Birthday reminder app for iPhone: how to choose one
Updated
A good birthday reminder app for iPhone alerts you early enough to act, lets you set more than one alert per person, puts the next birthday where you'll see it, keeps your list private, and tells you up front what the free tier limits. Check those six things before you put your whole list into any app.
The checklist
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Lead time | A same-day alert is too late if you mail cards or order gifts |
| Number of alerts | One alert is easy to miss or swipe away |
| Widgets | You see the next birthday without opening the app |
| Privacy | Birthdays are personal data about other people |
| How birthdays get in | Typing a long list by hand takes time |
| Free limits | The cap decides how long the free tier lasts |
1. Lead time
Look for a choice of timing, not just "on the day". Check whether you can set a custom number of days, and whether you can pick the time the alert arrives.
Birthday Countdown offers On the day, 1 day before, 3 days before and 1 week before, plus a custom number of days. The alert time is set by you; the default is 10:00.
2. Number of alerts
If an app allows only one reminder per person, you have to pick between planning time and a day-of nudge. With two, you can have a week-ahead alert to plan and a day-of alert to send the message.
In Birthday Countdown a birthday can have more than one reminder, and each reminder can carry its own message. Reminders are local notifications from your iPhone, so they only arrive if you allow notifications for the app.
3. Widgets
A Home Screen widget turns the app into something you glance at. Check which sizes exist and whether the Lock Screen is covered. Also check which widgets sit behind a paid plan.
Birthday Countdown has a Home Screen widget in small and medium sizes showing the next birthday, and it's included in the tier that's free for up to 5 birthdays. Lock Screen widgets (circular, rectangular and inline) are Premium. For a closer look, see the countdown widget guide.
4. Privacy
Ask three questions. Do you need an account? Where is the list stored? Does the app need access to your contacts?
Birthday Countdown needs no account, keeps your list on your iPhone, and doesn't read your Contacts. The flip side is that nothing syncs between devices and there's no Android version.
5. How birthdays get in
Some apps pull birthdays from Contacts or a calendar, which saves typing but means the app reads that data. Others make you enter each one.
Birthday Countdown is the second kind. You enter a name, day and month, and optionally a note and groups. It saves only the day and month, so there's no age shown. If your list is long, count the setup time. The birthday tracker guide covers organizing a list, and adding birthdays to the iPhone Calendar covers the built-in route.
6. Free limits
Find the cap before you start entering people. A free tier that stops at a handful of birthdays can strand you halfway through your list.
Birthday Countdown is free for up to 5 active birthdays. Past that, unlimited birthdays are Premium, along with photos, card backgrounds, Lock Screen widgets and CSV export. Within the 5, you still get reminders, the calendar view, groups, search and the Home Screen widget.
Setting up a reminder in Birthday Countdown
- Open the Birthdays tab and tap the "+" button at the top right.
- On the New Birthday screen, enter the first name. It's the only required field.
- Set the day and month.
- Tap Reminders, add a notification, choose its timing and tap Save Notification. Repeat for a second alert.
- Tap Save Birthday.
To see how many days remain, the days until my birthday guide has the quick version, and the Birthday Countdown page has the full feature list.
FAQ
- What is the best birthday reminder app for iPhone?
- The one that fits your list. Check how early it can alert you, whether you can set more than one alert per birthday, which widgets it offers, where your data is stored, how you add birthdays, and what the free tier caps.
- Is there a birthday reminder app that's free?
- Many have a free tier with a cap. Birthday Countdown is free for up to 5 active birthdays, with reminders and the Home Screen widget included. Unlimited birthdays and Lock Screen widgets are Premium.
- Can a birthday reminder app on iPhone alert me days before?
- It depends on the app. In Birthday Countdown you can choose On the day, 1 day before, 3 days before, 1 week before, or a custom number of days, and add more than one reminder to the same birthday.
- Will I still get birthday reminders if I turn off notifications?
- No. Apps that use local notifications on the iPhone can only alert you if notifications are allowed for that app in iOS settings.
- Does Birthday Countdown import birthdays from Contacts?
- No. You add each birthday yourself, with a name, day and month. It doesn't store a birth year, so it doesn't show ages.