# Up Ahead: Countdown Widgets — Vacation & birthday reminders > Playful event countdown and timeline widget app with unlockable patterns. (iPhone/iPad app by Daniel Gauthier.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-ahead-countdown-widgets/id1583147528 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Daniel Gauthier](https://appshunter.io/developer/595544131) - Category: Utilities, Lifestyle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.90/5 from 684 App Store ratings · 159 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 37 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2022-09-28 - Data updated: 2026-08-21 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-ahead-countdown-widgets/id1583147528/reviews.md ## What is Up Ahead? Up Ahead is a playful, beautiful way to keep track of everything you’re looking forward to. Create events in seconds, and build yourself an eclectic timeline full of birthdays, weddings, holidays, vacations, game releases, sporting events, or anything coming up that brings you joy. As your timeline grows, you’ll unlock themed patterns that can be used to give your events personality. Keep your countdowns top of mind with customizable widgets for your Home Screen or Lock Screen. --- CREATE EVENTS Up Ahead events are quick and simple to create — just give your event a name, a date (with optional time), a category icon, and a color. EVENT TIMELINE View your events in a unique timeline format that gives you visual information about how much time is passing between events, and allows you to easily look back on your entire event history. PATTERNS As you create events, you’ll start to unlock decorative patterns that can be applied to any of your events and appear in both your in-app timeline and your widgets. Patterns are unlocked based on the content of your events, or as weekly gifts. How many can you find? REMINDERS Schedule flexible reminders to get notified about the events you don't want to miss. ATTACHMENTS Keep all your event information in one place by attaching short notes or links to your events. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS * "Countdown" widgets are simple widgets for counting down to a specific event. * "Coming up" widgets come in multiple sizes and will dynamically count down to whatever event is coming up next. They can be customized with filters and display names, allowing you to create widgets such as “Next Raptors game” or “Upcoming game releases”. * "Timeline grid" widgets give you a colorful high-level overview of all your upcoming events. LOCK SCREEN WIDGETS Simplified versions of “Countdown” and “Coming up” widgets are available to place right on your Lock Screen. SIRI SHORTCUTS Automate event creation or ask Siri about your events with Siri Shortcuts. TIMELINE FILTERING Quickly filter your events temporarily so that you can get a clean look at just the film releases you’re looking forward to, or the birthdays you want to remember. RECURRING EVENTS Mark an event as recurring — weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or yearly — to have it automatically replace itself in your timeline when an instance of the event has passed. MULTI-DAY EVENTS Give an event an optional end date to countdown to both an event’s beginning and its end. ICLOUD BACKUPS Automatically back up your events and pattern unlocks to iCloud Drive to ensure you never lose access to your data. EVENT SHARING Lightweight event sharing allows you to export and share colorful images of any event. SOUND AND HAPTICS Delightful sound effects and haptics bring the app to life. ...and lots more fun stuff to discover. --- The free version of Up Ahead is free forever, and contains no ads. If you’re looking for the best way to simply pop a few good-looking countdown widgets onto your Home Screen or Lock Screen, downloading Up Ahead for free is a great place to start. With an in-app subscription to Up Ahead Plus, you’ll get all the bells and whistles: unlimited event creation, recurring and multi-day events, the full suite of widget types, and more. --- Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your App Store account settings after purchase. Cancellation of the current active subscription period is not allowed. Privacy policy: https://upaheadapp.com/privacy Terms of service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ## Key features - Customizable countdown widgets - Event timeline view - Unlockable decorative patterns - Flexible reminders - Event attachments (notes/links) - Recurring and multi-day events - iCloud backups ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Up Ahead Plus | $9.99 | per year | | Up Ahead Plus | $1.49 | per month | **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Up Ahead Plus | $29.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Up Ahead? