Flutter Tabata Whip Timer
6 Jan 2025(Updated 11 May 2026)
Building my first Flutter app has been an exciting journey, filled with challenges, discoveries, and valuable learning moments. I've documented my experience in a blog and you can download the app from the store, see the links below.
The app is called Tabata Whip Timer, a free interval training timer built for iPhone. The idea came from a personal frustration: most tabata timer apps are subscription based, so I decided to build my own. It also turned out to be the perfect excuse to finally learn Flutter, something I had been thinking about since attending the Frontmania conference in 2022.
Coming from a React background, picking up Flutter felt surprisingly natural. The reactive programming model was conceptually familiar, and the hot reload feature made development fast and enjoyable, seeing changes reflected instantly on both laptop and phone. The app is built with Flutter and Dart, uses SQLite for local storage, and includes features like haptic feedback, workout statistics, landscape mode, and customisable interval controls.
The whole process, from writing the first line of code on November 4, 2024 to publishing version 1.0.1 on January 6, 2025, took just over two months. Key lessons along the way included working with Flutter's strict type system, the value of writing tests early, and the surprisingly smooth experience of shipping to the Apple App Store for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Tabata training?
Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that follows a specific pattern: 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds (4 minutes total). The Tabata Whip Timer app lets you customize these intervals and track your workouts over time.
- Is Flutter a good choice for React developers?
Yes. Coming from a React background, the reactive programming model in Flutter feels conceptually familiar. State management, component composition, and the declarative UI approach all translate well. The
hot reloadfeature makes the development loop fast, similar to hot module replacement in React. This project went from zero Flutter experience to a published App Store app in just over two months.- What features does the Tabata Whip Timer have?
The app includes customizable interval controls for work, rest, and rounds, haptic feedback during workout transitions, workout statistics and history, landscape mode support, and local storage using
SQLiteso all data stays on your device. The app is completely free with no subscriptions or ads. It was built out of frustration with existing tabata timer apps that lock basic features behind paywalls.
