Ranking updated
Best birthday reminder apps in 2026
For a simple tracker with Lock Screen widgets, iCloud sync and AI help with the message, Lumday. For birthdays plus anniversaries, graduations and other days, with cards and scheduled greetings, hip. For a clean countdown that shows how old everyone is turning, Birthday Reminder & Countdown. For a year view and a calendar you manage together with family, Birthday Calendar and Reminder. Full breakdown below.
How we picked: a birthday app has to get the dates in without retyping, remind you early enough to act, and show what is coming up. We read each developer’s own App Store description for how it imports dates, how reminders and widgets work and what it adds on top. The languages come from each app’s App Store listing.
Birthday reminders with widgets
Lumday imports birthdays from Contacts or the system Calendar, reminds you ahead of the date or on the day, and shows upcoming birthdays in Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets. The free version covers up to 7 people with iCloud sync and backup import and export; Lumday PRO adds unlimited people, all widgets, custom groups and personal AI greetings. Birthday Reminder & Countdown shows each contact’s photo, how old they are turning and in how many days, with 6 widgets to choose from.
Cards and greetings
hip goes beyond birthdays to anniversaries, weddings, graduations and new jobs. It has over 100 birthday and greeting cards, lets you send wishes with GIFs, text or a call, and can schedule a greeting and remind you to send it. Reminders can be set down to the day, time and frequency, on the phone and on Apple Watch. Lumday writes a personal birthday message with AI in PRO.
Share birthdays with family
Birthday Calendar and Reminder syncs birthdays with a calendar, so anyone with access to that calendar can manage them with you, and it shares lists as .ical or .csv files. It also imports from Excel, sets several reminders in the days before a birthday and has a year view. hip can share your list of people and events with family and friends. To keep track of what people actually want as a gift, see our guide to wishlist apps.
| App | Best for | Import from | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| LumdayCensuusApp Store | a simple tracker with widgets | Contacts, Calendar | Home and Lock Screen widgets, iCloud sync, AI greetings with PRO |
| hipApp Store | birthdays, anniversaries and other big days | contacts, calendar, file import | greeting cards, scheduled wishes, groups, Apple Watch reminders |
| Birthday Reminder & CountdownApp Store | a countdown with ages at a glance | Contacts | 6 widgets, sync across devices, add to calendar |
| Birthday Calendar and ReminderApp Store | a year view and a shared family calendar | Contacts, Excel or CSV file | several reminders per birthday, widget, Apple Watch app |
Frequently asked questions
Which birthday app imports birthdays from my contacts?
All four do: Lumday also imports from the system Calendar, hip from contacts, calendar and files, and Birthday Calendar and Reminder from Excel or CSV files too.
Is there a birthday reminder app with a Lock Screen widget?
Lumday shows upcoming birthdays on the Home Screen and Lock Screen. Birthday Reminder & Countdown has 6 widgets and Birthday Calendar and Reminder a Home Screen widget.
Can a birthday app help write the greeting?
Lumday PRO creates personal AI birthday messages, and hip has over 100 cards and lets you schedule greetings ahead.