How to Get Birthday Reminders on iPhone
Your iPhone can remind you about birthdays out of the box, but only if the birthday is saved in Contacts and alerts are turned on. Here's how to set it up, what its limits are, and an easier option if you want reminders a few days early.
Option 1: Built-in birthday reminders (Contacts + Calendar)
The iPhone Calendar has a Birthdays calendar that shows every birthday saved in Contacts. To get an alert for them:
- 1Open Contacts, tap a person, tap Edit, then tap "add birthday". Pick the date and tap Done. Repeat for everyone you want to remember.
- 2Open the Calendar app, tap Calendars at the bottom and make sure Birthdays is checked.
- 3Open Settings, tap Apps, then Calendar, then Default Alert Times.
- 4Tap Birthdays and choose when to be reminded: on the day, 1 day before, 2 days before or 1 week before.
The built-in alert gives you one reminder per birthday, at the same time for everyone, and only for people saved in Contacts.
Why people miss birthdays anyway
The built-in alert is easy to swipe away, there's no countdown, and birthdays of people who aren't in your contacts (a friend's kid, a coworker, a partner's parents) never show up. If you want to buy a gift or plan something, a reminder on the day is often too late.
Option 2: A birthday reminder app
CandlesUp is a free birthday reminder app for iPhone built for exactly this:
- 1Download CandlesUp from the App Store.
- 2Import birthdays from Contacts or Calendar in one tap, or add them by hand (no contact needed).
- 3Choose how early to be reminded, for example 3 days before and on the day.
- 4Add a birthday countdown widget to your Home Screen so the next birthday is always in view.
When the day comes, CandlesUp can write a personal birthday wish with AI so you can send something better than "hbd".