Get help with PaceCoach, your real-time speaking pace monitor for iPhone and Apple Watch.
How It Works
Start a Session - Tap "Start Session" on your iPhone
Speak Naturally - PaceCoach analyzes your speaking pace in real-time
Get Feedback - Visual indicators show your current pace zone
Feel Alerts - Your Apple Watch vibrates when you're speaking too quickly
Review - See a summary of your session when you're done
All processing happens on-device. Your voice never leaves your iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started
What permissions does PaceCoach need?
PaceCoach requires:
Microphone access - To hear your voice and analyze speaking pace
Speech Recognition - To process speech patterns on-device
Both permissions are required for the app to function. All processing happens locally on your device.
Do I need an Apple Watch?
No, PaceCoach works on iPhone alone with visual feedback. However, the Apple Watch provides discrete haptic alerts that are especially useful during presentations when you can't look at your phone.
Does it work offline?
Yes! PaceCoach works completely offline. There are no servers, no accounts, and no internet required.
During Sessions
What do the colors mean?
Good pace, keep going
Approaching threshold, consider slowing
Too fast, take a breath
How does calibration work?
Calibration allows PaceCoach to learn your natural speaking style. Speak for about 30 seconds at your comfortable pace, and the app will set personalized thresholds for you.
Getting the best results
PaceCoach has been thoroughly tested across a wide range of speaking styles, environments, and scenarios. However, speech is unique to every person, and factors like your voice, accent, speaking rhythm, room acoustics, and background noise all play a role in how the app reads your pace.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Phone distance matters — If your phone is too close, the microphone can over-read your voice and report a faster pace than you're actually speaking. Too far away, and it may under-read. Experiment to find the distance that gives you the most consistent readings in your environment.
Try both calibration and default profiles — The calibration tool learns your natural speaking style, but some users find the default profile actually works better for them. Try both and use whichever feels more accurate.
Background noise affects accuracy — PaceCoach works best in quieter environments. High levels of background noise can interfere with how the app reads your speech, so try to minimise ambient noise where possible.
Every setup is different — A quiet room, a lecture hall, and a busy office will all produce different results. You may need to adjust your settings (mic sensitivity slider, distance, profile) depending on where you're speaking.
Experiment and adjust — Finding the ideal combination of distance, sensitivity, and profile may take a few sessions. This is completely normal and part of getting the most out of PaceCoach.
Why isn't the app detecting my voice?
Try these steps:
Make sure you granted microphone permission
Speak at a normal volume (not whispering)
Reduce background noise if possible
Try adjusting the mic sensitivity slider during a session
Apple Watch
How do I get haptic alerts on my Watch?
The PaceCoach Watch app must be open on your wrist to receive haptic alerts. Here's what to do:
Start a session on your iPhone
Open PaceCoach on your Apple Watch
The Watch will automatically pick up the active session and deliver haptic feedback as your pace changes
If you forget to open the Watch app before starting, just open it any time during the session — it will sync automatically.
My Watch isn't receiving alerts
Check the following:
Watch app is installed and open
Bluetooth is enabled on both devices
Watch is paired and connected
Do Not Disturb is disabled on your Watch
What do the different vibrations mean?
Your Apple Watch uses distinct vibration patterns so you can tell what's happening without looking:
Building buzz (crescendo) — Slow down. You're speaking too fast. Take a breath and let your words land.
Rhythmic taps (pulse) — Add pauses. Try pausing at the end of sentences to give listeners time to absorb.
Fading tap (decrescendo) — Speak more. You've been quiet for a while — pick up the pace.
Pleasant tap (success) — Good pace. You're in the zone, keep it up.
After a few sessions, you'll instinctively know what each pattern means and can adjust without looking at either device.
How strong are the haptic alerts?
You can adjust haptic intensity in Settings:
Light - Subtle single tap
Medium - Noticeable multi-tap pattern (default)
Strong - Pronounced multi-stage vibration
Higher intensity makes the patterns more distinct and harder to miss during presentations.
Privacy & Data
Is my voice recorded?
No. Audio is processed in real-time and immediately discarded. Nothing is recorded or stored.