How to count prayers on your watch without a phone

Why the usual way fails

Most counter apps on phones need the screen awake and a thumb on the glass the whole time, which feels out of place during prayer or meditation. Phones also light up with notifications in the middle of a count. Physical clickers are an option, but they are one more object to carry and they click loudly in a quiet room. And if you keep several counts, for different phrases or sessions, a single clicker cannot hold them apart. Writing the count on paper afterwards depends on memory, and memory is the thing that slips first when you are focused somewhere else.

How Tally Counter App for Wear OS helps

Tally Counter is a counter for Wear OS watches, and prayer and meditation counting is one of the uses it lists. You can add to the count by tapping or by turning the crown or bezel, and haptics can confirm each change without sound. The app keeps up to eight named counters, so separate phrases or sessions get their own count, and you can set a target for each. Everything is stored on the watch and works without a phone or internet. The main count is large and the controls are within reach on a small screen.

Step by step

1. Create a counter for each phrase or session and name it so you can tell them apart.
2. Set a target if you count to a fixed number.
3. Turn sound off and haptics on for a quiet confirmation on every step.
4. Count with the crown, bezel or a tap, without picking up your phone. Your eyes can stay closed if you prefer.
5. Lock the counter when you finish so the number stays as it is.

Tips

• Put the counter you use most on the Tile, so it is one swipe from the watch face and you can add to it without opening the app. Fewer steps between you and the count means fewer chances to get distracted halfway.
• Add the complication to your watch face to see the current number at a glance, without opening anything. When you come back after a break, one look tells you where you stopped.
• Resets ask for confirmation, and you can undo the most recent one. If you start a new round and regret it, you can bring the old count back right away. Older resets cannot be undone, so it helps to note the number before you start over.
• Keep the watch on silent mode during prayer so other notifications do not interrupt you, and rely on the app's haptics for the count itself. A theater or bedtime mode on the watch can also keep the screen dim while you count.

Questions