"Every time you use the app you need to sit through an ad" — is that the case here?

No. Timerdeck never shows an ad when you tap Start, and nothing interrupts pause, reset, ±1 min, the widget or the notification buttons. The app is supported by ads: a full-screen ad can only appear after something is finished, such as after you stop an alarm and return to the deck or after you save a timer.

Will it ring with the screen off, or is it "one vibrate and that's it"?

Timerdeck schedules an exact alarm, so it rings on time even with the screen off, and it shows a full-screen alarm over the lock screen that keeps ringing until you stop it. On Android 14 and later, "Allow full-screen alarms" in Settings must be on for it to appear over the lock screen.

"If you start a timer and the phone is on silent, or just vibrate" — will it still ring?

Yes. The alarm uses the alarm volume, not the media or ringer volume, so it rings in silent and vibrate mode. If your alarm volume is turned all the way down, it will not be heard.

Can I "run multiple timers" at once?

Yes. Save as many named timers as you like and start, pause or reset each one on its own. The Stopwatch tab also runs several named stopwatches side by side, with laps.

Is there a "start delay" and a repeat option?

Yes. Repeat a timer 2–20 times or forever, and the card shows the current round (2/5). You get a short alert at the end of each round and a full alarm at the end. Start delay can be 5, 10 or 30 seconds or 1 minute.

Can I see the original time and when it ends?

Yes. Each card shows the time left, the original time and the exact time it ends. When a timer finishes, its card turns red and overtime counts up (+00:42), so you know how long ago it ended.

"I absolutely hate how notifications are required" — will notifications pile up?

No pile. Everything that is running is shown in one quiet notification. Notifications are the only permission Timerdeck asks for — it is what lets the alarm ring — and there are no Bluetooth, phone or storage permissions. No account, and your timers stay on your phone.

Is there a home-screen widget?

Yes. Start or pause your favorite timers from the home-screen widget without opening the app. There are no ads on widget buttons.

← Timerdeck home

Why your timer alarm doesn't ring, and how to fix it

You put the pasta in, set a timer, and when the time was up — nothing. If that has happened to you, the cause is usually not one broken app but a few phone settings stacking up. Android puts background apps to sleep to save battery, and each new version asks for separate permission to schedule exact alarms, send notifications and show a screen over the lock screen. This guide walks through the five usual reasons a timer alarm doesn't ring and how to check and fix each one.

Narrow it down by symptom

Start with how it failed. Different symptoms point to different settings.

Menu names and locations vary by manufacturer and Android version. If a path below doesn't match your phone, use the search bar at the top of Settings and try words like "battery", "alarms & reminders" or "full screen".

Symptom	Check first
Rings with the screen on, not with the screen off	Battery optimization, exact alarm permission
Rings a few minutes late	Exact alarm permission, battery optimization
One vibration, or two seconds of sound and done	Silent / Do Not Disturb, alarm volume, notification category
Screen lights up but no alarm screen	Android 14 full-screen notification permission
Nothing at all	App notifications off, app force-stopped

1. Battery optimization puts the app to sleep

When the screen is off, Android enters Doze and batches background work so it runs later. Many manufacturers add their own battery savers on top, which can stop apps you haven't opened in a while entirely. This is the most common reason a timer stops or rings late once the screen goes dark.

The fix is to exempt your timer app. On most phones, go to Settings → Apps → (your timer app) → Battery and choose "Unrestricted". On Samsung Galaxy phones, also check Settings → Battery → Background usage limits and make sure the app is not on the "Sleeping apps" or "Deep sleeping apps" list.

A timer that uses the system's alarm scheduling can wake up on time even during Doze. But if a manufacturer's battery saver kills the app outright, scheduled alarms can be lost, so leaving a timer app you rely on as Unrestricted is the safer choice.

2. The exact alarm permission is off

Since Android 12, alarms that fire at a precise time need a separate permission called "Alarms & reminders", and since Android 14 it is often off by default for newly installed apps. Without it, an app can only schedule an alarm for roughly that time, which can mean ringing minutes late.

Check Settings → Apps → Special app access → Alarms & reminders and make sure your timer app is allowed. Apps registered as clock or timer apps may get this permission automatically, so if your app isn't listed, it may already be allowed.

3. Notifications are turned off for the app

Since Android 13, apps need your permission to send notifications. If you tapped "Don't allow" on the pop-up the first time you opened a timer app, it has no way to alert you when time is up — most timer apps ring through a notification.

Turn the app on in Settings → Notifications → App notifications. Even with notifications on, a specific category inside the app, such as "Alarm" or "Timer finished", can be switched off or set to silent, which shows the alert without sound. Open the app's notification settings and check the categories too.

4. Silent, vibrate and Do Not Disturb

Your phone has several volumes: ringtone, media, notifications and alarms. A timer that rings on the alarm volume will sound in silent and vibrate mode. A timer that uses the notification or media volume goes quiet. "One vibrate and that's it" is usually this case.

Press a volume button, expand the sliders and make sure the alarm volume isn't at zero. Do Not Disturb allows alarms by default on most phones, but if you switched alarms off in its exceptions, they are blocked. Check Settings → Notifications → Do Not Disturb → exceptions (what can interrupt) and make sure alarms are allowed.

If Bluetooth earbuds are still connected — even sitting in their case — the alarm may play only through them. Worth checking if the sound seems to vanish.

5. Android 14: the full-screen notification permission

The alarm screen that pops up over the lock screen is called a full-screen notification. Since Android 14, this is reserved for calling and alarm apps, and you can switch it off per app. If it's off, the screen may only light up briefly or a small notification may sit in the shade when time is up.

Allow your timer app in Settings → Apps → Special app access → Full screen notifications (the name varies by phone, e.g. "Full screen intents"). It is what lets you stop or snooze the alarm right from the lock screen.

A five-minute check

After changing settings, a real test is the only way to be sure. Run through this before you rely on a timer for anything important.

Make sure notifications are on for the timer app, and that its alarm category has sound.
Set the app's battery usage to "Unrestricted" and remove it from any sleeping-apps list.
In Special app access, allow "Alarms & reminders" and "Full screen notifications".
Turn the alarm volume up and switch the phone to silent.
Start a 1-minute timer, turn the screen off and wait. If the alarm appears over the lock screen and rings until you stop it, you're set.

How Timerdeck rings

Timerdeck schedules an exact system alarm, so it rings on time even with the screen off, and it plays on the alarm volume rather than media, so it rings in silent mode too. When time is up, a full-screen alarm appears over the lock screen and keeps ringing until you stop it.

If notifications are off, a notice at the top of the timer deck says the alarm can't ring and takes you straight to the setting. On Android 14 and later, "Allow full-screen alarms" in Settings opens the lock-screen permission. After a timer ends, overtime counts up in red (+00:42), so even if you missed it you can see how long ago it finished. Notifications are the only permission it asks for.

Rings with the screen off or on silent, until you stop it

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