A birthday and gift reminder app that tells you early enough to act.

PokeeBee is a free birthday and gift reminder app for Android and iPhone. It finds the birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions already in your phone's contacts and calendars, reminds you days or weeks ahead, and helps you choose a gift.

What does a birthday reminder app do that my phone's calendar doesn't?

It tells you before the day, not on it. PokeeBee reminds you 14 days and 3 days before each occasion by default, and you can add 30, 21, 7 or 1 day ahead, or any number of days you choose. Two weeks is enough to order something; three days is enough to plan a call. The lead times you pick apply to every occasion, so there is nothing to set up birthday by birthday. There is more on that difference under birthday reminders from your contacts.

Where does PokeeBee get the birthdays from?

From the contacts and calendars already on your phone, so there is no list to type in. A birthday saved on a contact becomes an occasion, and so do events in the calendars you choose, including subscribed holiday calendars. You can add an occasion by hand too. Connecting Google Contacts and Google Calendar is optional, and all three Google permissions are read-only — Your Google data explains each one.

Can I get more than one reminder for the same birthday?

Yes. Turn on as many lead times as you like — a month out, two weeks, a week, a few days, the day before — and pick the time of day they arrive. Each one comes as a notification on your phone. On Android, a home-screen widget also shows the next occasion and how many days are left.

Does it help with the gift, or only the date?

Both. A birthday, or any occasion linked to a person, has a Plan a gift button. It opens a chat: tell it what the person likes and roughly what you want to spend, and it suggests up to four ideas at a time for that person and that occasion. How the gift ideas work.

Is PokeeBee free, and do I need an account?

PokeeBee is free while it is in development. If that changes, it will change on this site first, and the waitlist will hear before anyone else. You sign in with Apple or Google the first time you open the app; the account keeps your notes about people when you change phones, and the gift chat needs it. What PokeeBee stores, and how to delete it, is in the privacy policy.

When can I get PokeeBee?

Not yet: PokeeBee is not in the app stores. Leave your email and we will write once, when it launches. That is the only thing we use your address for.

See every step with screenshots on How it works, or read exactly what Google data PokeeBee uses.