Solar Eclipse Timer App Review + Step-by-Step Guide to Using the App

“Everybody, quiet! His phone is giving us a countdown!”

For the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, I sat in a large field in Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with about two dozen others. I set up a camp chair, opened the Solar Eclipse Timer app on my phone, and set it on a table.

Just before Totality began, an audible countdown rang out from my phone. It surprised my fellow eclipse observers. Suddenly, they shushed everyone around them and leaned closer to my phone.

5…4…3…2…1…beep.

I removed my solar eclipse glasses and looked at a black hole in the sky where the sun should have been. It didn’t make any sense, but it made perfect sense. It was a total solar eclipse.

And then, just before Totality ended, another audible countdown rang out from my phone. It counted the seconds until Totality ended and urgently announced, “Glasses on. Glasses on.”

The most important thing I needed to do after witnessing my first total solar eclipse was to inspire as many people as possible to see at least one in their lifetime. But the second most important thing was to tell everyone to download the Solar Eclipse Timer.

I’ve patiently waited for 7 years to write this review. Read the full review of the Solar Eclipse Timer app and then the step-by-step guide to using the app.

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Bottom Line

The Solar Eclipse Timer has a few shortcomings, but the “talking timer” feature makes it an essential app to download before the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. The audible announcements allows everyone within earshot to focus on the eclipse, enjoy every moment of the spectacular event, and keep their eyes protected.

It’s the second-most essential thing to have after solar eclipse glasses. But the app has a learning curve. Download ahead of time, purchase the eclipse data file, and learn how to use it before Eclipse Day.

The Solar Eclipse Timer is available for free on iOS and Android. The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse data file is a $1.99 in-app purchase.

What is the Solar Eclipse Timer app?

Dr. Gordon Telepun is an avid eclipse chaser and photographer. When he traveled to Africa for the 2001 Total Solar Eclipse, he quickly realized photographers couldn’t keep track of time and adjust camera gear throughout an eclipse. Returning to his home in Decatur, Alabama, Telepun developed a rudimentary app that ran on a Windows Pocket PC.

By the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, Telepun’s Solar Eclipse Timer app evolved into a powerful timing tool for iOS and Android. The app used GPS data and a built-in equation to calculate the Contact Times of the eclipse automatically.

But the app’s best feature was the “talking timer” that provided audible announcements of key moments throughout the eclipse.

Now in its fourth version, the Solar Eclipse Timer is still the only “talking timer” with audible announcements to help photographers and casual viewers catch the key moments of an eclipse. The app uses geolocation to calculate the contact times of the eclipse and provides timing accurate to the second. The app also features a Photographer’s Mode and Partial Phase Image Times to help photographers capture stunning images.

The app works on iOS for iPhones and iPadOS for iPads, however it’s not optimized for the iPad. The app only functions in portrait mode and is not responsive to the iPad’s landscape orientation. Because it’s not optimized, it’s not possible to stand the iPad in protective cases and read the app throughout the eclipse.

The Solar Eclipse Timer is available for free on iOS and Android. The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse data file is a $1.99 in-app purchase.

Solar Eclipse Timer App Features

The Solar Eclipse Timer had dozens of features for photographers, scientists, and casual eclipse observers. Some of the app’s features apply to a tiny niche of eclipse chasers. Here’s a breakdown of all the app’s features and when to use them.

App Navigation

The Solar Eclipse Timer’s home screen lists buttons leading to various tasks. It’s a straightforward graphical user interface with few icons and an old-fashioned style. The navigation – and almost every page within the app – is word-heavy, requiring much reading to understand it all.

A row of buttons across the bottom provides quick access to more pages within the app – the important timer, saved eclipse data, settings, and an FAQ-style help page.

I feel the app’s navigation is not very well organized. Tutorials and practice sessions are mixed between essential app tasks, like the sound check, selecting an eclipse to time, and setting your GPS location.

The menu at the bottom of the app feels like another missed opportunity. The timer is rightfully on the menu, but the other items are less useful. The settings menu only has three app settings to change, making it a little-used page that takes up a prominent space in the app’s bottom menu.

The good news is that almost everything in the app is just one tap away, making it easy to find a page – after you find the menu button.

App Tutorial Video

The top button on the app’s homescreen leads to an in-app tutorial video. The 9-minute video is a rundown of the app’s extensive features, a step-by-step guide to using the app, and tips straight from the app’s creator, Dr. Gordon Telepun.

