How to Share a Countdown with Friends, Partners & Family
Share a countdown to a concert with friends, a reunion with your partner or a family birthday. Creating, sharing and joining countdowns are free. Each person joins in Outside on iPhone with a free account, then adds their own Home Screen or Lock Screen widget.
How to share a countdown with your people
A 28-second illustrated guide using existing app imagery. Silent, with the steps written below.
- Name your countdown, set the date and sign in to a free Outside account.
- Use the event sharing option and send the invite link through Messages or WhatsApp.
- Your friend, partner or family member opens the link and joins in Outside on their iPhone with their own free account.
- Each person adds a widget and selects the shared countdown. Joining does not add a widget automatically.
Countdowns, sharing and widgets are free. Sharing needs a free account. Camera-roll photos and custom reminders require Outside Pro.
Step-by-step guide
Create the countdown and sign in to a free account
Open Outside on iPhone, create a countdown and choose the agreed event date. Sign in to a free account to share it. Camera-roll photo uploads, custom reminders, calendar sync and premium styles are optional Outside Pro features.
Send the invite link through iMessage or WhatsApp
Open the countdown sharing options and send its invite link to your partner, friend or family group chat. Add a short message explaining which date you are counting down to.
Open the invite and join in Outside
Recipients open the invite link. They can view the countdown in a browser; to join, they need Outside on an iPhone and a free account. Install the app if needed, sign in and join the shared countdown.
Each person adds their own widget
Joining does not place a widget on anyone’s phone. Each person adds an Outside widget to their own Home Screen or Lock Screen and selects the shared countdown. Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets are included in the free plan.
What can you count down to?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do my friends need Outside and an account?
They can view the invite link in a browser. Joining the countdown and adding an iPhone widget require Outside and a free account.
Is creating and sharing a countdown free?
Yes. Creating, sharing, joining and standard Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets are free. Camera-roll photo uploads, custom reminders, calendar sync and premium styles are optional Outside Pro features.
Does sharing add a widget to everyone’s phone?
No. Each person joins the shared countdown in Outside, then adds and selects a widget on their own iPhone.
Can I send the link to my family group chat?
Yes. Send the invite through iMessage, WhatsApp or your usual messaging app. Each person who wants to join needs Outside on iPhone and a free account.
Ready to start?
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Related guides and pages
Why people love Outside
Home Screen Widgets
Beautiful countdown widgets that sit right on your home screen.
Lock Screen Widgets
See your countdown without even unlocking your phone.
Live Activities
Real-time countdown updates on your Dynamic Island.
Start counting down today
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