Turn an old iPad or TV into a split-flap desk counter
Open one link on an old iPad, tablet, TV or spare monitor and it shows your YouTube views, GitHub stars or Bluesky followers full screen, as split-flap digits or another free style. Free, no signup, no hardware to buy.
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Set up an old iPad as a desk counter
- On the iPad (iPadOS 16.4 or later), open this page in Safari, pick what to count and a style, and tap Open the counter.
- Tap Full screen to hide Safari’s bars, and bookmark the page to come back to it.
- Plug the iPad in. While the counter is open in front, Safari keeps the screen on (Screen Wake Lock). If it still dims, set Settings › Display & Brightness › Auto-Lock to Never.
- To keep it on the counter, turn on Guided Access (Settings › Accessibility › Guided Access), then triple-click the top or Home button.
- The buttons fade after a few seconds, leaving just the numbers. Tap the screen to bring them back.
On a TV or a spare monitor, open the same link in its browser and press Full screen.
How it counts
- YouTube: views of your newest upload, refreshed once a minute from YouTube’s public API. YouTube’s docs don’t round view counts.
- YouTube subscribers are exact under 1,000. Above that, YouTube rounds them down to 3 significant figures, so they show as “~12.3K”.
- GitHub: a public repo’s exact star count from GitHub’s API, read at most every 15 minutes.
- Bluesky: the exact follower count on your profile from Bluesky’s public API, read about once a minute.
- Numbers only: no “gained since you opened it”, no estimates between updates.
- For YouTube we keep your channel’s latest numbers while the page is open and delete them a day after it closes. A repo or Bluesky account is read the same way as its public counter page on this site. No login, nothing about you.
Keep going
This tool uses YouTube API Services, under the YouTube Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy.
Questions people ask
Can I use an old iPad instead of buying a desk counter?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on the iPad, pick what to count and open the counter: it fills the screen and updates on its own. It needs iPadOS 16.4 or later: every iPad Pro, and any other iPad sold since 2017. Older iPads can’t update that far. A Smiirl costs $399 to $629 before tax and a LaMetric TIME about $199; this costs nothing.
Is the desk counter free?
Yes. No signup, no ads and no hardware to buy. A small “Made with CountDeck” mark sits under the numbers.
Which app turns a tablet into a split-flap display?
This page does it in the browser, with nothing to install. Pick the Flip Departures style and your count is drawn as split-flap tiles, full screen, on any tablet, TV or monitor with an up-to-date browser.
Can it show GitHub stars or Bluesky followers?
Yes. Pick GitHub and enter a public repo as owner/repo for its stars, or pick Bluesky and enter your handle for your followers. The next milestone and how many to go sit under the count.
What does the YouTube counter show?
Your newest public upload’s views (Shorts and live streams included), with your subscribers under them. YouTube rounds subscriber counts above 1,000, so views lead: they aren’t rounded, and since August 24, 2026 a view counts as soon as a video starts playing. A new upload takes over within about 10 minutes.
How often does it update?
YouTube views and Bluesky followers refresh about every minute or two, and the screen checks every minute. GitHub stars refresh every 15 minutes, and the screen checks every 5. Nothing is estimated between updates.
Will it keep my screen on?
On browsers with Screen Wake Lock, yes, while the tab is open in front. Otherwise set your tablet’s auto-lock to Never.
What does Pro add?
Desk mode in the CountDeck app shows every source you track (Stripe, GitHub, X and more), combined totals and all 24 styles, with no mark.