Telepun does an excellent job of explaining the app’s features and function. The screenshots highlight precisely what to do. However, one irritating downside is that if you leave the tutorial video to follow the instructions you just learned, you’ll have to start the video again from the beginning.

You can find a lot of useful videos about the app and solar eclipses in general on his Solar Eclipse Timer YouTube channel.

Eclipses to Time

The Solar Eclipse Timer app is a free download in the Apple and Google Play stores. It comes preloaded with the past five total solar eclipses, so you can play around with those.

But there’s a catch. The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse data file requires a $1.99 in-app purchase. Without this purchase, the app will not function. It’s never explicitly stated that the in-app purchase is required to make the app work, so people may download the app without looking at the Eclipse to Time page until the day of the eclipse.

GPS Location

“The most exciting new feature when I redeveloped the app for iOS and Android was utilizing geolocation to make precise calculations for Contact Times,” Telepun explained over the phone. After initially developing the app to run on Windows Pocket PC, he completely overhauled the app in time for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse to run on iOS and Android.

The solar eclipse data file contains a complex equation for calculating the Contact Times – when the partial eclipse and total solar eclipse begin and end – based on latitude and longitude.

But for this to work, you must allow the app to use your GPS location and then set your location in the app. It’s easy to set – just tap the “Go to the GPS Data Screen” button on the home screen (the 6th button down from the top). Then, tap the button to get your current GPS location.

Unfortunately, the app cannot automatically track your location. Many apps, like Google Maps, AllTrails, and DoorDash, automatically update your location while using the app or whenever the app runs in the background. But, the Solar Eclipse Timer does not update your location automatically. Instead, you are required to enter the GPS Data Screen and tap a button to load your location manually.

If you go to a viewing location, set your GPS location, and then change viewing locations, you will need to set your GPS location again in the app. Forgetting to update your location will cause the timer to be off by a few seconds or more.

Sound Check

The best feature of the Solar Eclipse Timer is the “talking timer.” So, Telepun thought it essential to have a page in the app where users can test their smartphone settings.

The Sound Check displays the smartphone’s current volume level at the top. If you try playing any of the tests with a volume lower than 20%, you’ll receive a popup notification warning about low volume. And if you try playing the tests with the volume muted, you’ll receive a notification advising you to unmute the phone.

The first sound check plays a test notification advising you to open the app. Although there is no explanation here, these notifications play two minutes before the actual time of the event. Telepun explained that this was designed to give people time to pull out their phone and open the app.

The second sound check plays a test audible announcement detailing the eclipse event. These announcements give you information about phenomena to look for, the current Contact Time, and when to use your solar eclipse glasses.

The third sound check schedules a test notification to play in 75 seconds. This check is designed to test if your smartphone allows lockscreen notifications from the Solar Eclipse Timer. If successful, you’ll hear a chime and see a notification display on the lockscreen after 75 seconds.

If any of these tests fail, you’ll need to start poking around your smartphone’s settings to enable notifications and sounds. Unfortunately, the app’s Help section does not help users with changing settings on their specific smartphone.

Android Smartwatch Users

By default, Android smartwatches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch6, do not display notifications from the Solar Eclipse Timer. Instead, with a paired Android smartwatch, the notifications play on the phone. However, there is an option in the settings to send the notification to the smartwatch instead.

Apple Watch Users

One thing I quickly learned while testing the Solar Eclipse Timer app is that Apple Watch users will have a very different experience with the notifications. I tested the app with an iPhone 14 Pro and Apple Watch Series 4.

During the third sound check, I did not receive an audible notification from my iPhone. Instead, I received a gentle vibration and ding from my Apple Watch. When I raised my wrist, the notification from the Solar Eclipse Timer appeared. And, if I picked up my iPhone, the notification was available on the lockscreen.

But I never heard Telepun’s voice speaking from the iPhone, telling me about an upcoming eclipse event and advising that I open the app.

If most Apple Watch users are like me, the gentle vibration and single ding from the watch is enough to alert us to a notification.

However, Telepun found a way to make the iPhone work as intended. If you disable Bluetooth and WiFi on your iPhone, it effectively unpairs your Apple Watch. Once unpaired, the notifications play as expected on the iPhone.

