A birthday countdown has one requirement most countdowns don’t: it has to repeat every year. Here’s how to set one up on a Mac, whether it’s your own birthday or someone you don’t want to forget.
Just want the number?
Use the free birthday countdown. Enter a date of birth and it shows how many days until the next birthday, and the age being turned. Add a name if it’s someone else’s. To keep it, click Share this countdown: the link has the date built in, so you can bookmark it or pin it as a tab.
Option 1: A repeating event in Calendar
Calendar won’t show a count of days, but it’s the best way to make sure a birthday never sneaks up on you.
- Open Calendar and double-click the birthday to create an event.
- Tick all-day, and set repeat to Every Year.
- Add an alert, such as one week before, so you have time to buy a gift or card.
If the person is in your Contacts with a birthday filled in, you can skip this: Calendar’s Birthdays calendar shows contacts’ birthdays automatically. Make sure it’s enabled in Calendar › Settings › General (Show Birthdays calendar).
Best for: reminders. Missing: a visible countdown.
Option 2: A countdown on your desktop
On macOS Sonoma and later, right-click the desktop and choose Edit Widgets. Apple’s Calendar widget will show the birthday when it’s coming up, and third-party countdown widgets from the Mac App Store (or iPhone widgets, via System Settings › Desktop & Dock › Use iPhone widgets) can show the days left. Check that the app you choose supports yearly repeating dates.
Best for: people whose desktop is often visible. Missing: you won’t see it while windows are covering the desktop.
Option 3: A birthday countdown in your Mac’s notch
Notchiko, which we make, keeps countdowns by your MacBook’s notch, each with its own little character. For birthdays, the Cupcake Chiko is suggested automatically.
- Download Notchiko and open it.
- Hover over the notch and click +. (Or choose Settings… from Notchiko’s menu bar icon and open Countdowns.)
- Type a name that includes “birthday”, like Mom’s Birthday. Notchiko suggests the Cupcake.
- Pick the date and turn on Repeats every year.
- Click Add.
The Cupcake now sits by the notch. Hover to see how many days are left. When the birthday arrives, the countdown says TODAY, and afterwards it moves on to next year’s birthday by itself.
The free version includes one custom countdown alongside Christmas, so one birthday is free. Tracking the whole family’s birthdays needs Notchiko Lifetime (a one-time $4.99 for up to 10 countdowns), which also adds the Cake Chiko. On Macs without a notch, Notchiko appears as a small floating pill. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Best for: seeing the countdown all day. Missing: no iPhone app.
Tips for birthday countdowns
- Name it after the person. “Sam’s Birthday” is more useful at a glance than “Birthday”.
- Count down to the party, too. If the celebration is on a different day, add it as a separate, non-repeating countdown.
- February 29 birthdays. Decide whether you celebrate on February 28 or March 1 in other years. Our web countdown uses February 28; in an app, you can enter whichever date you prefer.
- Kids’ birthdays. A countdown a child can see answers “how many more days?” so you don’t have to.
Planning other big dates? See how to set up a wedding countdown or a vacation countdown on your Mac.
