Stop Watch Free for iOS

For whatever reason, the iPad originally lacked a handful of features included on the iPhone, including a calculator and a clock function, both of which are extremely useful. A Clock app with a stopwatch option became available as part of iOS 6, but in the meanwhile to fill the gap arose hundreds if not thousands of basic apps in the App Store -- some free and others premium. One such free tool is Stop Watch Free. Available for the iPad, Stop Watch Free mimics the basic interface and functions of the stopwatch included with the iPhone's operating system. With the exception of a small ad located in the bottom left corner and a larger ad at the top of the screen, it is more or less identical.

The stopwatch operates exactly as you would expect, with a start button, stop and lap buttons, and a reset button. When you activate the stopwatch you can record a lap time or pause the timer. When the timer is paused you can start it again or reset the lap times back to zero. As you record lap times, they are listed below, with only 16 on the screen at any time. Unlike the iPhone stopwatch, Stop Watch Free lists them in descending order, requiring you to scroll down to see new times if you record more than 16 laps. It's the only major difference between the two apps, but we did find it to be a cumbersome extra step.

If you are in need of a stopwatch app for your iPad (though, again, one is included in iOS 6), Stop Watch Free will get the job done. It is free with no upgrades or additional features held back, it is easy to install and use, and it offers the same basic functionality of the stopwatch tool that Apple installs on the iPhone. There are more feature-rich tools in the App Store with alarm clocks, timers, and other clock tools, but Stop Watch Free is effective and easy to use.