We are working on the next evolution step in TimeTune: Templates.
Templates are a new feature that will replace routines and the programmer 🙀
Wait… what?
Don’t worry! Templates are very similar to routines. In that regard, it’s like a change of name.
However, templates will be more powerful than routines and the programmer combined 💪
But why this change?
PROBLEMS WITH ROUTINES
Since the beginning, routines in TimeTune presented several drawbacks with no easy solutions:
Confusion with the concept
For most people, the common definition of a routine is ‘a series of actions done in a sequence’. For example, a morning routine that contains several steps.
However, routines in TimeTune have a different, unintuitive definition: ‘a group of days (containing actions) that repeat in a cycle’.
This confusion is one of the reasons many users find the app difficult to understand at first. We’re asking them to forget their definition of routine and adapt to our artificial one.
‘Templates‘, on the other hand, is a more intuitive term that everybody understands. And it better reflects what the feature is: a template that you can apply to different dates.
Not enough flexibility
Routines don’t allow for the creation of complex patterns. And although you can create routines with up to 15 days, that’s not enough for all use cases.
For example, some users have working cycles that repeat after 28, 72 or more days. However, most of those days are identical, so using a routine that long would lead to an insane amount of repetition.
The problem is that routines in TimeTune embed the repetition pattern in their definition (the amount of days in a routine defines its repetition cycle).
Templates, on the other hand, won’t have that problem. They won’t be tied to a specific repetition cycle. Instead, you’ll be able to apply them to any date in the calendar.
That will allow us to create very powerful patterns.
Atypical routines are confusing
Atypical routines (i.e. routines with more than 1 day, except 7) have their own set of particular problems:
- If you want to change the dates where they are applied, you need to explicitly restart their cycle.
- You cannot apply them to specific days of the week (and although that wasn’t the original purpose, the current implementation leads many users to believe it’s possible).
- They don’t play well with the programmer.
That’s another reason to extract the repetition pattern from routines and use independent templates.
PROBLEMS WITH THE PROGRAMMER
Originally, the purpose of the programmer was to automate the switch to a different routine on a specific calendar date.
But this feature brought with it a new series of problems:
Confusion with the concept
If you ask several people what a ‘programmer’ is, they will give you different explanations.
Our particular meaning was something like a ‘thermostat programmer’: a tool that lets you ‘program’ specific configurations to use on specific dates (in our case, routines instead of temperatures).
But our definition was so ambiguous that the confusion was almost guaranteed (and it’s even worse in non-English languages).
With templates you’ll be able to do what the programmer does, but there’s no need for the term ‘programmer’.
Manual mode / Programmer mode
If you want to use the programmer, you need to explicitly enable it. Then the app switches from ‘manual mode’ (where you can enable routines manually) to ‘programmer mode’ (where you tell the app to enable routines on specific dates, but can’t enable them manually).
The implementation only allows to use the app in one mode or the other. It’s not technically possible to use both at the same time.
That’s annoying, because you need to constantly switch between one mode or the other depending on your needs.
With templates, there are no different ‘app modes’. There are only templates that you apply to the days you need.
Repetition patterns
We frequently receive emails asking us to implement repetition patterns for programs (for example: ‘use this routine once a month’).
But the current implementation doesn’t allow that. You can only set specific dates. To make this possible, we would need to rebuild the programmer from the ground up.
Templates, on the other hand, will allow repetition patterns 🥳
Atypical routines and the programmer
As we pointed out before, atypical routines don’t play well with the programmer. As they keep track of their cycle internally, there’s no way to know which day of the routine will be used when a program enables them.
If we wanted to keep routines as they were, the solutions to this problem would imply complicating the user interface even more.
Like before, the problem happens because the repetition pattern is embedded into routines. As templates are independent from their repetition pattern, they won’t have this problem.
CONCLUSION
The current version of the app (TimeTune 3.1 at the time of this writing) is a mixed bag of features that don’t fit well together: daily, weekly or atypical routines mixed with a programmer mode that you need to enable or disable depending on your needs.
It’s no wonder first-time users have a hard time trying to understand how the app works. The implementation is not intuitive.
Templates will solve all those problems while enabling new powers at the same time.
QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK
If you have any doubts or questions about the new feature, you can leave a comment in this article or ask through Facebook, Reddit or Twitter. Or you can send an email to timetuneapp@gmail.com if you prefer.
And if you want to be the first to try the new templates, remember to opt in for the beta program in our Google Play page. Your feedback will be much appreciated 👍
Stay tuned for this new exciting feature! 🙂
(Top illustration by pikisuperstar, on Freepik)
Excelente como siempre!! Espero el upgrade con ansia.
Felicitaciones por el trabajo!!
This app is absolutely wonderful. The only suggestion / question is whether you are planning on either porting this app to other platforms to allow some portability. Either in the form of a native app on IPad for instance or a web app you can access from any device.
I am willing to pay for the app again to get access to this multi platform portability even if it is a native iPad app. There is nothing like this app for the iPad so no competition. Support for iPad shortcuts would be most appreciated.
GREAT WORK!
Hi! We’re open to that possibility for the future 😊 However, the project needs to grow more before we can justify the investment 📈
hi – when can we expect to see the Templates update?
It’s still in development 👷♀️ The change is taking longer than expected, it’s a delicate update and we’re implementing it very carefully
Sorry for the inconvenience
Any update?
The bulk of the work has been done and the update is almost ready. The idea is to publish it in beta during February.
Yo !, Thanks waiting for update
Any update? 😅
We are on the final stages of development for TimeTune 4.0. Soon we’ll publish BETA 15, where it will be possible to make modifications to the schedule without affecting the original templates. After that, we’ll start wrapping things up towards the public release.
I agree. I am willing to pay again for an app on the ios for my ipad. I simply LOVE this app because of how beautifully it let’s you customize your routines and the tags and flexibility. Pls, pls consider ios integration soon. Thanks 😊
This is great news. Really looking forward to this update, do we have an ETA for the beta?
I’d like to mention another limitation of the current app; we can only modify the start/end time for a single activity. Starting the entire “schedule” earlier or later is not a trivial task, it requires making laborious edits to every day of every active routine.
For example; what if someone wants to wake up at sunrise? How could they shift their entire schedule, consisting of multiple routines, to accommodate for a simple change in sleep?
Thanks for continuing to support the app, I think it’s moving in the right direction 🙂
Thank you very much for your feedback, Josh 👍
We don’t have a date for the beta yet, but stay tuned.
About shifting the entire schedule, that’s a possibility we’d like to add in future versions 🙂
Absolutely. This feature is what I hoped Time Tune would have. I need to be able to shift my routines flexibly and fast without touching the routine’s structure. Please implement this.
If you can add an option to tie routines to location based sunset/sunrise/twilight that’d be perfect. That would make it possible to plan according to circadian rhymes.
OMG! Not like that!! I can only create blocks, not templates. I can’t use blocks because they aren’t templates. WHAT DID YOU DO?? This isn’t usable AT ALL. People don’t need to plan out their whole lives right off the bat. Let users use the blocks and THEN make templates out of them. As it is there is no way to create a usable schedule. Nothing makes it to the calendar without templates? What?
Hi, this seems a misunderstanding about how the app works. You can create templates in two ways: on the ‘Templates’ section or from a scheduled day (Schedule / Top menu / Save as template).
For better communication, please contact us at timetuneapp@gmail.com, here in the comments the space is limited.
So… where is the update?
Will this feature require us to pay for this app?
No, it will not 🙂
Thank you time tune for working so hard on this new templates version! I’m really looking forward to it! Will there be customize colors in the new version?
Hi! For the moment there won’t be custom colors, but we add your idea to the suggestion list 📄
What a good news ! I’m also waiting a lot for a time table downloadable from a website (for eg : my college’s time table is changing every day and every week, it would be a nice job if I could follow all change in your app ! ) Do you think it’s possible ?
For that to be possible, the source website should follow some kind of standard format in their downloads, like the ICS calendar format. For the moment, we take note of your idea as a suggestion 📄
Nice improvement !!
Keep it up……..
La app es muy buena y el emparejamiento con el calendario de Google fue el detonante para que me quedara con esta aplicación, su estética bonita y rutina por hora.
