Birthday widget for iPhone

Put upcoming birthdays on your Home Screen

A birthday widget turns remembering into a glance, showing the dates coming next before a notification becomes urgent.

4 minute readUpdated 18 July 2026

Before adding the widget

Download LifeDates, create at least one person or pet profile and make sure its date of birth is correct. The widget reads the birthday snapshots saved by the app, so open LifeDates after making changes to let the latest information update.

Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets are a LifeDates Premium feature. Free users can still see birthday countdowns and use reminders inside the app.

Add a LifeDates Home Screen widget

  1. Touch and hold an empty area of the iPhone Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
  2. Tap the add control and open the widget gallery.
  3. Search for or select LifeDates.
  4. Choose the widget size and layout you prefer.
  5. Place the widget, then tap Done.

The widget keeps upcoming birthdays and important dates visible without opening the app. Use it as the quiet first layer of the reminder system, then enable notifications for the people whose dates need action.

LifeDates dashboard with upcoming birthdays suitable for an iPhone widget

Add a birthday widget to the Lock Screen

  1. Touch and hold the Lock Screen and choose Customise.
  2. Select the Lock Screen, then tap the widget area.
  3. Choose LifeDates from the available apps.
  4. Add the preferred widget and confirm the layout.
Use widgets and reminders togetherA widget rewards regular glances; a notification interrupts at a chosen time. Put broad awareness in the widget and reserve alerts for dates you cannot miss.

If the birthday widget is not updating

  • Open LifeDates after adding or editing a profile.
  • Check that the person is active rather than archived.
  • Confirm that Premium access is active.
  • Remove and add the widget again if iOS is showing an old snapshot.
  • Restart the iPhone if widgets from several apps have stopped refreshing.

iOS controls the exact refresh schedule to protect battery life, so a widget is not a second-by-second countdown. For a time-sensitive alert, use a birthday notification.

Birthday widget questions

Can I show pet birthdays?

Yes. Active pet profiles can appear with other upcoming dates.

Does the widget work without an account?

Yes. LifeDates does not require an account; widget snapshots come from locally saved app data.

Can I use Apple Calendar as well?

LifeDates can export birthdays and Important Dates to Apple Calendar as yearly events.

Make the next birthday visible.

Download LifeDates and keep your important dates one glance away.

Download on theApp Store

Related guides

Set birthday remindersCreate a countdown