Christmas Countdown Widget: Track the Days Until December 25

Why everyone needs a Christmas countdown

Christmas is the most anticipated day of the year. Kids start asking "how many days until Christmas" the moment Halloween is over. Adults feel it too — there is something magical about watching that number get smaller as the decorations go up and the shopping lists get longer.

A Christmas countdown widget puts that number right on your phone. No mental math, no checking the calendar. Just a beautiful, festive reminder that the big day is getting closer.

With Reach, you can set up a free Christmas countdown in under a minute, add it as a widget on your home screen and lock screen (see how), and share it with your family so everyone counts down together.

How to set up a Christmas countdown widget

Here is how to create a Christmas countdown for your phone step by step with Reach.

Step 1: Create your Christmas countdown

1. Download Reach for free from the App Store or Google Play
2. Tap the + button to create a new event
3. Name it "Christmas," "Xmas 2026," or "Santa is coming"
4. Set the date to December 25
5. Enable Repeat yearly so the countdown resets automatically every year
6. Choose a festive background: a Christmas tree, snow, ornaments, or your family holiday photo
7. Tap Create

Step 2: Add the widget to your home screen

1. Long-press on your home screen until apps jiggle
2. Tap Edit in the top-left corner
3. Search for Reach
4. Choose a widget size (the medium size shows your countdown photo and the number of days)
5. Tap Add Widget

Step 3: Add it to your lock screen

1. Long-press your lock screen
2. Tap Customize
3. Add a Reach widget to the widget area
4. Select your Christmas countdown

Now every time you pick up your phone, you see exactly how many days are left until Christmas morning.

Share the Christmas countdown with family

Christmas is a family affair. Here is how to get everyone counting down together:

1. Open the countdown you created
2. Tap the Share button
3. Send the link to your family group chat

Everyone who taps the link joins the countdown. Your kids, your parents, your siblings — they all see the same number on their phones. It becomes a shared daily ritual throughout December.

8 creative Christmas countdown ideas

1. Pair it with an advent calendar. Use the Reach countdown as a digital advent calendar companion. Every day, check the widget and open the matching advent door.
2. Create a "Christmas shopping done" countdown. Set a deadline a few days before Christmas and count down to your gift-buying cutoff date. No more last-minute panic.
3. Enable the live widget on Christmas Eve. On December 24, switch on real-time mode to watch the hours, minutes, and seconds tick down. Kids will love watching it hit zero.
4. Use a family photo as the widget background. Last year's Christmas morning photo, a picture of your tree, or a snowy scene.
5. Create separate countdowns for every holiday event. The office party, the family dinner, the kids' school play, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. Each gets its own countdown.
6. Share it with faraway family. If your family is spread across different cities, a shared countdown keeps everyone connected and building excitement together.
7. Count down to Christmas vacation. If you get time off work or school, create a separate countdown for the start of your holiday break.
8. Start a daily tradition. Every evening, check the countdown together as a family. It becomes a small, meaningful ritual that kids remember for years.

How many days until Christmas?

This is one of the most searched questions on the internet every year. Instead of googling it every time, add a Christmas countdown widget to your home screen and you will always know the answer at a glance.

With Reach, the countdown updates automatically. You never have to think about it — the number is just there, every day, getting smaller and smaller until the big morning arrives.

Christmas countdown for kids

Children experience the anticipation of Christmas more intensely than anyone. A countdown widget gives them a visual, concrete answer to the daily question. Instead of "soon" or "not yet," they see a real number that goes down by one every day. It teaches patience and makes the waiting part of the fun.

For younger kids, you can put the widget on a family iPad or tablet in the living room. For older kids, they can have it on their own phone. Either way, the daily check becomes a little moment of excitement.

When to start your Christmas countdown

• November 1 — Right after Halloween, the unofficial start of the holiday season
• Black Friday — When the shopping starts, the countdown begins
• December 1 — The classic advent calendar starting point
• Right now — The earlier you start, the more anticipation you build

Frequently asked questions

Is Reach free for Christmas countdowns?

Yes. Creating and sharing countdowns is completely free. Home screen and lock screen widgets are also free. You can optionally upgrade to Premium for custom background images on more than 6 countdowns.

How many days until Christmas 2026?

Create a countdown in Reach with the date December 25, 2026, and you will see the exact number of days remaining. Add the widget to your home screen to check it at a glance every day.

Can I set it to repeat every year?

Yes. Enable repeat yearly and the countdown will automatically reset on December 25 and start counting down to next Christmas.

Can the whole family share one countdown?

Yes. Create the countdown and share the link with everyone. Each family member can add the widget to their own phone and see the same number ticking down.

Does it work on both iPhone and Android?

Yes. Reach is available on both the App Store and Google Play. Widgets work on both platforms.