Pero me gustaría que agregaran la apción de ver en cuenta regresiva. Es decir que si tomo agua a las 6:00 am, y hago ejercicio a las 6:05 am, quisiera ver los 5 minutos de retroceso que me faltan para que se acabe e inicie otra.
Yo quiero estar viendo cuánto tiempo me falta para que acabe un hábito pero tengo que estar calculando y viendo el reloj del celular cuánto falta para que se terminé.
Podría ser como un reloj en círculo o una línea que que se vaya llenando. Ejemplo: 6:00 am —-🔵———-6:05.
No pido que cambien todo la app, solo que agreguen esa opción de “ver en cuánta regresiva” amaría más la app que ahora mismo lo hago.
Sigan así.
Muchas gracias por tu sugerencia 👍 Estudiaremos la idea 🔎
Hi, do you have a launch date for the new version yet? (I’m a beta tester)
Can’t wait to use it!
We’d like to publish the first beta at the end of October, if there are no problems in the development phase 🙂
Yo hecho de menos poder planificar desde el pc
Gracias por tu sugerencia. Es una posibilidad que nos gustaría explorar en el futuro, siempre que el proyecto crezca adecuadamente 📈🙂
Hola a todo el equipo de TimeTune !!!
Estoy realmente entusiasmado con esta nueva actualización. Es cierto lo que ustedes mencionan sobre el programador y las carencias de las rutinas. Yo decidí de no usar el programador justamente por lo que ustedes dicen pero ahora con la introducción de las plantillas, realmente esta aplicación dará un gran salto adelante. Les felicito por el esfuerzo que ponen en el desarrollo de esta aplicación y les animo a que sigan trabajando en esa línea. Con mucho gusto les daré mi opinión cuando la actualización llegue a la versión estable. Reciban un gran saludo de mi parte.
¡Muchas gracias por tu apoyo, José! 👍 Tu opinión nos ayudará a refinar la nueva función 🙂
Me adapto bem ao modelo atual, mas realmente ter criar várias rotinas é bem trabalhoso.
Rotina de trabalho, doméstica, de escola, enfim e programar tudo isso também não é fácil.
Mas deixo meu feedback que foi este app que me ajudou a enxergar onde meu tempo estava sendo gasto. E então a tomar decisões, e passei a gastar com que realmente importa parabéns por isso.
Hoje eu uso muito para tarefas diárias , e uso outro app para as quinzenais e mensais.
Agora vou poder usar somente o Time Tune pra tudo.
Como sugestão, já que agora pelo que eu entendi seria em ciclo então poderia ter uma botão de concluído para poder programar o próximo ciclo no período certo ou até mesmo adiar uma rotina.
Muito obrigado pelo seu feedback e pela sugestão! 🙂
Hi
Do you have any plan to publish TimeTune on Windows Store?
We’re open to the possibility of creating some kind of desktop version of web version in the future 🙂 However, the project needs to grow more before we can justify the investment 📈
This is a wonderfull improvement. My schedule changes every week due to work. Now I have to use a second app to handle that. I would be happy if I could import my Google calender into TimeTuner. Will that be possible (in the future)?
For the moment, the Pro Version already allows to see your events from Google Calendar on the Schedule view. But in the future we’d like to add more integration capabilities.
Often I need to remind myself of a deadline or to bring something specific to a block from a routine but only a particular day,.
I end up adding another block to the schedule which makes the day look longer than it is.
How would you feel about adding a comment tag to a specific instance of a routine block?
Indeed, in future versions we’d like to add the ability to make one-off modifications or comments to the schedule (without affecting the routine) 🙂
Great work!!!
I love the routine thing….i downloaded this app for the routine ,:(( i don’t want to change, don’t update mine plz
We understand your concern. But keep in mind that templates will be exactly the same as 1-day routines. It’s basically a change of name.
I want the repetition, thats what save me time to not repeat it every day…
Right? Not everyone wants a one day repetition. Weekly planners were perfect.
Just to make things clear, we’re not saying that templates repeat every day. You can use templates with a weekly repetition too. Just imagine that your weekly routine gets split into 7 templates, and those templates apply one on Monday, one on Tuesday, etc. It’s the same result, with a different approach.
