Why doesn't my cube timer stop when I tap?

Timers that need a small button, or that stop when you lift your finger, can register late. In Cubetick the whole screen is the stop area while timing, and the time is taken the moment your finger touches down, not when you lift it.

How is ao5 calculated?

Take your last 5 solves, drop the fastest and the slowest, and average the middle 3. ao12 drops best and worst of 12 and averages 10; ao50 and ao100 drop 5% from each end. A DNF counts as the slowest time.

Is there a free stackmat timer app?

Cubetick works like a stackmat on your phone: hold, release to start, touch to stop. All events and sessions are open from the start, and the app is supported by a small banner and occasional ads that never appear while you time.

Are events other than 3x3 locked?

No. 2x2 to 7x7, OH, BLD, Pyraminx, Skewb, Megaminx, Square-1 and Clock (all 13 WCA events) are unlocked from the start, and you can create unlimited sessions.

How does the 15-second inspection work?

Turn it on in settings to get 15 seconds before each solve. You get alerts at 8s and 12s; starting after 15s adds +2 and going past 17s records a DNF.

Will an ad pop up during a solve?

No. There is a small banner at the bottom and an occasional ad elsewhere, but never a full-screen ad while you time or right after a solve.

Where are my times saved, and can I back them up?

On your phone only, with no account. Each solve is saved immediately, and you can export to CSV and import it back.

Can't I just divide my 5 times by 5?

That is a mean, not a WCA average. Dropping best and worst is what makes your ao5 comparable with competition results and other cubers.

What happens to ao5 with a DNF?

One DNF is dropped as the worst time and the rest are averaged. Two or more DNFs make the ao5 a DNF.

What's the difference between best ao5 and current ao5?

Current ao5 is the average of your latest five solves. Best ao5 is the fastest average of any five consecutive solves so far.

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How ao5 and ao12 are calculated in speedcubing

ao5 (average of 5) takes your last five solves, drops the fastest and the slowest, and averages the three in the middle. That is not the same as dividing by five, so the same times can show different numbers depending on how your timer app does the math. Here is how the WCA-style calculation works, with an example.

An ao5 example

Say these are your five solves. Drop the fastest (11.84) and the slowest (19.02), then average the middle three.

Solve	Time	Counted
1	14.21	Yes
2	11.84	No (best)
3	15.67	Yes
4	19.02	No (worst)
5	13.90	Yes

ao5 = (14.21 + 15.67 + 13.90) ÷ 3 = 14.59 s. A plain mean of all five would be 14.93 s, more than 0.3 s off.

Why drop the best and worst?

So one lucky easy scramble or one mistake (a lockup, a dropped cube) doesn't swing the number. That makes ao5 a better measure of your real speed than a single, and it is why most WCA events rank competitors by an average of 5.

How ao12, ao50 and ao100 differ

ao12 drops one best and one worst out of 12 and averages the remaining 10. With more solves, dropping just one each end is not enough, so ao50 and ao100 usually trim 5% from each end. Check your app's description, because trim rules can vary.

ao5: drop best 1 and worst 1 of 5 → average 3
ao12: drop best 1 and worst 1 of 12 → average 10
ao50 / ao100: drop 5% from each end → average the rest
mean (mo3 etc.): a plain average with nothing dropped

How DNF and +2 count

A +2 simply adds two seconds to that solve. A DNF counts as the slowest possible time, so one DNF in an ao5 gets dropped as the worst and the average still exists, but two DNFs make the whole ao5 a DNF. The same applies to ao12 with two or more DNFs.

Check it in Cubetick

Cubetick trims best and worst for ao5 and ao12 and 5% each end for ao50 and ao100. The Stats screen shows your best single, current and best ao5/ao12, mean and a last-100 chart, and toggling +2 or DNF on a solve recalculates everything immediately.

FAQ

Can't I just divide my 5 times by 5?: That is a mean, not a WCA average. Dropping best and worst is what makes your ao5 comparable with competition results and other cubers.
What happens to ao5 with a DNF?: One DNF is dropped as the worst time and the rest are averaged. Two or more DNFs make the ao5 a DNF.
What's the difference between best ao5 and current ao5?: Current ao5 is the average of your latest five solves. Best ao5 is the fastest average of any five consecutive solves so far.

Time your solves with ao5 and ao12 done right

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