Solar Eclipse Timer

The timer is the most useful app feature on Eclipse Day. The section features your local time, Totality Duration, Contact Times, and a banner for upcoming observations and eclipse events.

If you open the app, select the timer, and do not see any information, you have not set up the app correctly. Unfortunately, the app does not notify users that the timer is not ready.

If the timer shows information, it’s ready for Eclipse Day. Here’s what the Contact Times mean:

• 1st Contact is the moment the moon’s outer edge moves in front of the sun’s outer edge. It’s the beginning of the partial eclipse. Solar eclipse glasses must be worn during the partial eclipse.
• 2nd Contact is the moment the moon completely blocks the sun. It’s the beginning of the total solar eclipse. It’s safe to remove your solar eclipse glasses during totality.
• Max Eclipse is when the moon is directly in front of the sun.
• 3rd Contact is the moment the moon moves past the sun. It’s the end of totality and the beginning of the second partial eclipse. Solar eclipse glasses must be worn again.
• 4th Contact is the moment the moon’s outer edge moves past the sun’s outer edge. It’s the end of the eclipse event.

One quirky thing about the timer is that it’s not limited to just Eclipse Day. If you select an eclipse to time and set the GPS location to a place in the Path of Totality, the timer will begin as if it’s April 8, 2024. It’s an excellent way to see the notifications and announcements before Eclipse Day.

If you must stop the timer on your smartphone, tap “Stop” in the top-right corner of the timer. If you stop the timer, you must set it up again to continue using it.

The Talking Timer

The “talking timer” is the Solar Eclipse Timer’s best feature. This feature makes the app the second-most essential thing to have during a total solar eclipse after solar eclipse glasses.

Throughout Eclipse Day, the app sends out 8 notifications advising users to open it on their smartphone. These notifications are sent two minutes before an eclipse event, giving people time to find their phone, unlock it, and open the app. If the notification is dismissed, the subsequent audible announcement does not play.

If you open the app after receiving each notification, you’ll hear 49 audible announcements throughout the day. These announcements include countdowns to each Contact Time, eclipse phenomena, and when to use solar eclipse glasses.

The app does not do an adequate job of stressing the importance of the notifications. If a notification is dismissed or missed and the smartphone remains locked, the audible announcement does not play. This only works when the smartphone is unlocked with the app running in the foreground.

The app also does not stress the importance of the “6 Minutes Before 2nd Contact” notification. This is the final notification before Totality. If this notification is dismissed or missed, you will not hear the audible announcements or the countdown to the beginning and end of Totality.

When opening the app after the 6-minute notification, the app disables your smartphone’s auto lock. This keeps the phone and app on so you’ll hear the audible announcements during Totality. After Totality ends, the app enables your smartphone’s auto lock again.

This is a brilliant design by Telepun because it fully utilizes the app’s best feature, the “talking timer.” With the smartphone unlocked and the app running, you’ll hear a spine-chilling countdown starting 5 seconds before Totality. Then, you’ll hear another 5-second countdown to the end of Totality, warning you to put on your solar eclipse glasses again.

Practice Session and Announcements

Two sections of the app are designed for giving a preview of how the app will function during an eclipse. It’s mostly useful for photographers, but it can be good for anyone who wants to hear the app’s “talking timer” in action.

The Eclipse Video Practice Session loads a 4-minute and 45-second video of an actual eclipse. The practice session features a tiny video of an assembled crowd ready for the big show. Only the 2nd Contact Time and 3rd Contact Time are loaded.

The practice session’s timer begins two minutes before 2nd Contact, the beginning of Totality. In Photographer’s Mode, the practice session only includes announcements specifically for photographers. But with that mode disabled, all of the announcements play during the practice session.

Telepun added the practice session to allow photographers to practice removing solar filters, capturing photos, and attaching the solar filters again after Totality.

The Eclipse Announcements page loads all the audible announcements included in the app and plays them throughout a 70-minute sample eclipse. This is a great way to learn what announcements to expect on Eclipse Day.

Since the app serves a dual purpose to two types of users – avid eclipse chasers and casual eclipse observers – it would have been nice to see the app’s features and settings divided between them. Instead, everything is presented in the one-page navigation menu.

Partial Phase Image Times

Telepun is an avid eclipse chaser and photographer who’s traveled all over the world for total solar eclipses since 2001. When designing the fourth version of the Solar Eclipse Timer, he added several new features specifically for photographers.

