Sprint timer apps
A phone camera can time a sprint. Apps either watch a line and catch you crossing it, or record video you mark by hand afterward. They cost little, but each phone covers one line.
Two ways an app times you
Photo finish apps watch one line through the camera and record when your torso crosses it. Photo Finish and SprintTimer work this way, and so does TrackSpeed. To time a split, you put a second phone at the second line and link them, so a 40 with a 10-yard split needs three phones.
Video apps record the run and let you step through the frames. MySprint films at 240 frames per second, you place markers at known distances, and you tap the frame where the athlete crosses each one. MySprint has an independent validation study behind it. You pay in time, scrubbing through frames by hand after every rep.
Apps and prices
| App | Price | How it times |
|---|---|---|
| Photo Finish | Free, Pro in-app purchases from $8.99 | Camera at a line, more lines with more phones (Pro) |
| TrackSpeed | Free, subscriptions from $39.99 a year | Camera line detection, multi-phone splits |
| MySprint | $9.99 | 240 fps video, frames marked by hand |
| SprintTimer | $4.99, Pro extra | Photo finish at one line |
| SpeedClock | $2.99 | Video radar and two-phone gates |
US App Store, checked October 29, 2026. SprintTimer was last updated in 2023 and SpeedClock in 2021.
When an app is enough
If you want one time over one distance and you have a friend to hold the phone, an app will do. Photo Finish claims 0.02 s accuracy; that is the developer's figure. Bright light, a busy background and a phone that moves all cause misses, so set the phone on a stand and keep the background plain.
Splits are where apps get awkward. Each extra line needs another phone on a stand, aimed and linked, and someone has to collect them all afterward.
How Sprintbrick uses your phone
Sprintbrick uses your phone only as the display. A receiver behind the start measures the distance to a sensor on your lower back 100 times a second over radio, and the app turns that into splits at 10, 20, 30 and 40 yards and every 10 m to 100 m, plus top speed and a speed chart. It works when you train alone: start a recording, walk to your mark, and the app stops recording when you slow down at the end.