If you have more questions, let us know. Now’s the time to solve any doubts.
Ich nutze in meinem Alltag zur Zeit immer mehrere Routinen gleichzeitig um neben den alltäglichen Aufgaben auch noch die Essenszeiten abzubilden, die sich teilweise mit den anderen Aufgaben mal zu Beginn und mal am Ende überlappen und einem anderen Rhythmus folgen. Auch die Öffnungszeiten vom Sekretariat und die Rugezeiten im Haus muss ich in einer separaten Routine abbilden, weil in einer Routine immer nur ein Ereignis zur zeit stattfinden kann. Wird das mit den Vorlagen dann schon einfacher?
At first you will not see much difference, as templates are very similar to routines. The difference will come in posterior updates, because templates will open the door to better features.
I love the routine feature but I use it in a different way i.g. I have a routine for my classes and school , another for meals and snacks. I also have one routine for prayers. Thus I heve the flexibility to schedule everyday through routines. Please don’t change it.
Thanks a lot for your feedback 👍
We can confirm that routines and templates will be exactly the same. The only change will be the way they are applied to the calendar.
TimeTune Web with Pomodoro.. My dream
Thanks for your suggestions! 🙂
Where do we post feature requests? I have a couple:
1. Sync the routine with a dedicated Google Calendar (one way but continuous)
2. Display the routine on Smart Watch faces (a bit like the Sectograph App on Google Play)
Thank you very much for your suggestions 👍 You can post feature requests anywhere you can find us (here on the blog, on our social media channels or through timetuneapp@gmail.com) 🙂 We take note of your ideas 📄
I’m not sure about this. I like making all my days the same. I wish it were optional.
Hi, don’t worry. In that regard, templates are just like routines (they are a template for days that are always the same).
Please make it possible to still have the weekly routine. I specifically have this app for that! Not everyone has a chaotic life and some of us just need a real 7days routine planner. I loved that I could prepare different weeks for my different weekly routines based on my yearly needs. Please don’t destroy my routines and my work on them!
Hi, templates will allow you to have a weekly repetition too. The only difference between templates and routines is how they are applied. Instead of having a 7-day routine that applies to the week as a whole, you’ll have 7 templates that apply to each day of the week independently. The result is the same, but templates give you more power and flexibility.
Apart from that, your current routines will be transformed into templates automatically, you won’t have to configure anything for this change and you won’t lose your data.
But we understand the concern. The change might be a bit shocking at first because it’s a change of paradigm, but once people use it for a while and realize the new power, they won’t look back.
That being said, remember that you can keep using the current version if you disable the auto-updates for TimeTune in Google Play.
I love to see the web version of the app and its necessary when you want to focus on work/ study and don’t want to go mobile for each notification.
Yeah i agree , i don’t know why they don’t have a web version , it’s a great app !
I’ve been pestering the developers about a web or desktop version of the app for years — since it first came out. It’s a feature I’d gladly pay extra for, even though I’ve already paid for the premium version.
Also, 2-way syncing with Google calendar and Google Tasks.
Hi, we’re still open to the possibility of a desktop version later on. However, the project needs to get more traction before we can justify the investment in other platforms (we’ll probably write an article explaining the evolution of the project so far).
We take note of your suggestion about 2-way syncing too ✍
Great idea , i tried several apps but none of them sticks with me , except for TimeTune and now i think I’ll love it even more , one suggestion though that will make the app really awesome is if we can add tasks to some activities , i mean maybe we’ll use the same template for a specific day and we’ll be going through the same activities but each activity will have different tasks everytime , for example if i have a block for studying everyday , I won’t be necessarily studying the same thing , so i think it’ll be great if can see tasks that need to be done with the activity itself .
Thanks for your suggestion! 👍🙂
Excelente aplicación. El manejo de los bloques está genial. A mi parecer, le faltaría una vista semanal de la agenda (en formato bloques como los planificadores de papel) para terminar de ser perfecta. Gracias por este desarrollo.