Like the Partial Phase Image Sequence Calculator.

The calculator brilliantly divides the duration of the partial eclipses into ten equal segments. The app page lists the time to capture each photo throughout the eclipse. Photographers with wide-angle or normal lenses can then capture a sequence of images and compile them later into a composite image. The result is a stunning photo showing the different phases of the partial eclipse straddling the total solar eclipse.

Photographer’s Mode

The current version of the Solar Eclipse timer features the Photographer’s Mode, a special mode Telepun developed with renowned eclipse photographer Fred Espenak.

Photographer’s Mode mutes the notifications and announcements about things to look for during an eclipse. The only notifications and announcements that play are about eclipse timing.

Unfortunately, Photographer’s Mode does not play a notification for the Partial Phase Image Times. This would have been a tremendous advantage for photographers to have a notification for each of the 20 images to capture the partial eclipse phases.

Photographer’s Mode is enabled in the app’s little-used settings menu. A link to a PDF worksheet is available for photographers who want to create a shot list and workflow coordinated with the app’s announcements.

Eclipse Data

An interesting app feature is the ability to save eclipse data for later use. But I found this feature only moderately useful because it’s prone to human error – an error that could cause chaos on Eclipse Day.

After selecting the eclipse to time, manually entering the GPS location of your viewing location, and opening the timer, you’re given an option to “Save Eclipse.” Tapping this button opens a screen where you can provide the data with a filename.

Then, on Eclipse Day, you only need to go to the Eclipse Data section in the app and load the file you previously saved.

The primary problem with this feature is manually inputting the GPS location. You won’t have the correct Contact Times on Eclipse Day if the numbers are inputted incorrectly. And it’s easy enough to automatically enter your GPS location once you arrive at your viewing location, guaranteeing accurate information.

Another problem with the eclipse data is the app doesn’t have access to cloud storage. You must save the eclipse data to the smartphone you intend to use on Eclipse Day. If you replace your smartphone for any reason, you must recreate the eclipse data.

Saving eclipse data is excellent for posterity years from now if you want to remember precisely where you viewed an eclipse, but otherwise, I think this feature falls into the category of “nice but not necessary.”

Help Section

One of the bottom menu bar buttons leads to the app’s help section. Although labeled as the “Complete Help File,” the section is less helpful in most situations.

A table of contents provides quick access to the help section’s contents. The contents are incredibly wordy, with long paragraphs, improperly formatted lists, and a tiny font that makes it difficult to read. There are almost no graphics or screenshots that demonstrate aspects of the app.

Instead of being a help file for solving problems with the app, it’s more like a user guide explaining the app’s features in lengthy detail. There is no FAQ-style troubleshooting section or mention of a way to contact the app’s creator to report bugs or get support.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Solar Eclipse Timer App

The Solar Eclipse Timer app is an essential tool for watching a total solar eclipse. However, with a somewhat disorganized navigation menu on the homescreen, setting up can be confusing – especially if you’re trying to do this for the first time on Eclipse Day.

With this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to do with your smartphone and app to set it up perfectly.

I suggest practicing these steps at home before leaving for the eclipse. But it’s essential to follow these steps on Eclipse Day.

Step 1

Purchase the Eclipse to Time

Open the app and tap “Select an Eclipse to Time” on the homescreen. At the bottom of the list, tap “Buy” to purchase the eclipse data file for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.

After completing the purchase, the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse will appear in the list of eclipses to time. It’s essential to complete this step while your smartphone is connected to cellular or WiFi data. Once downloaded, the app works offline without data connection.

Step 2

Smartphone Settings

Smartphones are incredible pieces of technology that have become increasingly difficult to change settings. Fortunately, finding answers is easy since phones in the U.S. typically run either iOS or Android.

Here are some smartphone settings I recommend changing on Eclipse Day.

Leave Auto Lock On

At first, I thought I wanted to disable the auto screen lock to leave the app running throughout the eclipse. But the app automatically disables the screen lock 8 minutes before Totality begins, leaving the phone on and the app running throughout Totality.

I think this is a wonderful feature because hearing the audible announcements during this eclipse phase is essential.

When Totality ends, the app automatically enables the screen lock again.

