Auto refresh reloads a webpage at an interval you choose. In Tapper’s upcoming update, the page controls let you select a preset interval or enter a custom number of seconds, then start a refresh session on a supported webpage in the built-in browser.
This can help when a page only displays new information after reloading. It is less useful on a page that already receives live updates, and it can interrupt reading, reset your position, or discard unsaved input. Start by checking whether a reload is actually needed.
Decide whether refreshing solves your problem
Open the page manually and look for a timestamp, status label, or another visible sign of freshness. Leave it open briefly. If that value changes without a reload, the page may already update itself.
If it remains unchanged, refresh once yourself. Watch what changes and what resets. Does the page return to the top? Does your selected filter survive? Are you still signed in? Those observations tell you what an automated refresh would repeat.
For forms, drafts, checkouts, and pages holding unsaved work, repeated reloading is usually a poor fit. Finish or save that work first. A refresh routine is not a substitute for a service’s notification system or its own live-data features. See auto refresh versus live updates for a simple freshness test.
Set up the refresh controls
- Open the supported webpage inside Tapper.
- Wait for the first load to finish and clear any overlays.
- Open Page controls and find Auto refresh.
- Select an interval or enter a custom value in seconds.
- Start the refresh session and observe the first two reloads.
- Stop and inspect the page before increasing the session length.
The upcoming interface includes preset values of 5, 15, 60, 300, and 900 seconds. Those are options, not instructions to use the shortest one. The right choice depends on how often the information changes and how long the page takes to load.
For a page that changes every few minutes, reloading several times per second would not create useful information. It would simply repeat requests. The refresh-interval article shows how to reason about frequency.
Allow time for the page to load
A reload starts work: the browser requests the document, downloads resources, and the website may then fetch more data. The visible page can continue changing after its initial load event.
If the next refresh happens before the information you care about appears, you may spend the entire session repeatedly restarting the load. Increase the interval and observe the page again. Do not assume that a quick blank-to-content transition means all of the page’s data is ready.
The upcoming Refresh & check template combines a refresh step with a page-load wait. It starts with a limited repetition count. Review its settings and adapt them to the page, especially if its content arrives after the initial document. More advanced routines can use available wait conditions when there is a stable element or text to check.
Use a clear ending
A refresh session should have a purpose and an ending. You might want to check a page for a short period while you are watching it. You might instead need three reloads during a brief test. Those are more concrete goals than leaving a page to refresh indefinitely.
Keep Tapper and the page visible. A foreground routine is not an always-on monitoring service. Locking the phone, changing apps, losing connectivity, or navigating away can affect the run. A scheduled reminder does not turn an iPhone app into a background server.
Stop refreshing before clicking a link, entering text, changing a filter, or navigating to a new page. This avoids a reload interrupting the action you are trying to perform manually.
Confirm the page is giving you fresh information
A completed refresh is not proof of fresh data. A website may show cached results, delay its own updates, or use a timestamp that refers to when an event happened rather than when the page loaded.
Choose a visible indicator that means something for your task. Compare it before and after a reload. If the indicator stays the same, it may simply mean there was no new information. It does not automatically mean that Tapper failed.
Likewise, a successful reload does not mean you gained priority in a queue, reserved an item, or completed a transaction. Automation should not be presented as a way around a website’s rules or rate limits. Respect the service’s published guidance and use its own notifications when those are the appropriate tool.
Troubleshoot common refresh problems
If you keep returning to a sign-in screen, first confirm that the session works with a manual reload. If filters reset, look for a stable URL or a site option that preserves your selection. Tapper cannot force a website to retain state it normally discards.
If content disappears and immediately reloads again, the interval may be too short. If nothing changes after a long period, test one manual reload and compare the result. If the site already updates itself, you may not need auto refresh at all.
Use the general troubleshooting guide for broader page and foreground issues. For a routine that combines reloading with other steps, read about wait conditions before adding more taps. A short, observable sequence is easier to trust than a long loop whose result is unclear.
A good routine starts small.
Open the official App Store listing, check the available version, and try a supported webpage.
Download for iPhone