Reading time
How to time your reading sessions (and why it helps)
Counting books tells you what you finished. Timing sessions tells you how you actually read: how many minutes a day, how fast you go through a book and which days you never pick one up.
Last reviewed
Why time your reading
- Small sessions count. Ten minutes before bed adds up, and seeing it logged makes it easier to repeat.
- You learn your pace. Minutes per page tells you how long the rest of a book will take.
- Goals get realistic. Knowing your average week makes a yearly goal something you can plan, not guess.
- Streaks need a signal. A session is a clear, honest way to say "I read today".
Time a session in one tap
- 1
Start the session
Open the book you're reading and tap Start session. The timer starts with the page you left off on.
- 2
Read
Lock your phone. The timer keeps running on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island with a Live Activity. Pause and resume whenever you need to.
- 3
End and set your page
Tap End session and answer one question: where did you stop? Tomely saves the pages and minutes, and your streak is safe for the day.
From your wrist
On Apple Watch you can start, pause and end a session, then set the page you stopped on with the Digital Crown. Your streak can sit on your watch face as a complication. Sessions are free on the Watch too.
Forgot to start the timer?
Log a past session with the date, the minutes and the pages you read. You can fix dates and pages anytime, so a missed timer never costs you a streak day you earned.
What you'll see after a few weeks
Your stats show books and pages per month, minutes per session, the days of the week you read and your top genre. At the end of each month, a card sums up your books, pages and hours, ready to share.
Prefer paper? Our free printable reading journal has a daily reading-time tracker too.
Start timing your reading
Download Tomely free for iPhone or Android: one-tap sessions, a reading timer and an honest streak.
Questions
Is the timer free?
Yes. Unlimited sessions, the Live Activity, widgets and the Apple Watch app are free.
Does it work for audiobooks or ebooks?
Yes. A session is time plus where you stopped, whatever the format.
What if I read two books in one day?
Log a session for each. Both count toward your day and your stats.