The response of YAP:Ce scintillators to energetic heavy ions in the mass range A20−200 has been studied. The pulse height and the pulse height resolution have been explored in details for a single YAP:Ce crystal, coupled to R4141 PMT, by using ²⁰Ne, ⁴⁰Ar, ⁸⁴Kr, ¹²⁹Xe and ¹⁹⁷Au beams having energies ranging from 40 A MeV to 15 A MeV. Energy degraded beams have also been employed in order to cover a large energy range. Finally, timing properties were studied in the BIGSOL spectrometer at Texas A&M by measuring the heavy fragment time-of-flight against a PPAC detector.