CUE! Time Signal Sync vs Tick Sync
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CUE! Time Signal Sync
This app provides highly accurate time synchronization using NTP, offering visual and auditory cues for precise second-level timing. It's ideal for professionals who need to catch exact moments, such as during events, filming, or technical work.
- NTP-based time correction
- 57/58/59/00-second countdowns
- Signal sounds and haptics
- Voice announcements
- Landscape display mode
- Display dimmer and keep-awake mode
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Make every 00-second moment easier to catch. CUE! is a time signal app designed for timer setup and field time checks. With NTP-based time correction, 57/58/59/00-second countdowns, signal sounds, haptics, and voice announcements, CUE! helps you catch the exact 00-second moment. It is useful for temporary illumination timer panels, facility equipment, electrical work, lighting and audio systems, events, exhibitions, filming, streaming, stage work, live shows, store displays, and any situation where second-level timing matters. ■ CUE!’s Time Correction Logic CUE! is not a clock that simply displays the result of a single NTP request. NTP responses can vary depending on network routes, congestion, Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and device conditions. CUE! collects multiple NTP samples during startup and manual sync, checking each sample’s round-trip time (RTT) and time offset. Slow responses and offset outliers are filtered out. CUE! prioritizes stable samples. The selected NTP time is linked to the device’s monotonic clock at the moment it is received. After that, the in-app time display advances by adding elapsed monotonic time to the NTP reference. During automatic sync, CUE! may keep the previous NTP reference instead of applying a low-confidence result. This helps prevent sudden jumps caused by unstable network responses. ■ 57/58/59/00-Second Cues CUE! starts its countdown at 57 seconds every minute. 57 sec: 3 seconds before 58 sec: 2 seconds before 59 sec: 1 second before 00 sec: CUE! At 00 seconds, the time and cue display change color, making the exact moment easy to recognize visually. It helps when setting timer panels, checking lighting and audio timing, starting streams or recordings, managing events, and confirming 00-second timing in the field. ■ Sound, Haptics, and Voice CUE! can notify you at 57/58/59/00 seconds with signal sounds and haptics. Signal sound can be turned on or off. Use sound when allowed, or turn it off and rely on the display and haptics. Haptics use different patterns for warning seconds and the exact 00-second cue. Haptics can also be turned on or off. Voice announcements help you understand timing even when your iPhone is in your pocket. Choose announcements every 1 minute, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour. CUE! supports English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean. Other languages fall back to English. ■ Landscape Display Turn your iPhone sideways to use a larger clock display. This is useful when placing your iPhone on a stand, near a lighting console, audio mixer, or timer panel. ■ Field Features CUE! includes: ・Display dimmer ・Keep-awake mode ・Rear flashlight control ・Cue color toggle ・Haptics ON/OFF ・Signal sound ON/OFF ・Portrait and landscape layouts ・Remove ads option ■ Recommended For ・Temporary illumination timer setup ・Facility equipment time setting ・Electrical work and field timing ・Lighting and audio timing checks ・Events, exhibitions, stages, and live shows ・Streaming, recording, and filming start cues ・Store display and timer control checks ・Checking every 00-second moment clearly ・Using a clock that always shows seconds ・NTP-based time checking CUE! is a field time signal app that supports the exact “now.” ■ Free to Use CUE! is free to download. Banner ads are shown in the app. To avoid interrupting important timing moments, CUE! does not use interstitial ads. You can remove banner ads with an in-app purchase. ■ Notes CUE! uses public NTP servers to support its in-app time display. However, differences may occur due to network conditions, device status, screen rendering, audio output, haptics, speaker latency, or Bluetooth device latency. CUE! does not guarantee millisecond-level synchronization, measurement accuracy, broadcast timing, or legal proof of time. However, it can be a useful support tool for timer setup, 00-second alignment, and second-level time checks in field environments.
Tick Sync
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When standard time radio signals do not reach your area, or walls and interference prevent your watch from receiving them—Tick Sync provides another path to the correct time. Start with radio-controlled watch assistance. Place the watch near the built-in speaker of your iPhone or iPad and begin manual reception. Tick Sync generates time codes for JJY 40/60, WWVB, MSF, DCF77, and BPC, helping the watch attempt synchronization over a very short distance. For explicitly compatible Bluetooth watches, pair and connect the watch, wait until it is ready to sync, and then send the current local time manually. With Advanced Features, Tick Sync can maintain an eligible Bluetooth connection in the background. When the watch reconnects and becomes ready, Tick Sync normally obtains a fresh NTP correction and sends the time automatically, reducing the need to open the app for every sync. Background timing is determined by iOS or iPadOS and watch connection events rather than an exact schedule. Your time source is not limited to the device’s system clock. Free Single NTP mode queries a server you choose. Multi-NTP mode compares at least three independent sources, finds a majority-agreed time range, rejects inconsistent responses, and displays estimated uncertainty. HIGHLIGHTS • Very-short-range JJY 40/60, WWVB, MSF, DCF77, and BPC radio-controlled watch assistance • Manual and background automatic Bluetooth time sync for explicitly compatible watches • System Time, Single NTP, and Multi-NTP sources • NTP server management, optional location preselection, outlier rejection, and uncertainty estimates • Watch battery level display • No account required Radio assistance, manual Bluetooth time sync, System Time, and Single NTP are free. Background automatic Bluetooth sync and Multi-NTP features require an auto-renewing annual Advanced Features subscription. Tick Sync is an independent utility and is not affiliated with any watch manufacturer. Bluetooth compatibility depends on the watch model and firmware, while background operation depends on iOS or iPadOS and watch connection events. A successful Bluetooth write does not guarantee that the watch applied or displayed the new time. An iPhone or iPad does not transmit a normal 40–77.5 kHz longwave broadcast. Radio-assisted results vary with the device, watch hardware, volume, placement, and interference. Always verify the final time independently before relying on it. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Supplemental Terms of Use: https://ticksync.dishangti.com/legal/en/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://ticksync.dishangti.com/legal/en/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Tick Sync at none against CUE! Time Signal Sync's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. CUE! Time Signal Sync sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Tick Sync sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CUE! Time Signal Sync ships an update every 8 days, Tick Sync weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CUE! Time Signal Sync | Tick Sync |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | TAKAO OGASAWARA | JIFENG LUO |
In-app purchases
CUE! Time Signal Sync
- Remove Ads$2.99
Tick Sync
- Tick Sync Advanced$1.991 Year
Questions
Is CUE! Time Signal Sync free?
Is Tick Sync free?
Do CUE! Time Signal Sync or Tick Sync have ads?
Which is updated more often, CUE! Time Signal Sync or Tick Sync?
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