Support
Last updated: 2 June 2026
Quick answers to common questions, plus tips for a fast, steady read. If you’re still stuck, get in touch — we read every message.
Getting started
How do I use it?
Open the BPM tab, press Listen, and point your phone toward the music. A provisional number appears within a few seconds and sharpens into a confident lock as Beatpin gets surer.
Which tempo range should I pick?
Tap the range code at the top of the BPM screen and choose the window your music lives in — House · Techno, Hardstyle · Trance, Drum & Bass, Groove · Hip-Hop, and more. Or pick Auto and Beatpin detects the range for you. The right range resolves most half / double-tempo confusion.
Can it start listening automatically?
Yes. Turn on Settings › On Launch › Auto-start listening and Beatpin begins detecting the moment you open it — handy when your hands are busy mid-class. It’s off by default.
What do the gauges under the readout mean?
Lock shows how sure Beatpin is, filling from the first provisional estimate to a full lock. Input shows the mic level it’s hearing — if it stays low, the music is too quiet or the mic is covered. You can hide either one in Settings › Show on the Display.
Reading the tempo
It says “No lock yet — move closer.”
Beatpin needs a clear, steady beat. Move closer to the speakers or turn the music up, and don’t cover the microphone. Ambiguous or very sparse intros can take longer on purpose — Beatpin would rather wait than show a wrong tempo.
The BPM looks like half or double the real tempo.
Pick the tempo range that matches your music (e.g. House · Techno, or Drum & Bass · Fast), or choose Auto to let Beatpin detect and snap to the right range. When locked, the ½ and 2× figures beside the readout show the octave alternatives so you can sanity-check at a glance.
What’s the square next to the BPM?
It’s a beat marker — it snaps on every beat at the detected tempo, a metronome you can see. If you’d rather just read the number, turn the square off in Settings › Display.
How accurate is it, and why does it sometimes pause?
Beatpin is built for real rooms — instructor mics, crowd noise, footfalls and reverb that make other detectors jump around. It holds a tempo steady and will wait, or briefly drop the lock, rather than flash a number it doesn’t trust. Treat the reading as a strong estimate, not a certified measurement.
What music works best?
Anything with a clear, driving kick — house, techno, trance, drum & bass, most gym and dance music — locks fastest. Sparse, rubato, or weak-percussion material (acoustic, ambient, some warm-up / cool-down tracks) is genuinely harder and may take longer or stay provisional.
Cardio · Run shows a higher number than the track.
That’s intentional. The Cardio · Run range folds slow tempos up to your step rate, so a 90 BPM track reads as the 180 cadence you actually run to. Switch to a music range like House · Techno if you want the track’s own BPM instead.
Beatpin Pro
What is Beatpin Pro?
A one-time US$9.99 unlock — not a subscription. It adds musical key and Camelot codes beside the tempo, an unlimited saved library and history, session recording with export, and a standalone metronome. Everyone gets a full 7-day Pro preview to try all of it first.
What stays free forever?
Live BPM detection, uncapped — no time limits, no ads, no account. So do the ½ and 2× octave readout, the tempo ranges, the Lock Screen Live Activity, live Shazam track ID and the shareable BPM card. Your last 15 reads and 10 tracks stay saved on your device.
What happens past 15 reads or 10 tracks?
Nothing is deleted. Older reads and tracks stay on your device, locked; unlock Pro and they’re all there again.
I had recording and an unlimited library before Pro existed.
You keep them. If you used Beatpin before Pro, session recording and your unlimited library stay unlocked — Pro doesn’t take away anything you already had.
How do I restore my purchase?
Tap Restore purchase on the Pro screen. The unlock is tied to your Apple ID, so it follows you to every iPhone you sign in on, at no extra cost.
Key, recording & metronome (Pro)
How does musical key detection work?
Pro shows the song’s key and its Camelot code (like 8A) beside the tempo. It’s strongest after about 30 seconds on a single track, and it abstains — showing “—” — rather than guess when it isn’t sure.
How big are session recordings, and where do they go?
Recording is Pro. Files are uncompressed WAV — about 10 MB per minute — and each one shows its length and size. Tap DELETE ALL to clear them, or set auto-delete to Never, 7, 30 or 90 days in Settings › Recording. They’re stored on your device under Files › On My iPhone › Beatpin, and the audio never leaves your phone unless you share it.
Can I run the metronome while detecting?
The metronome is Pro, and starting the click stops the mic — the phone can’t play a beat and listen for one at the same time. Set the tempo with − / +, TAP it in, or hit USE LIVE to adopt whatever Beatpin is currently detecting.
Song recognition
Song recognition isn’t finding tracks.
Turn on Settings › Song Recognition (Identify songs), make sure you have a network connection, and start detection — matches appear in the Tracks tab. It’s off by default, and only recognises commercially released music in Shazam’s catalogue (live, remixed, or unreleased edits often won’t match).
Does song recognition send my audio anywhere?
No raw audio leaves your phone. When you enable it, Apple's ShazamKit turns the sound into a compact acoustic fingerprint and sends only that to Apple's Shazam service to find a match. See the Privacy Policy for details.
During a workout
Does the screen stay on while detecting?
Yes — Beatpin keeps the screen awake while listening so the readout doesn’t disappear mid-workout, and releases it when you stop.
Does it keep working when I lock the phone or switch apps?
By default Beatpin stops listening when you leave it, to save battery. Set Settings › When Backgrounded to keep detecting, and turn on Live Activity to show the live BPM on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island so you can glance down without reopening the app.
Will it drain my battery?
Listening keeps the mic and screen active, so expect normal “screen-on” battery use while a session runs. Press Stop when you’re done, and leave background detection off unless you need it.
I’m using AirPods or Bluetooth headphones.
When a wireless headset is connected, iOS routes microphone input to the headset’s mic — which usually can’t hear the room’s music well. For the best read, use your iPhone’s own microphone and point it toward the speakers.
Privacy & your data
Is my audio recorded or uploaded?
No. Audio is analysed live, on your device, only to estimate tempo — it isn't recorded or uploaded as part of normal use. There are no accounts, analytics, or ads. Full detail is in the Privacy Policy.
Do session recordings or key detection send anything?
No. Session recordings (Pro) are saved only on your device, and musical key detection runs entirely on-device. The one thing that ever leaves your phone is a Shazam match request — an acoustic fingerprint, never your raw audio — and only if you turn song recognition on. See the Privacy Policy for detail.
How do I clear my history?
Open the Tracks tab and tap Clear to remove all matched tracks, or clear your BPM log from the History tab. Removing the app deletes all of its on-device data — settings, history, tracks, and any recordings.
Appearance & setup
Which color scheme should I use?
Default is the ember signal display. Light suits a bright studio; Dark suits a darkened spin or cycle room. Switch any time in Settings › Appearance.
What do I need to run Beatpin?
An iPhone running iOS 17 or later, and permission to use the microphone. Song recognition additionally needs a network connection.
Tips for the best read
- Point the phone’s mic toward the speakers, and keep your hand off the bottom edge.
- Get within a few metres of a speaker where the kick is strong.
- Pick the range that matches your music — or Auto — to avoid half / double readings.
- Give a sparse intro a few seconds; the lock firms up once the beat settles.
- Use the iPhone mic rather than a Bluetooth headset for room audio.
Contact
Still stuck, or have a feature request? Email support@beatpin.appand we'll get back to you. Telling us your device model, iOS version, and what you were doing helps us help you faster.
See also the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.