The clock doesn't switch when I tap. What's wrong?

Make sure the game has started: the first tap on your own half starts your opponent's clock. If the game is paused, resume it with the pause button. Also check you are tapping your own half — only the player whose clock is running can press.

Why did my byo-yomi period not go down when I moved?

That is correct behaviour. Completing a move inside the period resets it to its full length without consuming it. A period is only spent when you overrun it.

The stone counter is wrong. Can I fix it?

Yes. Tap the stone counter to correct it. Miscounts happen in real games — two stones played on one press, or a stone placed on the opponent's clock — and a referee can fix the count without restarting the game.

Can the interface be in one language and the countdown in another?

Yes, and that is intentional. The voice language is a separate setting from the interface language, so you can read German and hear the count in Japanese. The voice speaks English, German, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin.

How do I restore my Pro purchase?

Open the app's settings and tap Restore purchases. You need to be signed in with the same Apple Account you used to buy Pro, and be online. There is no extra charge.

Where is my game history stored?

Only on your device. The app keeps your recent games with times used per player. Deleting the app deletes that history; nothing is ever uploaded.

Can I turn the Live Activity off?

Yes. There is a Live Activity toggle in the app settings. With it off, the game is no longer shown on the Lock Screen or in the Dynamic Island.

Can I suggest a feature?

Please do — write to support@byoyomitimer.com. Many of the app's presets and settings came directly from player suggestions.

Support

Answers to the most common questions about Byoyomi Timer. Can't find yours? Write to support@byoyomitimer.com and we'll get back to you.

Quick start

Open the app and tap the time control in the centre to pick a preset — Club standard (20 min + 5 × 30 s byo-yomi) is a good default.
Lay the phone flat beside the board, within reach of both players. The two halves face opposite directions so each player reads their own side upright.
Black moves first, so White taps their own half to start Black's clock. From then on, play your stone and then tap your half.
Use the centre bar to pause, reset or open the settings at any time.

Setting up the time system

Tap the time control to choose a system, then edit any of its numbers:

Byo-yomi — main time, period count and period length. A move completed inside a period resets it to full; overrunning spends one period.
Canadian — main time, stones per block and block length. The stone counter sits next to the clock and is tappable, so a miscount can be corrected without restarting.
Fischer — main time, bonus per move and an optional maximum-time cap (set the cap to zero for none).
Time per move — the per-move time plus optional reserve periods, which is how the NHK format is built.
Ing — main time and the number of purchasable periods. The app counts the periods taken and shows the resulting penalty points; applying them to the score is the players' job, during counting.

Both players can be set up independently — different systems, times and period counts — which is how handicap and teaching games are normally timed. Custom controls can be named and saved.

The voice countdown

The app reads the last ten seconds of every period aloud, plus the entry into byo-yomi, the final period, each lost period and the loss on time. In the sound settings you can choose:

Voice, beep only, or silent.
The voice language — English, German, Japanese, Korean or Mandarin. This is set separately from the app's interface language, so a German interface can count in Japanese.
Volume, and warning thresholds for the main time.

If you hear nothing: check that the device is not in silent mode, and that the volume is up while the app is in the foreground.

During the game

The screen stays awake while the clock runs, so there is no need to change your auto-lock setting.
Turn on the Live Activity in the settings to see both clocks on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. It ends automatically when the game finishes.
Pass buttons are on the clock face. Two passes in a row end the game by convention, so the app asks for confirmation and then stops the clock for counting.
Referee tools let you adjust time, periods and stones mid-game — for a mis-tap, a miscount or a phone that was picked up.
An interrupted game is restored: if the app closes mid-game, it picks the position back up when you reopen it. Calls and app switches pause the clock.

Pro, purchases and restoring

Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. It adds custom time systems, the tournament presets, teaching games with independent clocks, the 15 additional colour themes, sound packs, landscape mode, saved setups and game history. The core clock — byo-yomi, Canadian, Fischer, sudden death and per-move play — stays free.

If you reinstall the app or switch devices, open Settings → Restore purchases, signed in with the same Apple Account you used for the purchase. Restoring is free and needs an internet connection.

Subscriptions are managed in your Apple Account settings, not in the app. Refunds are handled by Apple — use Report a Problem in your App Store purchase history.

Tournament use

Check your event's rules first. Some federations require approved hardware clocks for rated games and restrict phones in the playing area — ask the organiser before the round.
Set the time control before the round starts and confirm it with your opponent. Saving it as a named custom control makes it reproducible across boards.
In a shared playing room, switch the spoken countdown to beep only or silent. Fifteen boards counting down aloud is not a room anyone can think in.
Silence notifications, and start a long round on a charged device — keeping the screen awake uses power.
The referee's decision always takes precedence over what the app shows.