> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nexrex.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cadence metronome

> Set a steady step rhythm for drills, easy runs, or your live GPS run.

The cadence metronome plays a steady beat between **100 and 220 steps per
minute** so you can lock in a target turnover. Use it during form drills,
easy runs where you want to stop overstriding, or inside a live NexRex GPS
run without leaving the run screen.

Your cadence and sound selection are remembered between sessions and sync to
[Apple Watch](/athletes/apple-watch#cadence-metronome-on-apple-watch), so you
can leave the phone in your pocket and drive the metronome from your wrist.

## Open the metronome

The metronome lives with the other NexRex runner tools.

1. Open the **Tools** screen.
2. Select the **Metronome** tab.

You'll see the current cadence in large type, a slider from 100 to 220 SPM,
a row of cue-sound chips, and a **Start metronome** button.

## Adjust cadence and sound

* **Cadence** — drag the slider to set a target between **100 SPM** and
  **220 SPM**. The number above the slider updates as you drag, and a light
  haptic tick confirms each step.
* **Sound** — pick one of five cues. Each has a different character so you
  can find one that stays audible on your route without being harsh.

| Cue         | Feel                                                                             |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Bright**  | Default. Clear, high tick — the easiest cue to hear over wind.                   |
| **Wood**    | Softer wood-block click. Good for indoor drills.                                 |
| **Bell**    | Rounded chime. Cuts through music without feeling percussive.                    |
| **Digital** | Synthetic blip. Useful when you want something distinct from ambient sounds.     |
| **Clap**    | Sharp hand-clap. Best for track work and drills where you want a strong on-beat. |

Changes save immediately. If the metronome is already running, the tempo
switches on the next beat without stopping playback.

## Start and stop

Tap **Start metronome** to begin. The button flips to **Stop metronome**
while it's playing. Tap it again — or leave the Metronome tab — to stop.

<Note>
  The metronome is intentionally local to the screen or the active run.
  Leaving the tab or ending a run stops the beat so you never have a
  forgotten ticker running in your pocket.
</Note>

## Using the metronome inside a live run

You don't have to leave your run to change tempo mid-session.

1. Start a manual GPS run from the run screen.
2. Tap the **metronome** icon in the run's top bar (next to the map icon).
3. The metronome opens as a compact sheet over the run. Adjust cadence,
   change the sound, or start and stop — the run keeps recording behind it.
4. Swipe the sheet down to return to the run screen.

The cadence you set inside the run is the same value the standalone
Metronome tab uses — set it once and it follows you everywhere.

## Apple Watch sync

When you change the cadence or sound on your phone, NexRex pushes the new
settings to your Apple Watch. The watch stores them locally so the metronome
stays usable when the phone is out of range.

See [Cadence metronome on Apple Watch](/athletes/apple-watch#cadence-metronome-on-apple-watch)
for the wrist controls and the per-beat visual pulse.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I can't hear the metronome">
    Check your ringer volume and make sure headphones or your speaker are
    connected. The metronome plays through the phone's normal media output.
    If you're on a phone call, audio playback pauses; the visible beat stays
    active so you can still keep time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The tempo didn't change on my Watch">
    The Watch reads its cached cadence and sound from the last successful
    sync. Open NexRex on the phone once with the Watch nearby so the new
    settings can push, then reopen the run controls on the Watch.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The metronome stopped when I left the tab">
    That's intentional. Leaving the Metronome tab, ending a manual run, or
    tapping **Stop metronome** all stop the beat so it can't run silently
    in the background.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>