Tanning Timer
A tanning timer built around your UV, skin type and SPF
T&T sets a personalized session length from the live UV index at your location, your Fitzpatrick skin type and the SPF you're wearing — with front-and-back tracking and a flip reminder, so you don't have to keep checking your phone.
Free to download — timer is free with a 3-per-rolling-7-days allowance; Premium unlocks unlimited use, the full 10-day UV forecast and the Apple Watch app.
The short answer
What is a tanning timer?
A tanning timer estimates how long a single tanning session should last based on how fast the sun's UV would push your skin towards its burn threshold. Generic timers hand out the same twenty-minute rule to everyone. That number ignores the two things that actually decide UV dose: how strong the sun is right now, and how sensitive your skin is to it.
A useful tanning timer takes three inputs into account: the live UV index at your location, your skin type, and the SPF you're wearing. T&T combines all three into a personalized countdown, so each session length is set for the person actually running the timer — not an imaginary average tanner. The timer sits inside the broader T&T tanning app, which also covers UV forecasts, session history and wearable sync.
Five steps
How the T&T tanning timer works
Step 1
Check the live UV
T&T shows the current UV index for your location on the main screen.
Step 2
Set your skin type
Pick your Fitzpatrick skin type (I–VI), or use the live camera preview to match your inner wrist against the six reference swatches (no photo captured). T&T remembers your choice.
Step 3
Select your SPF
Choose the SPF you are wearing, from bare skin up to SPF 50+. The timer adjusts your estimated window accordingly.
Step 4
Start the session
T&T calculates a personalized countdown from those three inputs and starts your front-side timer.
Step 5
Flip when it taps you
A haptic and notification tell you when to turn over. Front and back exposure are tracked separately, so one side is not accidentally doubled.
In the app
What the T&T tanning timer shows you
A live countdown against your estimated session length, with the current UV index visible and each side of your session tracked on its own.
Personalized countdown
One estimated session length based on your live UV, skin type and SPF — not a generic 20-minute rule.
Front and back tracked separately
Two segments in one session, so each side gets its own countdown.
Flip reminder
A gentle haptic tap and notification the moment it is time to turn over.
Live UV in view
The current UV index sits on the timer screen so you always know what you are dosing.
Session history
Every session is logged, so you can see how UV and duration changed over time.
Why personalized wins
Personalized vs. fixed-minute tanning timers
A fixed timer — fifteen minutes on each side, or a plain stopwatch — treats everyone the same. But two people lying next to each other under identical UV can be very far apart in how quickly their skin reaches its burn threshold. Fair-skinned Type I skin accumulates a burn dose in a small fraction of the time Type V or VI skin does at the same UV level. Adding SPF changes the estimate again.
A personalized tanning timer uses your own inputs to give you an estimate that matches the person actually running the timer. It is not a medical prediction, and it cannot make UV exposure risk-free — but it is a much better anchor than a stopwatch, especially on days when the UV is stronger than it feels. For the underlying question — how long should I tan? — the dedicated guide walks through each factor in detail. For the broader layer around individual sessions — how skin type, UV, SPF, session structure, rest and progress fit together — see the personalized tanning plan guide.
Input 1 of 3
The UV index and tanning time
The UV index is a 0–11+ scale of how strong the sun's ultraviolet radiation is right now at your location — a scale developed by the World Health Organization and international partners. As a rule of thumb, the higher the UV index, the faster your skin accumulates a UV dose — so the estimated exposure window shrinks. UV isn't a fixed daily number either: it climbs through the morning, peaks around solar noon, and drops in the afternoon.
T&T uses the live UV index for your location as one of the three inputs into the personalized timer, and refreshes it as conditions change. That means the same twenty-minute goal in the app translates to different real-world sessions depending on whether it's a UV 3 morning or a UV 9 midday. For a closer look at interpreting today's UV Index in a tanning context, see the UV index for tanning guide, and for the specific “which UV level is best?” question see the best UV Index for tanning guide.
Input 2 of 3
Skin type and tanning time
The Fitzpatrick scale — first described by dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick in 1972 — groups skin into six types (I–VI) based on how it reacts to UV. Type I tends to burn very quickly and rarely tans; Type II usually burns then tans slightly; Type III burns moderately and tans gradually; Type IV rarely burns and tans easily; Type V burns very rarely and tans deeply; Type VI has the most baseline pigment and tolerates the most UV before reaching a burn threshold.
T&T uses your Fitzpatrick skin type as the second input into the personalized timer. You can set it manually or use the live camera preview inside T&T to compare your inner wrist against the six reference swatches (no photo captured, saved or uploaded). The Fitzpatrick scale is a useful anchor, not a clinical measurement — err on the shorter side when you're unsure. For a full guide to the six phototypes and the scale's limitations, see the Fitzpatrick skin types guide.