Enable a Passcode, Face ID, or Fingerprint ID

If you do not typically use a passcode, facial recognition, or a fingerprint to unlock your smartphone, I suggest you enable it on Eclipse Day. The best way to use the app is to set your smartphone somewhere people can see and hear – increasing the chance it will get lost or stolen.

Set Volume to 50% or Higher

During the sound check, the app will alert you if the volume is below 20% or muted. But I recommend a volume of at least 50% if you’re the only one listening to your smartphone or higher if you have a large group of people.

Use Airplane Mode

Telepun brilliantly designed the app to function offline. After setting your GPS location and loading the Contact Times, set your smartphone to Airplane Mode to conserve the battery. This will also ensure the only notifications you receive during the event are from the Solar Eclipse Timer app.

Set Date and Time Automatically

If, for any reason, you choose to manually set the date and time of your smartphone, switch it to set automatically on Eclipse Day. The app uses the internal time of the smartphone to calculate the Contact Times, adjusting for Daylight Savings Time and time zones. With time set automatically, you’re guaranteed to have accurate Contact Times in the app.

Step 3

Do a Device Sound Check

Since the “talking timer” is the app’s best feature, the first thing to do is a sound check. After opening the app, tap “Do a Device Sound Check” to begin.

Check your smartphone’s current volume at the top of the sound check screen. The lowest volume setting I recommend is 50%, but feel free to set it to 100% if you are traveling with a large group.

Complete the first two sound checks. This plays a notification advising you to open the app and an audible announcement about an upcoming eclipse event. If these tests are successful, move to the final check. If unsuccessful, check your smartphone’s settings to ensure the Solar Eclipse Timer can send notifications.

For the final check, tap “Schedule Test Notification” and then lock your smartphone’s screen. The test waits 75 seconds and then attempts to send a notification to the lockscreen. You’ll hear the notification play if your smartphone is set up correctly.

However, this was a problem with my Apple Watch. Because Apple prefers a paired watch to receive the notifications instead of the iPhone, the notification was muted on the iPhone. But the app did play a chime on my Apple Watch and vibrated my wrist. When I raised my wrist, the notification displayed on the watch.

If most Apple Watch users are like me, the gentle vibration and single ding from the watch is enough to alert us to a notification.

However, Telepun found a way to make the iPhone work as intended. If you disable Bluetooth and WiFi on your iPhone, it effectively unpairs your Apple Watch. Once unpaired, the notifications play as expected on the iPhone.

Step 4

Enable Photographer’s Mode (if needed)

If you want to enable Photographer’s Mode, go to the app’s settings menu and tap the toggle. The Photographer’s Mode disables most notifications and audible announcements, leaving only those about Contact Times.

I only recommend this mode for photographers.

Step 5

Select an Eclipse to Time and Set GPS Data

Tap “Select an Eclipse Time” on the app’s homescreen. Then, tap “Total – April 8, 2024” to load the eclipse data for the upcoming eclipse.

After confirming you want to select this eclipse data, the app automatically takes you to the GPS Data screen.

Tap “Get My GPS Location” to automatically enter latitude and longitude. If this is the first time you’ve used the app, you may need to change your smartphone settings to allow access to your location.

After loading the GPS data, tap “Calculate Contact Times” to calculate the times based on your location.

Finally, tap “Load Contact Times” to open the data in the app’s timer. Check that the Totality Duration and the Contact Times have the data loaded.

Step 6

Use a Power Bank

Whether or not you enable Airplane Mode, using a power bank on Eclipse Day is a great idea to guarantee your smartphone has power. As a travel writer and photographer, I am constantly draining my smartphone. So, here are a few of my favorite time-tested power banks to get you through Eclipse Day.

The Anker PowerCore III is a versatile power bank for Apple and Android phones. What I love most about this power bank is the wireless 10W Qi charger – simply set a compatible phone on top of the power bank, and it’s charging. There is no need to carry a charging cable. But the power bank also has an 18W USB-C and 15W USB-A port for additional charging options.

The Anker Magnetic Battery only works with Apple MagSafe iPhones, but Wired wrote an article about adapting MagSafe products for Android phones. This power bank features a wireless MagSafe charger with an integrated stand – perfect for setting the phone upright to see the timer on Eclipse Day.

The Anker Prime 20,000 mAh Power Bank is perfect for charging multiple devices on Eclipse Day. The hefty power bank features two 100W USB-C ports and a 65W USB-A port with a max 200W simultaneous charging capacity.