Aruki - The Japanese walking method, coached on your iPhone
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Aruki coaches the Japanese walking method — three minutes easy, three minutes brisk, repeated — entirely from your iPhone. A soft chime and a quiet voice cue every switch, and a Live Activity shows the phase on your lock screen, so your phone stays in your pocket. No Apple Watch, no account, no backend, no subscription — just a one-time Pro unlock. The full guided walk is free.
Replies
Took a quick walk with it this morning and the calm chime cues really do make the intervals feel effortless, plus seeing the phase on the lock screen was a nice touch.
Aruki
@necdet644676 Love that you took it out this morning, Necdet. "Effortless" is exactly the bar I was aiming for, you shouldn't have to think about the timing at all. Glad the lock screen phase landed for you too. Thank you 🙏
The Live Activity phase indicator is such a thoughtful touch, letting you actually trust the rhythm without constantly checking the screen. Love that it leans on iPhone-native features instead of pushing you toward a watch.
Aruki
@erifehalil29098 Thank you Şerife, you described the intent perfectly. The Live Activity is there so you can trust the rhythm and keep your eyes up instead of on a screen. Leaning on what the iPhone already does well, and skipping the watch, was the whole idea.
finally a walking coach that doesn't demand a watch or a subscription, and the lock screen phase indicator is genuinely handy for keeping pace without checking the app.
Aruki
@elifnur1388706 Thanks Elifnur, that's exactly who I built it for. No watch, no subscription, just your phone in your pocket doing the timing. Glad the lock screen phase is proving handy 🙏
The three-minute interval pacing actually felt sustainable, and I liked that the chime was gentle enough that I did not want to mute it after the first switch.
Aruki
@civitoglu6428 Thanks Elifnur, that's exactly who I built it for. No watch, no subscription, just your phone in your pocket doing the timing. Glad the lock screen phase is proving handy 🙏
How does the app know when to switch between easy and brisk if it’s not using the watch’s heart rate or motion data?
Aruki
@serapzpek3qih It's purely a timer, Serap, no heart rate or motion data needed. Aruki runs the fixed protocol (3 minutes brisk, 3 minutes easy, repeated) on the clock and cues each switch with a chime and a quiet voice. You bring the effort, the app keeps the timing. That's also why it works with the phone in your pocket and no watch.
Does the voice cue work over AirPods if my phone is in my pocket, or does it only play out of the phone speaker?
Aruki
@cemil1216871 Yes, cues route to your AirPods (or any connected headphones) just like music would, so with the phone in your pocket you'll hear the chime and voice right in your ears. If nothing's connected, it plays through the speaker. Either way, the phone can stay away.
The chime switches without feeling naggy and the lock screen Live Activity is genuinely useful since i usually keep my phone tucked away. Surprised how nicely the pace cues land in your ears without headphones.
Aruki
@cafer473252 Thanks Cafer, "not naggy" was exactly the line I was walking with the chime. And glad it carries well even without headphones, I tuned it to sit in that range. Enjoy the walks 🙏
The lock screen phase indicator is such a smart touch, no need to keep pulling the phone out. Chimes are gentle too, which makes the whole rhythm easy to settle into.
Aruki
@ceylanupy3 Thank you Ceylan. Not having to pull the phone out is the whole point of the lock screen phase, so I'm really glad it's landing that way. Settle into the rhythm and enjoy 🙏
Like the one-time unlock instead of a subscription, that alone makes me more willing to try it. One thing I'm wondering about: if a phone call comes in mid walk and takes over the audio session, does Aruki's interval clock keep running in the background and just resume cueing normally when the call ends, or does the call throw off the timing and you come back to a phase switch you missed?
Aruki
@galdayan Thanks Gal, and good edge case. The interval clock keeps running right through a call since it's independent of the audio, so your walk stays on schedule. While the call owns the audio session the cues go quiet, then Aruki picks them back up automatically when the call ends. Getting that interruption-and-resume right was one of the fiddly bits I focused on. Glad the one-time unlock resonates too 🙏
Curious how you decide what counts as "brisk" pace without any sensor data from the watch, is it just timed cues or is there some HR or motion data pulled from the phone?
Aruki
@eyma72451 Great question, Şeyma. It's timed cues, no HR or motion data. "Brisk" is your own effort rather than a number the app measures: a pace where talking gets a little harder, versus "easy" where you could chat comfortably. Aruki just marks the 3-minute switches and you set the intensity. Keeping it sensor-free is what lets it run from your pocket with no watch.