diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index f447fc31512..eafac499bfd 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -202,6 +202,29 @@ Two more rules that catch most of the rest:
 
 Prefer `AutoClosableReentrantLock` over `synchronized`, matching the rest of the codebase.
 
+### Measuring Time
+
+**New code that reads a clock uses `io.sentry.time`**, not `System.currentTimeMillis()`,
+`System.nanoTime()`, `SystemClock`, `DateUtils.getCurrentDateTime()`, a `SentryDateProvider`, or an
+`ICurrentDateProvider`. Those are legacy, not a precedent to follow.
+
+Pick the type by what the number is for:
+
+| You need | Use |
+|---|---|
+| An instant that leaves the process (event, breadcrumb, session) | `EpochClock` → `Timestamp`. Never subtract two of them |
+| How long something took | `Stopwatch` |
+| Whether a window has elapsed (TTL, backoff, timeout) | `Deadline` |
+| Several instants compared with each other (spans of a transaction) | `AnchoredClock` |
+| A raw tick, when none of the above fits | `MonotonicTicker` |
+
+Get the clock from `options.getEpochClock()` or `options.getMonotonicTicker()`, not a
+`getInstance()`: on Android the ticker keeps counting through device suspend, and `System.nanoTime()`
+does not. Take it as a constructor parameter; tests use `TestMonotonicTicker` instead of sleeping.
+
+If none of these fits, propose a new type, and the clock bug it makes impossible, before writing
+call sites against it. Don't inline raw tick arithmetic as a stopgap.
+
 ### Testing Requirements
 - Write comprehensive unit tests for new features
 - Android modules require both unit tests and instrumented tests where applicable
diff --git a/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/internal/time/AndroidMonotonicTicker.java b/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/internal/time/AndroidMonotonicTicker.java
index 22973b0d937..06deaa5a48a 100644
--- a/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/internal/time/AndroidMonotonicTicker.java
+++ b/sentry-android-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/core/internal/time/AndroidMonotonicTicker.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ public final class AndroidMonotonicTicker implements MonotonicTicker {
 
   private static final AndroidMonotonicTicker instance = new AndroidMonotonicTicker();
 
+  /** Prefer {@link io.sentry.SentryOptions#getMonotonicTicker()}; on Android it returns this. */
   public static @NotNull MonotonicTicker getInstance() {
     return instance;
   }
diff --git a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/JavaMonotonicTicker.java b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/JavaMonotonicTicker.java
index b5b000f2805..fab92fd1b9a 100644
--- a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/JavaMonotonicTicker.java
+++ b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/JavaMonotonicTicker.java
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ public final class JavaMonotonicTicker implements MonotonicTicker {
 
   private static final JavaMonotonicTicker instance = new JavaMonotonicTicker();
 
+  /**
+   * Prefer {@link io.sentry.SentryOptions#getMonotonicTicker()}, which picks the platform's ticker.
+   * On Android this one stops counting during device suspend, so intervals spanning a deep sleep
+   * come out short.
+   */
   public static @NotNull MonotonicTicker getInstance() {
     return instance;
   }
diff --git a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/SystemEpochClock.java b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/SystemEpochClock.java
index 2cb037c0e09..b11eb18fb72 100644
--- a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/SystemEpochClock.java
+++ b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/time/SystemEpochClock.java
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ public final class SystemEpochClock implements EpochClock {
 
   private static final SystemEpochClock instance = new SystemEpochClock();
 
+  /**
+   * Prefer {@link io.sentry.SentryOptions#getEpochClock()}, which is where a platform would
+   * substitute its own wall clock, the way Android already substitutes the ticker.
+   */
   public static @NotNull EpochClock getInstance() {
     return instance;
   }