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Troubleshooting

This guide covers common issues with sounds, background alerts, Live Activities, Apple Watch, Health, and the Mac menu bar and Dock.

Sounds and Alerts

I don't hear any sounds

  1. Check that Play Sounds is on in Settings. Changes apply from the next run.
  2. Turn up the media volume. Sounds play even in Silent Mode on iPhone and iPad.
  3. If you use Bluetooth headphones or speakers, check that they're connected and turned up, since the sounds play through them.
  4. On Apple Watch, Burst Timers uses haptics only, not sounds.

I don't get alerts when my iPhone is locked or I'm using another app

  1. Check that Play Sounds is on in Burst Timers Settings. Background alerts always play a sound, so they're off when sounds are off.
  2. Open the Settings app, tap Apps, choose Burst Timers, and turn on Live Activities.
  3. Don't close Burst Timers from the App Switcher during a run. A run doesn't survive the app being closed.
  4. Start a new run after changing any of these settings.

I don't feel haptics on iPhone

iPhone haptics play while Burst Timers is on screen. In the background, the Live Activity alert is used instead. Check that System Haptics is on in the Settings app under Sounds & Haptics.

Live Activities

The Live Activity doesn't appear

  1. Open the Settings app, tap Apps, choose Burst Timers, and turn on Live Activities.
  2. Start a new run. The Live Activity starts with the run.
  3. The Dynamic Island is only available on iPhone models that have one. On other models, check the Lock Screen.

The Live Activity says "Open Burst Timers to catch up"

iOS stopped updating the Live Activity for a while. Open Burst Timers, and the timer and Live Activity catch up to the correct period and time.

A Live Activity is still showing after the run is gone

Tap its X button, or open Burst Timers. Leftover Live Activities from a run that no longer exists are removed when the app opens. A completed run's Live Activity is removed automatically after 15 minutes.

Timer Behavior

The timer jumped ahead when I came back to the app

This is expected. Burst Timers follows the clock, so when you return, it catches up to the period and time where your run should be.

My iPhone screen turns off during a run

Burst Timers keeps the screen on while a run is in progress and the app is on screen. If you switch to another app, your iPhone's Auto-Lock setting applies.

My settings changes didn't apply

Settings such as Play Sounds, Save Workouts to Health, Workout Type, and Show Timer in Dock, and label, icon, or color changes, apply from the next run you start.

My settings are different on another device

Each device keeps its own settings. To send your Work and Rest labels, icons, and colors from iPhone to Apple Watch, use Copy to Apple Watch in Settings on iPhone.

Apple Watch

The run stops when I lower my wrist

  1. Make sure you didn't leave the running screen. Going back to the main screen ends the run.
  2. End any workout in progress in another app, such as Workout. watchOS allows one workout at a time.
  3. Start a new run.

Double tap doesn't pause the run

Double tap requires watchOS 11.0 or later and a supported Apple Watch model. Check that Double Tap is turned on in the Settings app on your watch under Gestures.

Copy to Apple Watch isn't shown

The option only appears on iPhone, when your iPhone is paired with an Apple Watch that has Burst Timers installed. Install Burst Timers on your watch from the App Store on the watch, or from the Watch app on iPhone, then open Settings again.

The watch didn't get my labels, icons, or colors

The watch receives them the next time it connects to your iPhone. Keep both devices nearby with Bluetooth on, and open Burst Timers on the watch. If the copy failed, iPhone shows Couldn't Copy to Apple Watch with the reason. Try again once the watch is connected.

Health

My workout wasn't saved

  1. Check that Save Workouts to Health is on in Settings on the device you ran the timer on. Each device has its own setting.
  2. Check that saving workouts is allowed: in the Health app on iPhone, tap your profile picture, tap Apps, and choose Burst Timers.
  3. If you ended the run early, it's only saved if at least as much time as one work period passed.
  4. Saving to Health isn't available on Mac.

My workout has no heart rate or energy burned

Allow Burst Timers to read and save heart rate and active energy in the Health app. On iPhone and iPad, these depend on the sensors and devices available to Health. For the most complete data, run the timer on Apple Watch.

Mac

The menu bar item is missing

  1. Check that Show in Menu Bar is on in Settings.
  2. If your menu bar is full, macOS may hide some items. Check which apps are allowed in the menu bar in System Settings under Menu Bar.

The Dock icon doesn't show the timer

Check that Show Timer in Dock is on in Settings, then start a new run.

Still Need Help?

Submit a support ticket with your device, OS version, the Burst Timers version, and the steps that lead to the problem.