---
title: "The iPhone time picker is not circular"
description: "The iPhone’s apparently infinite time picker is a long repeated list with an end. Most infinities in software are just large enough to outlast your curiosity."
author: "Pau Friedman"
kind: "link"
published_at: "2025-09-04"
url: "https://pau.fm/blog/2025/09/04/the-iphone-time-picker-is-not-circular"
markdown_url: "https://pau.fm/blog/2025/09/04/the-iphone-time-picker-is-not-circular.md"
canonical_url: "https://pau.fm/blog/2025/09/04/the-iphone-time-picker-is-not-circular"
external_url: "https://x.com/skydotcs/status/1962160670134444283"
---

# [The iPhone time picker is not circular](<https://x.com/skydotcs/status/1962160670134444283>)

The iPhone’s time picker is not circular. It is an extremely long repeated list which eventually
reaches an end if you keep scrolling.

Software is full of convincing infinities implemented as enough data that nobody reaches the edge.
The distinction only becomes visible to one sufficiently committed idiot, which is also how most
abstractions fail.