HIIT & Tabata timer for iPhone
Choose when you hear a warning, how your countdown sounds, and which cues repeat. Customize work, rest, and between-set recovery separately, then save the setup for your next session.
Build it once
Repeat your chosen work and recovery durations, group the intervals into sets, and give each phase its own sound cues.
Set Reps to the number of work intervals and Sets to the number of blocks. Each interval uses the same Work duration and the same Rest duration between efforts. Use Sets = 1 for a single block.
Get Ready runs once at the beginning. Rest separates efforts within a set. Between Sets is the full recovery after a block’s final effort, replacing the short Rest interval. The last set finishes after its final effort.
Set cue times in seconds remaining. Choose Single cue for one warning, Countdown for each second through 1, or Advanced to choose a repeat interval and optional play count. Combine up to five cue sequences per phase.
Keep the routine in your library for the next session. During an active workout, timing and cues are designed to continue with the screen locked or another app open.
Ready-to-build intervals
Use these timer setups for your own training plan. Each uses one set and a 10-second Get Ready delay to get into position. Complete your warm-up before starting and cool down afterward.
Ten work intervals with recovery between them. The effort and exercise choice determine whether your circuit is HIIT.
Try these cuesWork: a spoken “10” at 10 seconds remaining. Rest: a spoken 3–2–1 countdown to prepare for the next effort.
Eight efforts with seven short rests. The block ends after the final effort: 3:50, excluding Get Ready.
Try these cuesWork: beeps at 3, 2, and 1 seconds remaining. Rest: spoken numbers at 3, 2, and 1, so each countdown has its own sound.
Four efforts with three minutes of active recovery between them. This times the interval portion of your session; follow your plan’s intensity target.
Try these cuesWork: a single beep at 2:00 remaining to mark halfway, plus a final 3–2–1 countdown. Set a separate countdown during recovery.
Reps counts work intervals in the app. Rest runs between efforts; the timer finishes after the last effort. These cue sequences are examples you can customize.
HIIT timer questions
What to know about using Sound Cue for interval training.
HIIT alternates high-intensity efforts with recovery. The familiar 20/10 format follows Tabata-style timing; the original Tabata study used exhaustive cycling at a prescribed intensity. Exercise choice and intensity determine the training stimulus, so a work-rest ratio alone does not make a session HIIT.
Choose beep or spoken remaining numbers, then set a single cue, countdown, or repeating pattern. Add up to five cue sequences per phase, each with its own timing. Separately, set phase-change audio to beeps, spoken phase names such as “Work” and “Rest,” or off. Voice cues speak numbers; custom spoken phrases, exercise-name announcements, and recorded or imported sounds are not supported.
No. For 20/10 × 8, one set contains eight 20-second efforts and seven 10-second rests, totaling 3:50 before any Get Ready delay. Sound Cue finishes after the eighth effort. For multiple sets, Between Sets is the entire recovery after a block’s final effort; it replaces that block’s short Rest interval.
Yes. An active workout is designed to keep timing and play cues when the iPhone is locked or Sound Cue is in the background.
Yes. Cues can play alongside other audio, and Lower Other Audio can briefly reduce its volume while a cue plays.
Yes. Rename, reorder, group, and reuse workouts. The free library holds five workouts in total, including the three starter workouts; a one-time upgrade expands it to 100.
Sound Cue for iPhone
Your work, your recovery, and sound cues timed to your session.
Download on theApp StoreExplore the full app: flexible workout timers, customizable sound cues, and a library built around your training.