People counter: choose what your total means

A manual people counter records one person each time you press the add button. Decide whether you are counting total arrivals or the number of people still inside: arrivals only need additions, while current occupancy needs one subtraction for each departure too.

The tool above is a manual click counter. It does not detect people or keep separate entry and exit histories.

The term also covers automatic people-counting devices that detect movement using sensors or cameras. Those systems observe people; a manual clicker records the presses of the person doing the counting. This page provides the manual option.

Start with one question

"How many people came?" and "How many people are here?" can have different answers even when you start counting at the same time.

A plain tally does not identify anyone. If someone enters twice, you must decide whether the second visit belongs in your total. Otherwise two people counting the same event can report different numbers without either making an arithmetic mistake.

Use the browser counter for arrivals

1. Check the displayed number before starting. If it contains a previous tally, use Reset, then Yes, reset.
2. Select Step 1 so each add press represents one person.
3. Press +1 once for each person who arrives. Count the people in a group individually, rather than giving the whole group one tap.
4. If you press twice for one person, use −1 once to correct it.
5. At the end of the session, record the displayed total before resetting for another event.

For an arrivals total, someone leaving does not reduce the number. That person already arrived during the session and belongs in the total you chose to measure.

The browser tool also offers steps of 5 and 10. For headcounts, leaving it on 1 avoids an accidental press adding a whole batch. Its subtract button always removes one, regardless of the selected add step.

Use subtraction for people currently inside

For current occupancy, add one when someone enters and subtract one when someone leaves. If the room is already occupied when you start, establish that starting headcount first; beginning at zero would leave those people out.

For example, suppose there are 12 people inside when you begin. Eight more arrive and three leave:

12 + 8 − 3 = 17 people inside.

The same observations give 8 arrivals since you started, not 17. Keep those numbers separate if you need both.

An unexplained negative result is a sign to check the starting count and the observed movements. The browser counter permits negative numbers; that makes it a general tally, not a check that your observations were complete.

When you are watching more than one entrance, a single observer may miss activity at another door. Independent counts do not become a shared live total just because they are on phones. Agree on who watches each door and how totals will be combined before starting.

Keep a tally without losing its meaning

Write down the counting rule alongside the result: "Arrivals through front door, 9–11 a.m." is more useful later than just "126". Include the starting headcount if you used the number for current occupancy.

The browser tool's Remember my count on this device option keeps a number in that browser. It does not create a named event or sync it to another device, and browser storage can be cleared. Read the current number and reset it before beginning a new session.

If you want separate named tallies on your phone, the Tally Counter app keeps unlimited named counters for free. Create one per event or door so an old total is not mistaken for today's session.

Count people with Tally Counter on iPhone

In Counters, tap Create Counter if the list is empty, or New Counter to add another. Enter a name such as "Front door arrivals" and tap Create. Open the counter and use + for each arrival. Use − for mistakes, or departures if you chose to track occupancy.

The iPhone app always changes the number by one, and its − button is disabled at zero. Reset asks "Reset this counter to 0?" before clearing the total. It does not use the camera, microphone or sensors, and it does not sync between devices or export the count.

Counting and named counters are free. Premium adds Insights, including activity statistics and recent activity. Read the main count display for the tally you established for this session.

For an event workflow, see using an attendance clicker. For separate tallies on one phone, see setting up multiple counters.