Why I Built Beadly, a Prayer Bead Counter for My Sister

Beadly started with a small, ordinary problem at home.

My sister counts her prayers every day. To keep track, she used a small handheld counting device, the kind where you press a button and the number goes up. It did the job, but there was one problem. After a few weeks of daily use, the device would stop working. She would buy another one, and after a while that one would break too.

Watching this happen more than once, I thought: I build apps for a living. Why not make her something that will not wear out?

The two things she actually needed

When I asked what she wanted from an app, her answer was practical. There were two things.

First, she should be able to count with the phone's screen off. When you are praying, you do not want to hold a lit screen in front of you. The old device worked in your hand without looking, and an app had to do the same. So in Beadly you can count with the volume buttons while the screen is off. The count keeps going in the background, and a small notification shows it is still running.

Second, she wanted to see her progress easily. The old device only showed a number. It could not tell her how many rounds she had finished this week or how consistent she had been this month. So Beadly keeps a history. A weekly chart shows how many rounds you did each day, and a monthly calendar shows the whole month at a glance. You can also see your current streak and your best day.

What the app looks like in use

The main screen is a large circular counter with a progress ring. You tap to count, and the ring fills as you get closer to your target. The target is yours to set. A Hindu japa mala usually has 108 beads, so 108 is a common choice, but you can pick whatever your tradition or practice uses.

When a round is finished, the phone gives a short sound and vibration, so you know without looking. You can switch sound off if you prefer silence. There is also a dark mode, and you can choose your language in the settings.

I kept everything else simple on purpose. A counter should be quiet and get out of the way.

Built with Flutter

I built Beadly with Flutter and Dart. I like Flutter because one codebase gives a smooth, clean interface and makes it easy to keep improving the app. The counting logic, the history screens, and the volume-button handling are all inside the app, so it works as a plain counter on your own phone.

Who is it for?

I made it for my sister, but a counter like this is useful for many people. If you count on a japa mala, use a tasbih, chant a mantra, or follow any daily practice with a target number, Beadly might be useful to you too. It does not matter which tradition you follow.

Download Beadly for free

Beadly is free. You can download the APK from the App Store page on this website. If you have never installed an APK before, my short guide on how to install an APK safely walks you through it. And if you are choosing between counter apps, here are seven features a good prayer counter should have.

I am still improving the app. If you try it and something feels missing or confusing, please send me a message. The best ideas for Beadly will come from the people who actually use it, just like the first idea came from my sister.