IMPORT BIRTHDAYS
Import birthdays
instead of typing them.
Birthday Reminder can read birthdays from your Contacts and from birthday events in your Calendar, then lets you review them before anything is saved.
GIFT IDEAS
Art supplies, pottery class, museum membership.
- Art
- Pottery
- Museums
THE SHORT ANSWER
Bring your birthdays in from Contacts or Calendar
Typing every birthday is slow, and most of them are already on your phone. Birthday Reminder can read the birthday saved on a contact, or look for calendar events that look like birthdays, and show you a review list.
You stay in control: the app asks for permission first, and nothing is added until you save the people you selected.
IMPORT BIRTHDAYS
How to import birthdays
- 1
Open the add menu
On the home screen, use the add button to see the ways to add people.
- 2
Choose Contacts or Calendar
Pick Add from Contacts to read the birthday saved on each contact, or Add from Calendar to look for birthday events.
- 3
Allow access
Allow Contacts or Calendar access when your phone asks. Without access, add people manually instead.
- 4
Review the list
Only people with a valid birthday start selected. Fix missing dates and untick anyone you do not want.
- 5
Save the selected people
Save them in one go. People you already have are skipped as duplicates.
IMPORT BIRTHDAYS
Contacts or Calendar?
Contacts is the most direct route when your contacts have birthdays saved. Calendar helps when birthdays live in calendar events; the app takes the name from the event title or its linked contact.
- Contacts: reads the birthday saved on each contact.
- Calendar: looks for events that look like birthdays.
- Manual: add anyone who is in neither.
IMPORT BIRTHDAYS
If nothing is found
If the app finds no birthdays it says so, for example that no birthday calendar events were found. Check that the birthdays exist in Contacts or Calendar and that access is allowed, or add them manually.
IMPORT BIRTHDAYS
Limits on the free plan
The free plan limits how many birthdays you can have. If you go over the limit, the app offers Premium or lets you remove a few people to stay within it.
QUESTIONS
Importing birthdays: questions
Do I have to allow access to my contacts?
No. Access is only needed for importing. You can add every birthday manually instead.
Does the import change my contacts?
The app asks for permission to read your contacts. It reads birthdays to build the review list.
What if a birthday is missing or wrong?
The review screen lets you fix a missing date before saving. People without a valid birthday do not start selected.
Can I import from other apps or Facebook?
Birthday Reminder imports from Contacts and Calendar only. Add anyone else manually.
See also: birthday reminders on iPhone and birthday notifications.
More birthday guides
Birthday notifications
Choose how many reminders you get and how far ahead they arrive.
Read the guide →iPhone birthdays calendar
Show, hide and fix birthdays in the iPhone Calendar app.
Read the guide →Gift ideas tracker
Save gift ideas for each person, with an optional price and link.
Read the guide →Free birthday reminder app
See what the free plan includes and what Premium adds.
Read the guide →Birthday tracker app
Track every birthday on your phone, without a spreadsheet or printable.
Read the guide →Best birthday reminder app
A checklist for choosing the right birthday reminder app.
Read the guide →IMPORT BIRTHDAYS
Import your birthdays
Download Birthday Reminder for iPhone or Android and import your contacts’ birthdays.