Input 3 of 3
SPF and tanning sessions
SPF slows how fast your skin accumulates a UV dose, which extends the estimated exposure window. It does not make tanning risk-free, and it wears off with time, sweat and water — so the SPF written on the bottle is a lab-condition ceiling, not a guarantee across a full session. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends reapplying sunscreen at least every two hours, and more often when swimming or sweating. For a fuller look at what SPF actually means for a tanning session, see the SPF for tanning guide.
T&T lets you pick the SPF you're wearing before you start a session, so the personalized timer reflects it. T&T also offers sunscreen-reapplication reminders — see the sunscreen timer guide for the reminder side of the workflow.
End-to-end
The full T&T tanning session workflow
- 01
Current conditions
T&T reads the live UV index, forecast and cloud cover for where you are.
- 02
Personalized timer
It builds a countdown from your skin type, SPF and today’s UV.
- 03
Front / back session
Front and back are tracked separately; you can pause or extend at any point.
- 04
Flip reminders
Haptic and notification when it is time to turn over. Live Activity keeps the countdown on your Lock Screen.
- 05
Session history
Each session is logged with UV, duration and any notes you add.
The same personalized tanning timer also runs on your wrist as part of T&T Premium. See it in action on Apple Watch or on Wear OS.
To wrap the timer into a repeatable multi-round structure with breaks and reminders, see the guide on building a tanning routine.
Try the T&T tanning timer on your next session.
Common questions
Tanning timer FAQ
What is a tanning timer?
A tanning timer estimates how long a single tanning session should last. A useful tanning timer takes three inputs into account: the live UV index at your location, your skin's sensitivity to UV (typically the Fitzpatrick skin type I–VI), and the SPF you are wearing. T&T combines all three into a single personalized tanning-time estimate — a planning tool, not a guarantee against sunburn.
How does the T&T tanning timer decide the length?
T&T reads the live UV index for your location, combines it with your Fitzpatrick skin type and the SPF you're wearing, and produces a personalized tanning-time estimate. It then runs a countdown, tracks front and back exposure separately, and taps you when it's time to flip. The timer is free with a 3-uses-per-rolling-7-days allowance; Premium unlocks unlimited use.
How long should I set a tanning timer for?
There is not one correct number. A fair-skinned person under peak UV can approach their burn threshold in a small fraction of the time a darker-skinned person would at the same UV level, and SPF changes the picture again. That is the point of a personalized tanning timer: instead of guessing a fixed length, let the app calculate an estimated session length from live conditions and your own skin profile.
Does the UV index affect tanning time?
Yes, strongly. The UV index is a 0–11+ scale of how intense the sun's UV is right now. Higher UV means UV dose accumulates faster, so the estimated exposure window shrinks. A tanning timer that ignores the UV index is guessing; T&T uses the live UV index for your location as one of the three inputs to the personalized estimate.
Does skin type change the tanning timer?
Yes. The Fitzpatrick scale groups skin into six types (I–VI) based on how it reacts to UV. Type I burns very quickly and rarely tans; Type VI has much more baseline pigment and tolerates more UV before reaching a burn threshold. T&T uses your selected skin type as one of the three inputs into your personalized timer.
Does sunscreen change tanning time?
SPF slows how quickly your skin accumulates a UV dose, so the estimated exposure window is longer when you are wearing sunscreen. It does not remove UV risk, and it wears off with time, sweat and water — so reapplication matters. T&T lets you pick the SPF you are wearing so the personalized timer reflects it.
Does T&T remind me when to flip?
Yes. T&T runs front and back exposure as separate segments and gives you a haptic tap and notification at the flip point, so you don't have to keep checking your phone. On iOS, Live Activity keeps the countdown on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island (Premium). The Apple Watch app delivers the same reminders on your wrist (Premium); the Wear OS app is free and standalone.
Can I use T&T as a tanning timer on iPhone and Android?
Yes. T&T is a free download on the App Store (iPhone and iPad) and on Google Play (Android). The live UV index, Fitzpatrick skin type selection, SPF selection, sunscreen-reapplication reminders, Vitamin D estimate and the standalone Wear OS app are in the free tier. The personalized tanning timer is free with a 3-uses-per-rolling-7-days allowance. Premium unlocks unlimited timer use, the full 10-day UV forecast, unlimited session history, Apple Health / Health Connect sync, cloud sync, iOS Live Activity, and the Apple Watch app.
Sources
Health-related statements on this page draw on public guidance from the following authoritative bodies. They inform the general science of UV, sunscreen and skin type — not the T&T algorithm.
- World Health Organization — Radiation: The ultraviolet (UV) index
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration — Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun
- StatPearls / NCBI Bookshelf — Laser Fitzpatrick Skin Type Recommendations
Citing an organization here does not indicate an endorsement of T&T by that organization.
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