Chime Me Big Ben

Developer info

Product features

Product description

Are you an expat stuck in a country who misses the unique sound of Big Ben? Have you ever been in London within the vicinity of Big Ben and heard that unmistakable chiming? This app brings those unforgettable sounds to your Android device. One of my customers told be he drives people crazy on the train. People turn turn their heads in confusion looking for the source of where the chiming is coming from. In the mean time he is just simply trying not to laugh too loud. :-)

Other customers tell me this app helps them keep track of the time and helps their children lean how to tell the time.

By the way, you won’t find any adverts in any of my apps. Why? I just think adverts are just plain annoying.

This app will work with the accessibility feature called TalkBack.

This app also contains a widget that allows you to mute and unmute the chiming with a single tap.

Here’s how to use and set up the app. If you need help please email me:

After installing the app, choose to run the app and exit from the app. *** IMPORTANT *** Please add the app to the “Apps that aren't checked” from Settings -> Device care -> Memory to prevent Android killing the app from running in the background. You can now set up the widget.

Using the widget:
The direction of the Big Ben icon indicates wether or not the chiming is active. Up means it’s active and upside down means it’s muted.

Using the app:
You will also see a Big Ben icon on the main screen of the app. The direction of the icon indicates the same as the widget.

Taping “Exit” will get you out of the app but the app will keep chiming if you have the Big Ben pointing upward.

Tapping “Settings” will get you to the “Setting” screen.

Tapping “Silent Periods” will get you to the “Silent Periods” screen.

The “Settings” screen has a volume slider and light bulbs that toggle between on an off. To hear the current app volume, tap the speaker icon next to the slider. This screen contains these settings:

Speak The Time: If it’s on, the app speaks the time on the quarters.
Big Ben Chimes: If it’s on you will hear the Big Ben Chimes on the quarters.
Short Tone: It it’s on, you will hear a short tone on the quarters.
Quarter After: If it’s on, the app chimes at 15 minutes after the hour.
Half Past: If it’s on, the app chimes at 30 minutes after the hour.
Quarter Before: If it’s on, the app chimes at 45 minutes after the hour.
Quarter After: If it’s on, the app chimes at on the hour.
Ok to chime even if media is playing: It it’s on, the app chimes even if you are watching a film.

Tapping “Main Menu” takes you back to the app home screen.

The “Silent Periods” screen allows you to set silent periods and schedule when those periods are active. Up to 5 silent periods can be set from this screen. You can set up to 5 silent periods.

Tapping “Main Menu” from this screen takes you back to the app home screen.

As tutorial example, we are going to set an overnight silent period between 21:30 and 04:30 in the morning.

1. Tap “Silent Periods” from the app home screen. The “Silent Periods” screen is displayed.
2. On line number 1, tap the numbers under the “Starting” column. A time picker is displayed.
3. On the outer ring of numbers, tap the “21” for the hours. The time picker will be ready for you to pick the minutes.
4. Tap 30 for the minutes, then tap “OK”. The time picker will disappear and you will see your chosen time on line 1 “Starting”.
5. Using steps 2 through 4 as a guide pick 04:30 for the “Ending” time. Since you entered an ending time less than the starting time, the app knows you selected an overnight silent period.

A screen with the days of the week is displayed with light bulbs that you can tap to turn off. When the bulb if off the app ignores the silent period set on the days you have turned off.

That’s it.

I hope you like this app.

Technical details

• FOREGROUND_SERVICE
• Open network sockets
• Read from external storage
• Read only access to device state
• Get notified that the operating system has finished booting
• Access the vibration feature
• PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming
• Write to external storage