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Great app with clean UI - 🎨 Simple and joyful design - 🕰️ Excellent countdown app - 🎨 Beautifully designed - 🎨 Lovely and intuitive - 🎨 Aesthetic and fun - 🎨 Delightful and easy to use - 🎨 Friendly and fun - 🎨 Brilliant UI and features **Cons** - 💰 Overpriced subscription - 💰 Limited free version - 🔄 Abandoned by developers - 🔄 No updates in a long time - 🔄 Development paused? - 🐛 Recurring events are buggy - 🔒 No backup or sync - 🔒 No calendar integration **Commonly reported bugs** - Widget doesn't update automatically - Backup feature doesn't work - Sound effects stopped working - Login screen freezes - Incompatible with older devices **Most requested features** - Unlock all patterns - More color options - More icons and customization - Calendar integration - Siri and reminder integration - iPad app - Apple Watch complications - Ability to set end dates for recurring events - Periodic reminders for past events - Family sharing - Import events from other calendars ## Recent user reviews (10 of 159) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-ahead-countdown-widgets/id1583147528/reviews.md ### 5/5 — The Best *2026-07-31, version 1.4.3* Extremely useful app. Everyone must have it. ### 5/5 — Just so delightful *2026-05-20, version 1.4.3* This is such a fun app that allows my family to look ahead at all what’s coming. Just a delight to use ### 3/5 — Abandoned? *2026-03-22, version 1.4.3* I was super excited to use and support this app when it was released. I’ve had a Plus account from day one. But at this point, there hasn’t been a single update in a year, the website still says the app is being released soon, the developer has disappeared from social media and has never responded to me after several attempts to reach out. The app still works, so I’m happy about that, but it sucks to be paying for an app that has been abandoned, with no way of contacting the developer for support. My subscription ends in June and I won’t be renewing. You can’t have an ongoing subscription model and abandon your users! A major reason devs switch to or offer subscription models is so they can continue development! ### 5/5 — Excellent, joyful app *2026-03-15, version 1.4.3* So easy to use with some nice customisation. Not too overwhelmed with choice and does exactly what I needed. I love it. Thank you ### 5/5 — Fantastic App *2026-02-28, version 1.4.3* This has actually replaced the calendar app for me. As someone who doesn’t have many official engagements but still wants to track life, holidays, days out, this is fantastic. I always have something to look forward to on my Home Screen and if there’s nothing there it reminds me to go ahead and book something in! Fantastic presentation throughout the app. ### 5/5 — Great App *2025-12-31, version 1.4.3* Works well and very clean UI. However, please unlock all the patterns. ### 1/5 — No support from developer *2025-12-23, version 1.4.3* Zero support from developer. I emailed with an issue I was having and have gotten no reply at all. I subscribed but when it comes to resubscribe, I will not continue. ### 3/5 — Good countdown app that has been abandoned *2025-11-26, version 1.4.3* Update on 11/25/2025: While this is a good app, it can’t justify requiring a subscription. While updates were frequent at first, it’s been over a year since the app was last updated. That’s fine for an app you pay for once, is fully featured, and just works. It’s not fine for an app asking to be paid for monthly or yearly. There’s also the one time payment option of $29.99. The app is good. It’s not $30 good. Original Review: I’ve been looking for a great countdown app for a while. So many have inelegant UI or don’t function the way I would like. Up Ahead to the rescue! This app looks and works great. I like the layout and how you can see the number of days between countdowns. Being able to choose custom patterns for each countdown is a nice touch. The only issue I have is being able to bring myself to paying monthly, yearly, or such a high lifetime price for a countdown app. I use it as a nice to have, but not a necessity. While I can justify paying for a finance app or even a Twitter app, I have a hard time justifying paying a subscription for a countdown app. It’s possible that I might change my mind as the app is updated, but as of right now, I’ll remain a free user. ### 5/5 — Simple and joyful design *2025-11-09, version 1.4.3* I love it! It has a great and simple design that's a joy to use. My only wish is for the widget to be able to display countdowns in weeks and days like the app (as an option), rather than just days. ### 1/5 — Was great but abandoned *2025-11-08, version 1.4.3* Sad to see support and maintenance has been absent for a year now. I used to pay a monthly sub for this and it has a great design ## Frequently asked questions about Up Ahead ### What does Up Ahead