iPhone timegrapher not detecting your watch?
Do not keep moving the watch at random. First identify what the microphone is hearing, then make the one change that matches the signal.
This guide is for mechanical watches. A quartz watch does not produce the escapement rhythm an acoustic timegrapher expects. If a mechanical watch will not lock, use the quick reset below before working through the signal messages.
60-second reset: fully wind the watch, remove any case that blocks the iPhone's bottom edge, lay the phone on a hard stable surface, put the watch beside the bottom microphone, move other clocks away, and start again without touching the setup.
Start with placement, power, and silence
- Wind the watch fully. A nearly exhausted mainspring can make the escapement quieter and change the watch's behavior.
- Use the bottom edge of the iPhone. Hairspring explicitly selects the built-in microphone and requests its bottom-facing input when the device exposes that choice. Put the watch beside that edge rather than on top of the phone.
- Use a hard, still surface. Wood or stone can carry the quiet sound better than a cushion or folded cloth. Once listening starts, do not hold or move either object.
- Remove competing sound. Speech, handling, running water, another ticking watch, and some electronics can produce peaks the detector may mistake for the escapement.
- Measure unplugged. If the signal remains noisy, disconnect the charger and move away from powered accessories before retrying.
These setup principles are consistent with the independent Timegrapher X quick-start guide and its recording best practices. Microphone geometry differs between apps, so follow Hairspring's bottom-edge instruction when using Hairspring.
Match Hairspring's message to the fix
“No microphone signal”
Meaning: the app is receiving almost no audio input.
Fix: open Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and make sure Hairspring is enabled. Apple's iPhone microphone troubleshooting gives the same path and explains how to test the bottom microphone with Voice Memos. Also remove debris or a case that covers the openings.
“Microphone works, but no tick sound”
Meaning: the phone hears the room, but not enough energy in the part of the sound Hairspring uses to find an escapement.
Fix: move the watch closer to the phone's bottom edge. Try the crown or caseback nearest the microphone, wind the watch fully, and use a hard surface. A quiet vintage movement may require several careful placements.
“Sound, but no ticks”
Meaning: there is audible energy, but Hairspring cannot identify a repeatable tick pattern.
Fix: stop handling the phone, move to a quieter room, and re-seat the watch on a firmer surface. Check that the watch is mechanical and running.
“Too many peaks”
Meaning: background sound is triggering more candidate events than a watch escapement should produce.
Fix: move other watches and clocks to another room, stop speech and music, unplug the charger, and keep fingers away from the surface. Changing location can help when the interference is difficult to hear.
“Ticks found but irregular”
Meaning: Hairspring found candidate ticks, but their spacing is not regular enough to defend a measurement.
Fix: re-seat the watch and leave the surface completely still. Remove any second ticking source. Do not chase the beat-rate setting during the same run: Hairspring infers supported rates from the detected rhythm.
“Steady ticking, but its beat cannot be confirmed”
Meaning: the loose signal check looks promising, but the stricter cadence test has not earned a lock.
Fix: improve physical coupling once more, remove competing sound, and restart the run. Waiting longer helps only if the watch is already stable; it does not turn the wrong peaks into a valid escapement pattern.
If it locks, but a number is still missing
A lock does not guarantee that every metric is supportable. Rate needs a stable cadence. Beat error and acoustic amplitude require more detail inside each tick. Hairspring may report a rate while withholding another metric, or it may refuse the whole reading when the evidence is too scattered.
That is a measurement result, not merely an app failure. Repeat the setup once or twice. If clean runs still disagree, read why timegrapher readings change and use the free repeatability calculator before acting on a precise-looking value.
When the phone method is not enough
Some cased watches are simply too quiet for a built-in microphone in the available room. Stop after several controlled retries if placement changes do not improve the diagnosis. A contact pickup or calibrated bench timegrapher can isolate the movement more effectively, and persistent irregularity may need a watchmaker's inspection. An iPhone check is useful evidence; it is not a service diagnosis.
Try Hairspring's signal-specific guidance
Hairspring shows the acquisition diagnosis while it listens, detects common beat rates, reports uncertainty, compares repeated runs, and withholds results the signal cannot support.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is my iPhone timegrapher not hearing my watch?
The common causes are denied microphone access, a blocked or distant bottom microphone, a soft surface, low mainspring power, background noise, or a tick pattern the app cannot confirm.
Where should I place the watch?
Lay the iPhone flat on a hard stable surface and place the mechanical watch beside the phone's bottom edge. Keep both objects still and move other ticking clocks away.
What does “ticks found but irregular” mean?
The microphone is hearing candidate tick sounds, but their spacing is not regular enough to support a measurement. Re-seat the watch, keep the surface still, and remove competing ticking or handling noise.
Sources and disclosure
This guide was written by Hairspring developer Marat Oganesyan. Hairspring-specific messages and audio-route behavior were checked against the current app source. General setup advice was cross-checked with Timegrapher X's official quick start and best practices. Microphone-permission steps come from Apple Support.