Setup Guide
Getting Started
Welcome to Claude Counter! This guide will help you set up the app and start tracking your Claude Code sessions in minutes.
Step 1: Download & Install
- Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad
- Search for "Claude Counter"
- Tap Get to download and install
- Open the app once installation completes
Step 2: Choose Your Language
When you first open Claude Counter, you'll be asked to select your preferred language.
Available Languages:
- English (UK)
- English (US)
- Afrikaans
- Greek (Ελληνικά)
- French (Français)
- Spanish (Español)
- German (Deutsch)
- Dutch (Nederlands)
Tap your preferred language to continue. You can change this later in Settings.
Step 3: Understand Your Session Limits
Free Users
- 5 sessions tracked included free
- 1 grace session as a buffer before upgrade
- Claude Counter session counts reset on the day that your Claude subscription renews each month (user configurable)
Pro Users
- 50 (Unlimited) sessions tracked per month
- Unlimited custom timers
- Lock screen widgets
- Full history & statistics
- Data export
Step 4: Configure Your Timers
Navigate to Settings (Tab 5) > Timer Settings to customize:
Session Duration Timer
- Default: 5 hours (300 minutes)
- Purpose: Tracks how long your Claude Code session runs
- Recommendation: Set this to match Claude Code's session timeout
Save Progress Timer
- Default: 4:45 hours (285 minutes)
- Purpose: Reminds you to save your progress with Claude
- Recommendation: Set this to a time that is less than your session duration based on your progress updating workflow
Step 5: Set Your Reset Day
Your session count resets monthly. This happens on the day of the month that you set in the Timer Settings for when your Claude subscription renews.
To change your reset day:
- Go to the Settings (Tab 5)
- Tap Timer Settings
- Find Session Reset Day
- Select any day from 1-31
Step 6: Choose Your Theme
Claude Counter includes 15+ beautiful color themes.
- Go to Settings (Tab 5)
- Tap Theme & Appearance
- Select your preferred theme:
- System (follows iOS)
- Blue, Purple, Green, Pink, Gold
- Cobalt, Indigo, Dodger Blue
- Orange, Red, Yellow
- Gray, Black, Brown
- Choose Light, Dark, or System mode
- There are many combinations so take some time to find the theme that pleases you
Step 7: Set Up Lock Screen Widgets (Pro)
Lock screen widgets let you see session info without opening the app.
Adding Widgets
- Long-press on your Lock Screen
- Tap Customize
- Tap the Lock Screen to edit
- Tap the widget area (above or below the time)
- Search for Claude Counter
- Choose from available widgets:
- Session Timer - Remaining session time
- Save Progress - Time until save reminder
- Sessions Remaining - Available sessions count
- Days Remaining - Available days until your Claude subscription renews
Widget Refresh
Widgets update automatically when timers are running.
Step 8: Start Your First Session
You're ready to go! Here's how to start tracking:
Starting a Session
- Open Claude Counter to Tab 1 (Session)
- (Optional) Add a session description. Include any project or client tags to enable keyword filtering for data export
- Tap the large Start Session button
- Confirm you want to start a new session
What Happens Next
- Session Timer begins counting down
- Save Progress Timer starts its countdown
- Session count increments
- Circular progress shows sessions used
During Your Session
- Keep Claude Counter open or use widgets to monitor time
- You'll receive a save reminder when your save timer target is reached
- You'll receive a reminder when your session timer target is reached
- Keep in mind that any instruction or response sent to Claude AI after a Claude session expires automatically starts a new session
Ending Your Session
- Should you decide to stop working with Claude before the end of the session tap the button again to End Session
- Confirm to stop all timers
- Session time is saved to your history
Step 9: Review Your Statistics
After a few sessions, explore your statistics:
- Go to Tab 4 (Statistics)
- View your Quick Stats dashboard
- Scroll to see charts:
- Usage by 7-day periods
- Session duration by date
- Usage by day of week
- Sessions by hour
- Use the Period Filter to view:
- Current period only
- All time data
- Specific period ranges
Step 10: Export Your Data
Need to report your usage or bill a client?
Quick Export
- Go to Tab 3 (History) or Tab 4 (Statistics)
- Tap the Export button
- Choose:
- Copy to Clipboard - Formatted text
- Share as CSV - For spreadsheets
What's Included
- The user set developer ID
- Session dates and times
- Duration for each session
- Session descriptions
- Summary statistics
- Period information
Pro Tip: Prevent Accidental Sessions
Claude Counter's confirmation dialogs help prevent wasted sessions:
- Start Session Confirmation - "Are you sure you want to start a new session?"
- End Session Confirmation - "This will stop all timers. Continue?"
- Session Cooldown - Brief wait period between sessions
These safeguards ensure you only start sessions when you intend to.
Upgrading to Pro
When you're ready for more features:
- Go to Settings (Tab 5)
- Tap Subscription
- Choose Monthly ($4.99) or Annual ($39.99)
- Complete purchase
Pro Features Unlocked
- 50 (Unlimited) sessions per month
- Unlimited custom timers
- Lock screen widgets
- Full history access
- Complete statistics
- Data export
Troubleshooting
Sessions Not Counting
Ensure you tap "Start Session" and confirm
Widgets Not Updating
- Widgets refresh periodically based on iOS
- Try removing and re-adding the widget
- Ensure the app has been opened recently
Timer Sounds Not Playing
- Check your iPhone isn't on Silent mode
- Verify notification permissions in iOS Settings
Need More Help?
Visit: User Guide
Next Steps
Now that you're set up:
- Start tracking your Claude Code sessions
- Create custom timers for your workflow (Pro)
- Review statistics weekly to understand your patterns
- Export reports as needed for billing or management
Happy coding!
Need Help?
We're here if you have questions or run into any issues.