on a list item to delete it. You can cancel an active countdown from the top of the list. When end music is playing, you can stop it by swiping, tapping the stop button, or shaking your device. Each list item has a settings button on the left where you can configure timer values, labels, voice/music settings, and notification behavior. If you prefer, you can disable the every-minute voice announcements in settings. Pause, resume, and clear buttons are also available for all timers. You can use two timer types: - Countdown timer (set a duration) - Time-of-day timer (notify at the next specified time) *Voice announcements are available only while the app is in the foreground.* To prevent accidental taps in the foreground, a lock button is provided at the top-left of the right shortcut area. In the background, only the end notification is available. Note: Due to iOS API behavior, sounds may play even when Silent Mode is on (voice speech will not play). --- App Features --- ・Quick and easy timer setup using the buttons at the bottom of the main screen. ・Set timers simply by selecting from a list. ・Run multiple timers in parallel. ・Set labels and receive voice notifications. (Every minute, plus 30/15/10 seconds before completion. These can be toggled in settings.) ・Use your own music from iPhone/iPod/iPad for alerts and end sounds. (Foreground only) ・Set music to start from a specific point (for example, the chorus). ・Use two timer types: countdown and specific end time. ・Assign frequently used timers to the shortcut buttons on the right. ・Adjust voice pitch and speech rate. --- Free Version vs PRO Version --- This app is available in both Free and PRO (paid) versions. In the PRO version, ads are not displayed. The former ad area is used for more list and button space, providing a more comfortable experience. There is no difference in timer functionality.
Hobby Blocks
Visualize and track time spent on your hobbies with dynamic blocks that grow as you invest more time. Log activities quickly with presets or timers and gain insights into your patterns without judgment.
- Dynamic block visualization
- Quick time logging presets
- Smart timers with pause/resume
- Activity heatmap
- Streak tracking
- Flexible time filters
Read full descriptionHide full description
Track and visualize time spent on your hobbies. Hobby Blocks transforms the way you track your hobbies with a stunning visual approach that makes logging time effortless and insights instantly clear. Watch your passions come to life as dynamic, growing blocks — the more time you invest, the bigger they become. SEE YOUR TIME COME ALIVE Your home screen is a living treemap of your hobbies. Each activity is represented by a colorful block that grows and shrinks based on how much time you've invested. At a glance, you'll know exactly where your hours are going — no spreadsheets, no complicated charts, just beautiful, intuitive visualization. LOG IN SECONDS, NOT MINUTES We believe tracking should never get in the way of doing. That's why Hobby Blocks offers multiple lightning-fast ways to log your time: * Quick Presets — Tap once to log 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, or custom durations you set yourself * Smart Timers — Start a timer and forget about it. Pause, resume, or run multiple timers simultaneously * One-Tap Logging — Add time directly from any hobby block on your home screen INSIGHTS THAT INSPIRE (NOT GUILT) Discover meaningful patterns in your hobby life without judgment: * Activity Grid — A beautiful year-at-a-glance heatmap shows your consistency over time * Streak Tracking — See how many days in a row you've practiced your craft * Smart Stats — Total time, session counts, averages, and your longest sessions * Flexible Time Filters — View your progress by day, week, month, or year
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Hobby Blocks at Free against Announcement Useful Timer PRO's $5.99. Announcement Useful Timer PRO's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Hobby Blocks is free to download; Announcement Useful Timer PRO costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Announcement Useful Timer PRO | Hobby Blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | katapu.net | Cameron Nazemi |
Customer experience
Announcement Useful Timer PRO
Hobby Blocks
In-app purchases
Announcement Useful Timer PRO
No in-app purchases
Hobby Blocks
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Announcement Useful Timer PRO free?
Is Hobby Blocks free?
Do Announcement Useful Timer PRO or Hobby Blocks have ads?
Other comparisons















