Birthdays & anniversaries

Make a birthday countdown you can use every year

Keep the next birthday in view with a named countdown, reminders and an optional iPhone widget. Use a yearly repeat for a fixed birthday date.

Choose the date you actually want to count toward

Create a countdown with the person's name and their next birthday. If the celebration is on a different day, create a separate event for the party. That keeps a reminder for the birthday from being confused with the time guests should arrive.

Set up your countdown

Open Countdown and create an event.
Enter a useful name, such as “Alex's birthday,” and choose the upcoming date.
Choose an emoji and color so it is easy to spot in your list.
Enable a yearly repeat if you want to keep counting toward the same month and day each year.

For a February 29 birthday, check the next occurrence and choose how you want to celebrate in years without a leap day. A yearly date setting should reflect your preference rather than a guessed celebration date.

Give yourself time to prepare

The app can remind you when the date arrives and ahead of it. Choose an advance reminder when you need time for a gift or a call. Review the reminder options in the app; custom reminder settings are part of Premium.

Keep it on your screen

With Premium, add a Home Screen or Lock Screen widget so the birthday stays visible. Follow the widget setup guide. If you track several birthdays, use tags to keep them together in your list.

Share only what you mean to share

You can share an event with friends or family through the app. A shared birthday is different from a public holiday in the event directory: your personal countdown is not listed there.

Without an iPhone, you can create a birthday in the web app. Its data stays on that browser and device; it does not automatically become an iCloud countdown.