Japa · iPhone, iPad & Apple Watch
An online japa counter, drawn as a mala.
Japa is the practice of repeating a mantra or a name, usually counted on beads. This counter draws the string, marks each bead as you go and rings a bell, if you want one, when the round closes.
Get Japa on the App StoreNo account. No ads. No subscription.
Try the website counter →
Free online japa counter
Begin a round, right here.
Choose your practice and round size, then tap the dial once per recitation. Works in your browser, with no account or download.
Changing practice starts a new count.
Changing round size keeps your total.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Oṃ namaḥ śivāya
Continue in JapaOpens a preview of this practice, with an option to add it in Japa 1.6 or later. The words and round size transfer; your browser count does not. If you install the app, return here and open the link again.
Total: 0 recitations
With the dial focused: Space, Enter or ↑ to count; ↓ to undo.
Your count stays in this tab and resets on reload. Nothing is saved or sent.
What japa is
Repetition
Japa (Sanskrit japa) is the repeated recitation of a mantra, prayer or divine name: aloud, in a whisper or silently. It is kept in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh practice, and the same gesture appears in the rosary and the tasbih.
Why 108
Many malas carry 108 beads, with a larger bead where the string is tied. Reaching it closes a round; many turn the mala around rather than pass over it. Malas of 27 and 54 divide the same number.
Every tradition
The counter above offers a handful of mantras; the practice library has 57 prayers, mantras and dhikr from seven traditions, each with its text and meaning.
Customs around the mala vary between traditions and teachers. Follow the form you were taught; this counter only keeps the number.
Print it
The printable mala tracker is a ring of 108 beads to tick by hand, with a 27-bead quarter version, as a free PDF.
Read the texts
Keep practising in the Japa app.
- Count without looking
- A large, haptic dial drawn as a string of beads, so your eyes can close. It turns gold when the day's goal is met.
- Any practice
- 57 practices from seven traditions in their own scripts, or any mantra or prayer you write yourself, on any mala size.
- On your wrist
- Count with a tap or the Digital Crown on Apple Watch, even with your phone out of reach. The Watch app is free.
Free to count with, for good.
Unlimited counting, the built-in collection, Apple Watch, and up to three saved practices are free, along with the last seven days of your history. One optional Japa Lifetime purchase (US$6.99 on the US store, priced for the region elsewhere) adds unlimited saved practices, your whole history, observance programmes, custom breathing rhythms and private iCloud sync. Never a subscription.
Your words stay on your devices, and in your private iCloud if you choose to sync. No account, no ads, no analytics.
Read the privacy policyBefore you begin
Is the japa counter free?
Yes. This browser counter is free, and counting is unlimited and free in the app on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. No account, no ads.
Can I use my own mantra?
Yes. In the app you can write any mantra or prayer, in any script, and set the mala size and the number of rounds you keep.
Does it work on Apple Watch?
Yes. Japa's Apple Watch app is free and counts with a tap or the Digital Crown, with a haptic for every bead.
Begin with one round.
Get Japa on the App StoreRequires iOS 18 or later. Apple Watch requires watchOS 11 or later.