Your watch can’t hear its station. Your phone can be one.
Indoors, abroad or out of range, a radio-controlled watch never gets its signal. Signal Setter plays the time station it listens for from your iPhone, carrying exact network time. Most radio-controlled watches and clocks can pick it up and set themselves; reception depends on the model.
US$1.99 one time · No subscription, account or ads
WWVB, JJY, DCF77 and MSF, from your pocket.
Choose the city your watch is set to and the app picks the station a watch set to that city listens for. Or pick any station yourself.
A public time server sets the time, your phone's clock error is corrected and shown, and every minute starts exactly on the minute.
Turn on Send my local time and a JJY-only watch shows the time where you are instead of Japan time.
The time the signal says, every second of the minute's code as it plays, and the status of each minute.
Where the antenna usually sits, and how to hold the phone's bottom speaker against it.
Pay once. No tracking; the only network request asks a time server for the time.
Three steps, a few minutes.
The city your watch is set to. The app picks the station.
Start a manual reception on the watch, then hold the phone's bottom speaker against its antenna, volume all the way up.
Most watches set themselves within 3 to 10 minutes.
Works with many radio-controlled watches and clocks; reception depends on the model, the antenna position and interference. The phone's audio circuit leaks a very weak radio signal at the station's frequency, so it only reaches a watch held right against it. The tone is high-pitched and plays at full volume: keep the phone away from your ears.
Before you download.
Can an iPhone set a radio-controlled watch or clock?
Most radio-controlled watches and clocks can pick it up, but reception depends on the model. Signal Setter plays the signal of the time station your watch listens for from your iPhone's speaker, carrying exact network time. You put the watch in receive mode and hold its antenna against the phone's bottom speaker.
Why won't my radio-controlled watch set itself indoors or abroad?
A radio-controlled watch sets itself from a time station: WWVB in the US, JJY in Japan, DCF77 in Germany or MSF in the UK. Indoors, abroad or out of range it never hears one. Signal Setter is made for exactly that case.
How do I set my watch with Signal Setter?
Choose the city your watch is set to, and the app picks the station. Put the watch into its receive mode, hold the phone's bottom speaker against the watch's antenna with the volume all the way up, and start. Keep Signal Setter open on screen. Most watches finish within 3 to 10 minutes.
Which stations does it play?
WWVB (US), JJY on 40 kHz and 60 kHz (Japan), DCF77 (Germany) and MSF (UK). You pick the city your watch is set to and the app picks the station a watch set to that city listens for. You can also pick any station yourself.
My watch is from Japan and shows Japan time abroad. What can I do?
A watch sold in Japan that only receives JJY always shows Japan time, wherever you are. Turn on Send my local time and the app sends the time where you are, so a watch that picks up the signal shows your local time instead.
How accurate is the time it sends?
The time comes from a public network time server, corrected for your phone's own clock, and every minute of the code starts exactly on the minute. The app shows how far your phone's clock was off. Without a connection it falls back to the phone's clock and tells you.
Does it need the internet, and does it collect any data?
The only network request asks a public time server for the time, and without a connection the app uses the phone's clock and says so. There is no account, no analytics, no ads and no tracking.
Can I use Bluetooth speakers or AirPods?
Bluetooth audio rarely works. Use the phone's own speaker or wired earphones, and hold the watch close to the sound source.
Does it keep playing in the background?
No. Signal Setter has no background mode, so the sound stops when the app leaves the screen. Keep it open until the session ends.
Will it set an Apple Watch or an ordinary quartz watch?
No. Signal Setter is for radio-controlled watches and clocks only. It has no Apple Watch app and does not set quartz watches that lack radio control.
Is the tone loud?
The tone is high-pitched and plays at full volume, so keep the phone away from your ears. The app will not start below full volume, because the watch picks up only a faint radio echo of the sound.
Is there a subscription?
No. Signal Setter is a one-time purchase of US$1.99. Prices outside the US vary by country or region. There is no subscription, no account and no ads.
Set your watch anywhere.
