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It's taken this long, but in iOS 17, Apple has added support for multiple timers, and has also made it easy to manage several timers on iPhone with the introduction of labels.

set-multiple-timers-ios.jpg

That's right. Believe it or not, iPhones have not included the ability to set multiple ongoing timers until now. In iOS 17, the Clock app finally enables several timers to be set that will run down at the same time, allowing you to keep track of more than one thing, which is handy when cooking a meal that includes several dishes, for example.

Not only can you have several timers counting down at the same time, you can also label timers, which helps you identify each one in your timer list. That way, you'll always know which timer relates to what, and you can save custom timers without having to remember what they were set up for.

siri-suggestion-set-a-timer.jpg

To quickly set a timer on iPhone, swipe down on the Home screen, search "timer," and tap the Siri Suggestion, or to set a timer with a name, say "Siri, set a timer called [name] for [duration]." Alternatively, open the Clock app and tap the Timers tab. In the timer setup options, select a duration, then tap the Label field and type in what you want to call it.

Choose a distinct alert for the timer if it helps you recognize it. Note that in iOS 17, you also have the option of selecting one of several preset durations in the setup screen. When a timer is set, it will be added to your editable list of timers. For added convenience, the list will also include any recently completed timers that you used.

set-multiple-timers.jpg

If your iPhone has a Dynamic Island, the last timer you set will appear inside it when you are doing other things on your device. The most recently set timer will also appear as a Live Activity on the Lock Screen, and you can tap to expand it and see any other timers that are running concurrently.

Article Link: iOS 17: How to Set and Label Multiple Timers
 
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Apple Watch has had this ability for a long time. It’s been ridiculous that you have to use the watch for this.

Also annoying that phone timers go off on watch too, but watch timers don’t go off on the phone or transfer from watch to watch. Change or remove your watch and the timer stays there on the charger, annoying other people while you miss it elsewhere.
 
If your iPhone has a Dynamic Island, the last timer you set will appear inside it when you are doing other things on your device. The most recently set timer will also appear as a Live Activity on the Lock Screen, and you can tap to expand it and see any other timers that are running concurrently.
Wouldn’t it be more logical to show the first timer that will end rather than the last timer that was set? Surely it is more important to see the timer ending in 15 minutes rather than the 3rd timer that is ending in 4 hours. I guess Apple is unable to get iOS to switch from one timer to the next as each one expires.
 
I’m pretty sure this was due to Joanna Stern’s constant ribbing about this in WSJ. There’s the power of journalism folks!
 
"That's right. Believe it or not, iPhones have not included the ability to set multiple ongoing timers until now."

Of course, by saying that, you're suggesting that your readers didn't know this until you said so. In which case, the implication is that it apparently wasn't a big omission ;)
 
It's called an alarm! Or a reminder, if it's for a different day.
The problem with Reminders is that a reminder becomes a notification amongst sometimes hundreds of notifications. (Yes, I did go through all the apps that notify me of stuff and turned quite a lot of things off).

Even if you set it at a higher priority, it does nothing but put an exclamation mark in front of it. I want it to emit a sound or something.
 
Awesome. Now I can create the "soft boiled egg" permanent timer I always craved (it's 3min15sec for the curious ones).

Now what I really really want is the ability to set the sound volume of my wakeup alarms so I don't wake up the whole neighborhood if I forget to turn down the volume before going to sleep. How hard that is?
 
Awesome. Now I can create the "soft boiled egg" permanent timer I always craved (it's 3min15sec for the curious ones).

Now what I really really want is the ability to set the sound volume of my wakeup alarms so I don't wake up the whole neighborhood if I forget to turn down the volume before going to sleep. How hard that is?
What's your altitude, makes the world of difference :)
 
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The problem with Reminders is that a reminder becomes a notification amongst sometimes hundreds of notifications. (Yes, I did go through all the apps that notify me of stuff and turned quite a lot of things off).

Even if you set it at a higher priority, it does nothing but put an exclamation mark in front of it. I want it to emit a sound or something.
I agree. But it's odd to expect a timer to do this. Then you need to figure out how many minutes you're out and set it for that)))
 
I thought it did when you set a timer on your watch and then put it on a charger? Which is the only time that you'd really need the timer to go off on your phone if you set it on your watch no?
Hm, I'll have to try that — possible I haven't taken my watch off. I would want it in the dynamic island though — even if I'm still wearing my watch :)
 
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The problem with Reminders is that a reminder becomes a notification amongst sometimes hundreds of notifications. (Yes, I did go through all the apps that notify me of stuff and turned quite a lot of things off).

Even if you set it at a higher priority, it does nothing but put an exclamation mark in front of it. I want it to emit a sound or something.
Past due reminders should appear in the dynamic island as an icon including on AOD mode, and when the phone is picked up it should do a shaking side-to-side animation, vibrate, then expand to show the reminder, repeating this behavior on any pickup until it is dismissed.

If it already does this, I apologize for trying to sound smart by repeating something I must have seen then forgot, lol.
 
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