ときどき vs ときには

[Amazuu]

I did search online but no one that I could find knew the answer as to what is different or most never heard of
ときには but as I was watching Japanese tv I saw it come up a couple times in one sitting…

[MissMisc]

Same meaning, but I believe these are the nuances:

• 時々 (ときどき) - emphasizes frequency of occurrence (i.e. explains an occasional occurrence, can be a normal and common thing)

• 時には (ときには) - emphasizes external factors attributing to the occurrence (an occasional occurrence, but can be unusual and dependent on outside factors)

Ex:
時々泣きたくなることがある–> “Sometimes I want to cry”
→ nuance that you occasionally feel like crying, which can be a normal/common thing for you

時には泣きたくなることがある → “At times, I want to cry”
→ nuance that sometimes there are external factors that make you want to cry, though this is not necessarily a common occurrence – “There are times I feel like I want to cry”

So I think a good way to separate them in your mind is to remember that 時には is more like “at times” (dependent on outside factors) and is less frequent of an occurrence than 時々