Clocks vs cryptoscreen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Clocks
Transform your device into a beautiful clock and weather display. Offers customizable clocks, animated backgrounds, and font options for a personalized experience. It's a private, ad-free alternative to standby modes, with optional matching screensavers for macOS.
- Animated backgrounds
- Customizable clock variations
- Font and color options
- Private and ad-free
- MacOS screensaver sync
- Shortcuts support
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The Clocks app transforms your phone, tablet, or mac into a beautiful clock display, perfect for any home office, bedroom, or studio. It's perfect as an alternative to Standby Mode with even more options: ◎ 28+ gorgeous and intentionally designed animated backgrounds ◎ 15+ variations of clocks you can pair in any combination ◎ Some font and font color options for more personalization ◎ Private, no ads. Designed to be simple and stunning. ◎ Pro Park includes a download for matching screen savers on MacOS so your display can match across your entire work setup. ◎ Three clocks and three backgrounds are usable for free! ◎ Best used on a MagSafe charger, but also works on phones without it. ◎ Shortcuts support to allow Clocks to open automatically when connected to a charger Does Clocks open automatically? Not by default, but within Settings there's a tutorial on how to set it up using Shortcuts. Does Clocks replace Standby mode? We think Clocks is better fitted for daytime use and the official Standby for night time. Will you release more packs in the future? Yes! I plan on designing more backgrounds and clocks in future updates, some which will be free some which will be paid (but affordable). Roadmap - Coming soon: - Timers - More font options and settings
cryptoscreen
This app creates secure, self-destructing notes that are encrypted locally before being shared. Both a link and a PIN are required to access the message, which is then deleted after a single successful read. It offers enhanced privacy features like screenshot detection.
- Local encryption before upload
- Link and PIN required for access
- One-time read deletion
- Screenshot detection
- Message destruction after failed PIN attempts
- Link expiration
- Encrypted image attachments (Pro)
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cryptoscreen is a private note app for messages that should not last. Write a note, choose a six-digit PIN, and cryptoscreen encrypts the message on your iPhone before it leaves the device. Share the generated link and send the PIN separately. The recipient can read it once in the iOS app, with an App Clip, or in a web browser when you allow web reading. No app download is needed for browser reading. CHOOSE HOW YOUR MESSAGE CAN BE READ Allow app and web reading for easier sharing, or choose app-only reading. Both the link and the PIN are required. Web-enabled messages are decrypted in the recipient's browser and become unavailable for another read after they are opened. ONE-TIME MESSAGES - Encrypt notes locally before upload. - Open normal messages once, then make them unavailable to other readers. - Destroy a message after the third wrong PIN attempt. - Let unopened links expire after the retention window. - Check availability in Sent Messages, including messages opened on the web. GUARDED READING ON iOS The iOS app and App Clip use a guarded reader to reduce casual screen exposure. The reader clears when iOS reports a screenshot. Screenshot protection is best-effort: iOS reports normal screenshots after capture. Browsers cannot provide the app's screenshot detection or capture protection, and no app can protect against external cameras or compromised devices. TEXT IS FREE. IMAGE SENDING IS PRO. Send text-only messages and read received text and images for free. Pro lets senders attach encrypted images. Restore purchases and manage your subscription from Settings. cryptoscreen does not require accounts, profiles, or contact lists. Messages are encrypted before upload; the service stores encrypted content and the metadata needed for expiry, PIN attempts, and message availability. Optional interaction-status sharing is off by default. Support: https://cryptoscreen.app/support Privacy Policy: https://cryptoscreen.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: cryptoscreen at 100% against Clocks's 60%. cryptoscreen also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Clocks's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (435 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Clocks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. cryptoscreen asks for nothing beyond the download.
cryptoscreen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clocks has 435 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Clocks's written reviews are positive against 100% of cryptoscreen's.
Clocks ships an update every 3 days, cryptoscreen every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Clocks | cryptoscreen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (435 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 435 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Destefanis | Domenico Marco Di Donna |
Customer experience
Clocks
cryptoscreen
Bugs and requests
Clocks
Reported bugs
1 issue- Infinite loop of pop-up ads when trying to use the app
Requested features
3 requests- Timer with start/stop functionality
- Numbered screen savers for easier selection
- Widget support
cryptoscreen
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Clocks
- Clocks Pro Pack$3.99
cryptoscreen
No in-app purchases









