How to disable repeat timer function on iPhone timers?

If you mean the green “recently used” timers displayed at the bottom of the screen …

… just “swipe them left” to delete.

I use timers regularly, and have not found a way to turn off this particular feature.

I’m now conditioned to “left-swipe the green” as soon as I start a new timer.

amirek wrote:

And you shouldn't lose that option. But, it should NOT be the default, and there should be a way to toggle the big orange repeat button on or off, or a way to disable it in settings. MOST of us don't need a repeat button, and it certainly shouldn't be as obvious as it is or the default.

so https://apple.com/feedback otherwise nobody will change anything, Apple are not reading this forum.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Scribble16 wrote:

At the risk of caviling, I didn't say Clippy was "universally loathed," I said it was "almost universally loathed." Those who liked it were a distant minority, but they did exist. Disagreeing with me is fine, but I appreciate being read correctly.

That was your takeaway from my response? My apologies for being less than pedantic.

You're right, I should have been more focused. By saying some people liked Clippy, you seemed to imply it should it have been imposed on everyone, and the same would go for the Repeat button. Which is what I was responding to, though very unclearly. But maybe that wasn't what you meant, so let's forget about it.

More relevant is that from the first, Microsoft provided a way to turn Clippy off, which millions of people (including me) immediately did. I'm sure lots of people, maybe the vast majority, like having a bright Snooze button when an alarm goes off; I'm not one of them, because I constantly pressed it by accident--but Apple provided a way for people to remove it, accommodating what might be a tiny minority. Given that fact, personally I'm astonished that they didn't enable people to turn off Repeat. But as I've said, I've now made my request in their Feedback page. I hope others do too, which will make the change more likely.

Follow these steps: (1) Set a timer for anything over 1 minute. (2) Put down the phone and let the screen go dark. (3) The alarm goes off, and 2 buttons appear on screen, one in bright orange for Repeat, and one in dark gray for Stop. (4) Because the Repeat button is far more visible and you have to spend an extra couple seconds to look carefully for Stop, naturally press Repeat. (5) Be forced to look again to find and press the X button to end the timer you had no reason to repeat. (6) Wonder who at Apple decided the most likely thing you'll want to do when a timer ends is to repeat it over and over, and give no settings option to remove the Repeat button you never asked for.

I see it. I know what you’re talking about. It’s the HUGE Repeat and Stop buttons in lock screen when time goes off. Repeat being so huge wo being able to disable is over the top to me. Really wondering how many people use that for it to be such a prominent feature that i repeatedly hit instead of stop.

tiffanyfromaustin wrote:

I see it. I know what you’re talking about. It’s the HUGE Repeat and Stop buttons in lock screen when time goes off. Repeat being so huge wo being able to disable is over the top to me. Really wondering how many people use that for it to be such a prominent feature that i repeatedly hit instead of stop.

Apparently enough for Apple to make the change.

The repeat button is TOO obvious. The more obvious choice should be the STOP button!!! Can you imagine setting the timer to remind you to attend a work meeting, hitting the BIG ORANGE BUTTON that pops up right in your face, going to the meeting, and having it go off again right in the middle of the meeting? SERIOUSLY? I understand that SOME people may want a repeat button, but for those of us who DO NOT, you should have a control in SETTINGS that allows us to TURN OFF the big orange repeat button!! This should NOT be the default OR the more obvious choice!!

But with Alarms, one has the option to turn off the Snooze button altogether. They didn't carry that over to Timers.

Thanks to pointing out the feedback link. Except Apple doesn't include Clock/Alarms/Timers as an app we can comment about.

You will have to put iOS26.2 in the comment section and leave the version drop-down blank.

Apple are always 2 weeks late updating (not for want of us telling them for the last 10 years)

PS you can use the side button to stop the timer instead.

I already sent another comment about this directly to Apple. I'm so tired of rushing to the kitchen to get something out of the oven when the timer goes off, scrambling to shut off the timer, only to have it go off again later and send me into a panic. Apple does NOT think these things over well at all. You can't even see the button to slide over to turn off unless you look hard--it's "invisible". I'd use a few choice words about this to describe whomever thought it up, but they removed a previous post when I did. Lolol. I like my iPhone, but there have been some VERY questionable decisions made about the way the iOS works, and WE (the consumers) have to deal with them. Unprofessional, to say the least.

amirek wrote:

I already sent another comment about this directly to Apple. I'm so tired of rushing to the kitchen to get something out of the oven when the timer goes off, scrambling to shut off the timer, only to have it go off again later and send me into a panic. Apple does NOT think these things over well at all. You can't even see the button to slide over to turn off unless you look hard--it's "invisible". I

"Siri, stop the timer."

The side button is a physical button. You don't have to see it. You can feel for it. But, I get it, you don't want to hear how maybe this might not be as hard as you are portraying it.

Also, unless you're making a soufflé, almost nothing requires that you run to the kitchen in a panic to take something out of the oven. Take a breath, turn off the time, grab your potholders, and then take it out. Panicking in the kitchen leads to cuts, burns, and things dropped on the floor.

Scribble16 wrote:

At the risk of caviling, I didn't say Clippy was "universally loathed," I said it was "almost universally loathed." Those who liked it were a distant minority, but they did exist. Disagreeing with me is fine, but I appreciate being read correctly.

That was your takeaway from my response? My apologies for being less than pedantic.

You're just wasting time repeating your same thoughts. You have been presented with ways to disable it without having to worry about repeating the timer, what else do you need? To argue? Also, I'm sure most people including me just realized that the change was made and adapted to it. The slider is very different from the normal button. You should consider reading the entire list of updates before you install them. You could also look at posts about these updates online well before they are released.

FWIW I use the repeat button all the time when doing timed exercises. I find this new format very helpful. Much easier than pressing that small Start Button.

What repeat are you referring to. I just tested a timer on my iPhone and after I clicked on the X to stop it, I no longer see a timer to repeat. Are you maybe referring to the fact that the next time you wish to use the timer, you see a list of your last used or Recent timers?