Frequently asked questions
Answers to the most common questions about badmintho. For anything else, visit the support page or write to us.
Scoring & rules
Does badmintho detect points automatically?
No — you score by tapping, which is the only reliable way on a court. Each side of the screen is one big button: tap to add a point, tap the small – in the corner to take one back. What is automatic: serve rotation, service courts, game and match progression, workout metrics and jump counting.
Which scoring rules does it follow?
Standard BWF-style rules with room to play your way: game to 3, 5, 7, 11, 15 or 21 points, best of 1, 3 or 5 games, and a two-point-advantage toggle with the official caps (a 21-point game ends at 30, a 15-point game at 21). You can also switch the winning score off entirely for open-ended rallies. Rules are set on the iPhone and pushed to the watch. How badminton scoring works explains the rules themselves, including why the caps are what they are.
I tapped the wrong side — how do I fix it?
Tap the small – button on that side. It works even after the game has been won, so a mis-tapped match point can be undone. The serve indicator corrects itself, because the service court is always derived from the current score.
Does it handle doubles?
Yes — singles and doubles, with proper serve rotation: the serving pair swaps courts on a won rally, and the service court follows the server’s score. Pick players from your roster for each side, or leave the names empty and just play.
Apple Watch & workouts
What does the watch record during a match?
A real badminton workout in Apple Health: heart rate with your zone, active calories, distance, steps and physical effort — with every point and every jump embedded in the workout as it happens. Each game becomes its own segment, and the players’ names are saved with the match.
Does the watch work without the iPhone nearby?
Yes. You need the iPhone app to install and configure it, but on court the watch scores, records the workout, counts jumps, logs water and shows its own match history entirely on its own. Rule changes and Pro status refresh the next time the two connect.
What is Smart Tracking?
An optional watch setting (off by default) that automatically pauses and resumes the workout between games or drills, so rest time doesn’t dilute your effort numbers.
The watch screen stopped responding mid-game
If you switched on Water Lock in Control Centre, the touchscreen ignores taps until you turn the Digital Crown to unlock. badmintho never enables Water Lock by itself.
Any tips for battery during long sessions?
The live workout and the 100-times-per-second motion sampling for jump detection are the main consumers on the watch — that’s the price of real data. On the iPhone, the Keep Display On setting (on by default, handy courtside) can be switched off to save battery.
Jump counting
How does jump counting work?
The watch reads wrist motion 100 times a second and recognises the take-off/landing pattern of a jump, recording each one into the workout with its intensity. A sensitivity slider (a Pro feature) lets you calibrate it to your play style.
What is the hard-landing alert?
A free safety feature, on by default: the watch buzzes when you land hard (3 G by default, adjustable 2–6 G), so you can ease off and protect your joints.
Match history & stats
Where is my match history stored?
In Apple Health, on your device — badmintho has no database of its own and no server. That also means deleting a workout in the Health app removes it from badmintho’s history, and your matches stay yours even if you stop using the app.
A match is missing from History
Three usual causes: Health write access is off (the app shows a banner when that’s the case — grant it in the Health app or under Settings → Privacy & Security → Health → badmintho); the workout was deleted in the Health app; or the game was shorter than a second and got filtered out.
Will a match count twice on my Activity rings if both devices record?
No — the watch tells the phone when it’s recording, and the phone skips or trims its own record so nothing overlaps. Play with the watch and the phone simply defers to it.
What is the racket “difficulty” rating on a match?
A 0–5 racket score for how hard that game worked you, based on its measured effort relative to the most intense point of the workout — a quick way to spot which game was the battle.
Playing with others
Can two phones share one match?
Yes — one phone hosts, nearby phones join over Bluetooth and mirror the score live. Joiners can request points, but only the host can end a game or match (their End button becomes “Leave Game”). Cross-device play is free.
Can someone watching mark why each rally ended?
Yes — that is Live Umpire Mode, from 26.3. The watcher joins the match on their own iPhone, opens the scoreboard, and after each rally taps Winner, Unforced error or Service fault. The watcher never changes the score: each mark goes to the host as a request, and the host saves it with the match in Apple Health. Both phones need 26.3 or later. Marking is free on both; the per-side Rally breakdown appears in the match detail, which is part of PRO.
Does it work with Android?
Not yet. An Android and Wear OS version is built and running, but it is not on the Play Store — a closed test has to run first. You can help test it. Cross-device play with Android will be free when it ships, as it already is between iPhone and iPad.
My score jumped back — why?
The host device is the single source of truth. If devices disagree — a stale update, an illegal step — the host’s score wins and everyone re-syncs to it. Also check Shake to Reset (off by default): when enabled, shaking the iPhone resets the current game to 0–0.
Free vs Pro
What’s free?
The core of the app: full match scoring and rules, Apple Watch scoring and workouts, cross-play score sync with nearby devices, named matches saved to Apple Health, unlimited match history, unlimited players, doubles, drill mode, water logging and the hard-landing alert.
What does PRO add?
The full story of every match: match and game detail cards, advanced per-game workout and jump statistics, the Jumps & Score chart, the rally breakdown a spectator recorded, shareable match cards, and jump-sensitivity calibration on the watch. PRO is a monthly or yearly subscription with a free trial, or a one-time lifetime purchase — prices are shown in the app in your local currency.
What happens to my data if my subscription lapses?
Nothing is deleted — your matches live in Apple Health and stay there. The Pro views simply lock again until you re-subscribe.
Data & privacy
Does badmintho have accounts or a server?
No account, no sign-in. Matches are in Apple Health and your player roster stays on the device. By default nothing leaves your phone; there are exactly two optional exceptions, both off until you act: an anonymous usage-stats toggle (aggregate daily counters only — never your matches, never anything identifying), and the Community waitlist, where you can leave an email address to be notified at launch.
What is Community?
A coming set of features — courts, matchmaking, rankings. It isn’t in the current release, but you can join the waitlist in Settings; founding members get their first year of Community Pro free at launch.
Requirements & languages
What does badmintho require?
iPhone or iPad on iOS 18.0 or later; the watch app needs watchOS 10 or later. Heart rate, calories and jump detection need a physical Apple Watch. Health access is asked on both devices, Motion on the watch, and Bluetooth only if you host or join cross-device games.
Which languages does badmintho speak?
28 languages and regional variants, from Danish to Simplified Chinese. The app follows your device language; to use a different one, go to Settings → Apps → badmintho → Language. Units (ml/fl oz, km/mi) follow your region automatically. Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy