How to use JumpTheScare

Getting started

1

Find your show or movie
Use the search bar on the home page to find your title. Each entry shows how many scares are tracked.
2

Start both at the same time
Open the app and start your video. The app works best on a second device (phone, tablet) while you watch on your TV or computer.
3

Sync your timecode
The app opens on a sync screen showing a reference scene (e.g., "The text 'An Apple Original' appears"). Find that moment in your video, note the timecode displayed, enter it in the app, and press Continue.
4

Press play — on both
Once synced, press play on the app at the same time as your video. If you have "Countdown on unpause" enabled, a brief countdown helps you sync them precisely.
5

The app warns you before each scare
A few seconds before each scary scene, the screen turns yellow and a countdown begins. You'll see what kind of scare it is and whether you can watch it muted or with eyes closed.
6

React however you prefer
Close your eyes, mute the volume, or skip ahead. When the screen turns green, the scare is over and it's safe to look again.

Black Normal playback — nothing scary is happening.

Yellow Warning — a scare is coming in the next few seconds. Get ready.

Red Scare active — the scary moment is happening right now.

Green All clear — the scare is over. Safe to look again.

Space Play / Pause

← Rewind 5 seconds

→ Fast-forward 5 seconds

Esc Close settings panel or dismiss recap

Tap the gear icon (⚙) in the upper right corner of the app to open settings. You can control:

Audio cues — whether the app plays a soft sound before and after each scare.
Visual indicators — whether the screen changes color for warnings and scares.
Warning time — how many seconds before a scare the warning appears (default: 5 seconds).
Scare description — whether to show a brief description of the upcoming scare during the countdown.
Scare recap — whether to show a summary of what happened after the scare ends.
Countdown on unpause — shows a short countdown (3, 2, 1) when you press play, so you can start your video at the same time.
Audio cue on unpause — plays a tick sound during the unpause countdown (helpful if you can't see the app screen when unpausing).
Always show timecode — keeps the timecode visible at reduced opacity even when controls fade out.

Use JumpTheScare on a phone or tablet while watching on a larger screen — this way you can glance at it without the video interfering.
If your app gets out of sync, pause and re-sync by noting the current timecode and going back through the sync screen.
The arrow keys let you nudge the timer forward or backward by 5 seconds if you need fine-tuning.
Sound design is a huge part of jump scares. Watching muted often makes the content less scary while losing very little of the story — worth trying!