do? Up Ahead is an app designed to help you track and visualize upcoming events. You can create events like birthdays, vacations, or holidays and see how much time is left until they occur. It offers customizable widgets for your Home and Lock Screens to keep your countdowns visible. ### What are the key features of Up Ahead? Key features include creating events quickly, viewing them in a unique timeline format, unlocking and applying decorative patterns to events, scheduling flexible reminders, attaching notes or links, and using various Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets. It also supports recurring and multi-day events. ### Is Up Ahead free to use? Yes, the core functionality of Up Ahead is free to use and contains no ads. The app also offers in-app purchases, likely for additional patterns or features, allowing users to enhance their experience. ### What devices is Up Ahead compatible with? The app description mentions Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, indicating compatibility with iOS devices that support these features. It also mentions iCloud backups, suggesting integration with Apple's ecosystem. ### What are common use cases for Up Ahead? Common use cases include counting down to vacations, birthdays, weddings, holidays, game releases, or any other personal event you're looking forward to. It's also useful for tracking recurring events like anniversaries or for managing multi-day events. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.4.3 — 2024-10-22 Tags: Add custom tags to your events for more precise timeline and widget filtering. Gifts: Pattern unlocks are now simpler and more generous. New patterns appear as gifts every week! Interactive widgets: New widget types and interactions get you more upcoming event info on your Home Screen. Fixes and tweaks: Lots of small changes and updates under the hood to prepare for more good stuff coming soon. ### 1.4.2 — 2024-10-21 Tags: Add custom tags to your events for more precise timeline and widget filtering. Gifts: Pattern unlocks are now simpler and more generous. New patterns appear as gifts every week! Interactive widgets: New widget types and interactions get you more upcoming event info on your Home Screen. Fixes and tweaks: Lots of small changes and updates under the hood to prepare for more good stuff coming soon. ### 1.4.1 — 2024-06-18 Tags: Add custom tags to your events for more precise timeline and widget filtering. Gifts: Pattern unlocks are now simpler and more generous. New patterns appear as gifts every week! Interactive widgets: New widget types and interactions get you more upcoming event info on your Home Screen. Fixes and tweaks: Lots of small changes and updates under the hood to prepare for more good stuff coming soon. ### 1.4 — 2024-06-07 Tags: Add custom tags to your events for more precise timeline and widget filtering. Gifts: Pattern unlocks are now simpler and more generous. New patterns appear as gifts every week! Interactive widgets: New widget types and interactions get you more upcoming event info on your Home Screen. Fixes and tweaks: Lots of small changes and updates under the hood to prepare for more good stuff coming soon. ### 1.3.1 — 2023-05-13 REMINDERS Schedule flexible reminders to get notified about upcoming events. ATTACHMENTS Keep all your event information in one place by attaching short notes or links to your events. NEW PATTERNS A few more achievements, and some limited-time event patterns to discover. BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS Lots of progress on my quest towards making this little app the best it can be. ## Apps similar to Up Ahead | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Countdown](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428) | 4.8 (182,445) | Free | Utilities | | [TimeCount - Countdown & Widget](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timecount-countdown-and-widget/id1497946231) | 4.6 (23,206) | Free | Utilities | | [Countdown Widget & Counter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-and-counter/id1533996161) | 4.6 (2,369) | Free | Utilities | | [Countdown@](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1456997268) | 4.7 (39,048) | Free | Utilities | | [Countdown Widget Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-maker/id1189515875) | 4.7 (5,639) | Free | Utilities | | [Days • Countdown & Widgets](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/days-countdown-and-widgets/id939368917) | 4.8 (12,288) | Free | Utilities | ## More apps by Daniel Gauthier - [Oh Bother](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oh-bother/id1511197431) All apps by Daniel Gauthier: https://appshunter.io/developer/595544131 ## Related topics [upahead](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/upahead) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-21.*