Muchas gracias por tu sugerencia! 👍🙂
When will we be able to see the latest updates? it’s Already November… Though I’m a Beta user… I still haven’t got any updates as such.. Eagerly waiting for the new change…
Hi! Currently, the estimation for the first beta is during November, but we can’t provide a specific date. The migration to templates is delicate and we’re developing it very carefully. Thanks for your understanding.
Will templates be out before 2021?
We’d love to, but we can’t make promises. This change is delicate and we’re developing it very carefully.
okay, thank you! 🙂
You know what would make Time Tune an even more powerful app? Let users make adjustments. That way, we can pause, skip, or add time to the current task (see Routinery for an excellent example of this). Of course, the routine would need to be untethered to a clock-based schedule. It could just be stacked time blocks (like hourstack app). I take care of a toddler and infant, so my plan can get thrown off for the entire day without those schedule adjustment features. That makes Time Tune difficult for me to use.
Thank you very much for your suggestion! 👍🙂
Me encanta esta aplicación es muy útil espero poder utilizarla mucho más y sacarle el mayor provecho pero no soy fan del modo Pro por la razón de que yo no tengo tarjeta de crédito para comprarla esa es mi única preocupación por todo lo demás está excelente muchas Gracias por crearla.
Hey timetune can I get an estimate for when templates will be out? I’m so so excited for it! 😀
We don’t have a date yet. Stay tuned 🙂
You guys are doing great job…. From a long time I was looking for this kind of app…. But I cannot found any such app…. And I am also looking forward fpr your new version…. Well it’s my first day in your app…
Welcome to TimeTune! Remember to check our tutorial page in case you need it: https://timetune.help/en/getting-started/
Eu tenho uma sugestão para o layout do aplicativo. Seria muito útil se pudéssemos ver as ações que adicionamos em um dia como um bloco de tempo que ocupa um espaço visual, dependendo da quantidade de horas que aquela ação leva.
Por exemplo. Se uma atividade tem duas horas de duração, a atividade terá 2 unidades de altura. Algo como o Google Calendar faz. Isso ajudaria muito a ter uma percepção visual de quando tempo estamos investindo em cada atividade e tornar ainda mais intuitivo.
Obrigado pela sugestão!
I understand that routines aren’t going to be a thing anymore and im not sure how templates will work. But being able to shift the routines/ template tiles into a custom order would be fabulous to have. So I can start have my routines in an order that I need to see it in. Like starting on a Tuesday for work.
Correct 👍 Templates will be more flexible. Templates are basically the same as 1-day routines, with the added benefit that you can use them on any calendar date or following any kind of repetition pattern, not only on a weekly basis.
Do you have an ETA for the Beta app? I am literally waiting for you guys to come out with it so I can plan my months, since my work schedule rotates on a biweekly cycle.
Hi! Unfortunately, there’s not ETA yet 😢 Development for the new version is more difficult than anticipated, but it’s progressing adequately.
However, you should be able to plan your work schedule with the current version (your plan will be translated into templates automatically in TimeTune 4.0). If you are a free user, you can schedule a bi-weekly rotation with a 14-day routine. If you are a Pro user, you can use the programmer feature to plan by calendar date.
If you can’t find how to do it in the current version, give us more details about what you need and we’ll show you how. Or you can contact us at timetuneapp@gmail.com for better communication. Thanks!
Hi it’s me again, im probably getting annoying by now buuut do you guys think templates will be out before 2021? or are you guys still not sure? sorry! i can’t wait for templates!! 🙂
Dear developers,
First of all, as I have said in the playstore comments, this is a wonderful app and exactly what I was looking for. In fact, it was the first time I’ve ever spent money on an app! I bought the premium version to offer my support, as well as to benefit from any new features, which brings me to my first question; what will happen with my subscription in the newer version? Will it translate to the new version and to newer features, or will I have to resubscribe?
Also, I’m looking forward to the templates, however I’m really hoping this doesn’t change the app too much. I enjoyed the simplicity, convenience, and accessibility of this version, and I hope this remains the same with templates. Just thought I would share that comment.
Thanks again for your great work, and looking forward to the update!
Also, I forgot to mention, your app has a bible icon for the custom tags, and I really wish there was one for the Quran as well. I like to dedicate some time from my day to reading the Quran, so this would be great!
