Quickest Ways to Set a Timer on your iPhone?.
The timer on my iPhone is very handy. From setting a timer in the kitchen to setting it up for a workout, I make the most of it. But as you usually know, the Clock app is not the only place to set a timer. I use Siri a lot. However, there are many more ways to set a timer on iPhone that you didn’t know about. Let’s check them out. With the release of iOS 13, Siri is smarter than ever, and lets you do all kinds of cool things without having to unlock your device first.
Set a timer from Control Center
Although I use Siri most of the time, I found this nifty trick hidden in the Control Center. This is by far the fastest way to set a timer. Just press and hold the timer button in the Control Center and slide the bar up and down to set a time limit. Then press the start button to start the timer. It couldn’t be easier.
Use cheap NFC tags to set a timer
I use Siri shortcuts extensively, so I had to include that on the list. iPhone 7 and later can scan NFC tags as well as trigger specific shortcuts from them. To use this, I stuck a bunch of stickers all over the house, mostly in the kitchen. Then I can just touch the NFC tag and it will set a timer for that duration. Easy, right?
If you’re new to using NFC tags on iPhone, check out our guide here for all the information you need to get started. Grab some NFC tags on Amazon and open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. Tap the Automation tab at the bottom and create your personal automation. Scan your NFC tag and proceed to the next step.
iPhone 7 and above all support NFC, so you can create this automation on all new devices running iOS 13 (except iPhone 6s and SE).
Select Timer from Action by clicking the Plus button, here you can set the value. I chose five minutes because it is the timer that I use the most. After that, turn off the toggle next to “Ask before launch” and click Finish. That’s all you need to do to set up the timer associated with the NFC tag.
Now when you need to set up a timer, just tap the NFC tag on the back of your iPhone and the timer should start the timer immediately.
If you need several different timers, you can repeat the automation setting for each NFC tag and set a different timer. The only downside to setting iPhone timer using NFC is that you cannot set multiple timers. Well, maybe in the future!
Set timer on your iPhone
These were several of the methods I use to set a timer on an iPhone. There are alternatives though if you have an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch. I sometimes install the Pomodoro Timer to increase my productivity, which rarely works, but you can check them out if you like. What do you think of these methods? Let me know in the comments below or drop me a line on Twitter.