Support

Help with Guitar, Ukulele & Bass Tuner

Getting started

Allow the microphone

The tuner hears your instrument through the microphone, so it asks once before it starts listening.

  1. Open Guitar Tuner. The last onboarding page explains why the microphone is needed.
  2. Tap Allow the microphone, then choose Allow when iPhone asks. If you skipped it, the tuner screen shows the same button.
  3. Pluck a string. The needle appears and settles on the note.

Sound is analyzed on your iPhone and never recorded or sent. The microphone is used only while the tuner screen is open; the orange dot at the top of the screen goes away when you leave it.

Guitar, Ukulele & Bass Tuner is coming soon to the App Store.

Requirements

  • iPhone
  • iOS 26 or later
  • English, Portuguese (Brazil) or Spanish

The microphone is off

If you chose Don't Allow, or the microphone was turned off later, the tuner screen shows a card that says the microphone is off, with an Open Settings button. iPhone does not let an app ask twice, so the switch is in Settings:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Privacy & Security, then tap Microphone.
  3. Turn on Guitar Tuner.
  4. Go back to the app. The needle replaces the card.

While the microphone is off, the reference tones and tuning charts still work, so you can tune by ear. See Reference tones.

Picking strings and tunings

Choose the instrument and tuning

Tap the instrument and tuning name at the top of the tuner screen to open Tunings. Every preset is free:

  • Guitar: standard, drop D, half step down, full step down, open G, open D, DADGAD and drop C
  • Ukulele: standard GCEA, low G and baritone DGBE
  • Bass: standard EADG, five string BEADG and drop D

With Pro, Tunings also has chromatic mode (any note), violin, banjo and mandolin, and Custom tuning, where you set each string's note.

Pick a string, or let it follow you

The row of strings under the needle shows the current tuning. Tap a string to pick it: the needle reads against that string until you tap it again or choose Auto. On Auto, the tuner follows the nearest string to the note you play.

A4 reference pitch

The tuner uses A4 at 440 Hz unless you change it. To match a piano or a band tuned differently, open the app's Settings and set the A4 reference between 432 and 446 Hz.

Reference tones

Tap the speaker button on the tuner screen to open the reference tones. There is one button per string of the current tuning; each plays a plucked tone for 2 seconds, and the repeat switch keeps it playing.

Play a tone, then play the same open string and turn the peg until the two sound the same: the slow beat between them stops when they match. Reference tones work with the microphone off. The tuner stops listening while a tone plays, so it never hears its own tone.

For the full by ear method, see how to tune a guitar by ear and with a tuner.

Pro and purchases

Free and Pro

Tuning, every preset tuning for guitar, ukulele and bass, the reference tones, picking a string and the microphone fix are free, with no limits. Pro adds a strobe view, chromatic mode with more instruments (violin, banjo and mandolin), tunings you build yourself, and themes.

  • Pro Monthly: $4.99 a month, renews automatically unless cancelled
  • Pro Lifetime: $14.99 once, never renews

Restore a purchase

On a new iPhone, or after reinstalling the app, open the app's Settings and tap Restore purchases. Make sure you are signed in with the Apple Account you used to buy Pro.

If a purchase says it is waiting for approval, it needs a parent or guardian to approve it through Ask to Buy. Pro turns on once it is approved.

Cancel the subscription

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions.
  3. Choose Guitar, Ukulele & Bass Tuner, then tap Cancel Subscription.
  4. Cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends to avoid the next charge.

Pro stays on until the end of the period you paid for. Pro Lifetime is a one-time purchase, so there is nothing to cancel.

Refunds

Apple processes every purchase. To request a refund, go to reportaproblem.apple.com (opens in a new tab) and sign in with your Apple Account.

Data and privacy

The microphone is used only while the tuner screen is open. Sound is analyzed on your iPhone and never recorded, stored or sent. Your instrument, tuning, picked string, A4 reference and theme stay on your iPhone. There is no account, no server of ours and no analytics. Details are in the privacy policy.

Deleting the app deletes everything it stored.

Troubleshooting

The needle says Listening

Listening means the tuner has not heard a clear note for half a second. Pluck one string firmly and let it ring, hold the iPhone close to the instrument, and keep the room quiet. If the tuner screen shows the microphone card instead, see The microphone is off.

The wrong string is detected

On Auto, a neighbouring string ringing along or a strong harmonic can pull the reading toward another string. Tap the string you are tuning to pick it; the needle then reads against that string only. Mute the other strings with your fretting hand.

The low E is not detected on a quiet pickup

An electric guitar or bass played unplugged is quiet, and the low E is the quietest string. Hold the iPhone near the pickups or the body, pluck once firmly near the bridge and let it ring. For a bass, choose a bass tuning in Tunings so the tuner listens low enough for its lowest notes.

Pro is not active after buying

Open the app's Settings and tap Restore purchases while signed in with the Apple Account you used to buy.

Contact

Email questions or problems to:

wintongee@gmail.com

It helps to include:

  • Your iPhone model and iOS version
  • The app version, from the About section of the app's Settings
  • The instrument and tuning you were using
  • What happened, and what you expected
  • A screenshot, if you have one