Thanks for your suggestion, we’ll try to add that icon as soon as possible.
I need it too
Hi! The Quran icon will be added on the next version 🙂
Thank you very much for your feedback and support, we really appreciate it 👍
About your first question, you won’t have to do anything. Your license is a lifetime license that will be valid for all coming versions and updates.
The idea with the new templates feature is to make the app simpler and more intuitive. Templates are virtually the same as 1-day routines, so in that regard is more like a change of denomination.
I like the way it is. I don’t use programmer and serves my purpose and super helpful and Intuitive.
Don’t see the need for any change.
Hi. If you want to keep the current version, we recommend disabling auto-updates for TimeTune in Google Play (Google Play app / search for TimeTune / open the top submenu / disable the ‘Auto-updates’ checkbox).
That being said, remember that the new templates will allow you what you currently do with routines, and more.
If you want the app to be much different, create a new app but leave us users alone, who like the app the way it is.
Hi, sorry about that. If you want to keep the current version, we recommend disabling automatic updates for TimeTune on Google Play.
Hi, this looks great and the app is fantastic! As others have already noted, I hope you consider adding the ability to shift entire schedules forward / back in the day. Great work and I appreciate the updates you provide!
Thanks a lot 👍 The project is still growing but we’ll add more improvements progressively 🙂
when will the update be released?
We’d like to publish the beta version during February 🙂
Hi there,
This app is a life saver, thank you so much!
Bought the Pro version to show my support and gratitude more than anything else, lol.
Admittedly, a little confused regarding the impending changes, but hopefully it will make sense when the time comes.
Just a few questions:
Any update on the beta release date?
Will we lose our current routines and tags?
Thank you for the awesome app!
Hi, thanks a lot for your support! 👍
The new version is already on Beta, you can download it now. You won’t lose any information; your data will be automatically adapted to the new version 🙂
In any case, you can make a backup of you data before updating the app if you prefer it, for extra security (Settings / Backup).
Hey i want to ask something after the templates update my weekly repetition routine will be deleted or it will automatically get adjusted in form of templates…I wish it would automatically get adjusted…or I will have to do some work..
Anways the app is awesome and I don’t mind a small update after all according to you it will still be very similar…
Hi! Don’t worry, you won’t lose your data. Routines will be automatically adapted to templates 🙂
I love the app. I would love it more if you make a tutorial for the beginners.
Hi, you can check our tutorial page here: https://timetune.help/en/getting-started/
However, our intention is to add other tutorials in future updates 🙂
Hi, I am a new user of this. This app was exactly what I was looking for. As a student I want to plan my day very strictly to get most out of it. And for now I only have to do 3-4 tasks related to studying daily . So this is what your app helps in doing.
And I am thinking of buying the pro version. I just want to know will my pro version be gone when this update rolls out?
Hi! No, the pro version won’t be gone after the update. If you buy it now, the pro version will stay 🙂
Hello! Just downloaded the app to help with work. Am I able to download the beta template version right now? If so, how can I do so?
Hi! Yes, you can already download TimeTune 4.0 BETA 🙂 To do that, search for TimeTune in Google Play and click ‘Join’ on the ‘Join the beta’ section. After a while, you’ll be able to update to the beta version ✨
Hello. I’m enjoying the new time tune so far! I was wondering if u guys took away the feature that allows you to put notifications on multiple tasks all at once because I can’t seem to find where that is.
Hi! Yes, we removed that feature temporarily. Our intention is to find a better method in future updates.
For the moment, remember to define the default notification and default configuration in Settings/Notifications, so each time you create a new block it will already contain that default notification.
Sorry for the inconvenience 🙏
Hi, I’ve been using this app for a few weeks now and I’m wondering when we’re gonna get the templates update? From what I can see it’s been a long time since you’ve talked about it but I’m very interested in it.
Hi! We don’t have a date for the public release yet, but the new version with templates is already live in beta.
If you’d like to try the new version now, you can join our beta program from our page on Google Play 🙂
Hello, With the new update to Templates, will we still get a “Day Summary” that breaks down the number of hours spent on each activity? Will the same summary feature exist for an entire routine?
Thank you.
Yes, the day summary and routine summary will be available 🙂