# Countdown

The Countdown counts down to a date in one large number, such as an opening, a promotion day, or New Year. It needs no data source.

> **Type:** app
> **For:** anyone who wants to count down to a date
> **Prerequisite:** the app installed, and permission to edit scenes
> **Where in the portal:** **Apps** › **Discover apps** › **Countdown**. The widget is in the scene editor under **Time & countdown**.

## What the app shows

The app comes with one widget: **Countdown**. It counts down to a target, as one large, calm number without panels. The target is a day, optionally with a time, and applies in the time zone of the display’s location, so one scene counts down to each branch’s own time. The countdown takes its time from our servers, not from the device.

Five templates insert it at a fitting size:

| Template | Size | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| **Compact** | 300 × 300 | one large number, the unit follows the time left (days, then hours, minutes) |
| **To the second** | 720 × 300 | days, hours, minutes, and seconds side by side, with the progress below |
| **Days only** | 400 × 300 | one large number of days, “Today” on the target day |
| **Column** | 340 × 640 | the time left as a grid below the heading |
| **Bar** | 1320 × 110 | heading, days, hours, and minutes on one line, the target on the right |

**Calendar days:** **Days only** counts days on the calendar, not hours divided by 24. On the day before the target, it reads “1 day”, and on the target day itself “Today” with the date and time above it. **To the second** shows “1 sec” in the last second, never “0”.

**After the target**, a sentence of your own appears instead of the numbers (“We are open”), with the time since then above it in the accent color (“Since Sunday”). Without a sentence of your own, it reads “It’s time”. Alternatively, the countdown counts up the days since the target instead.

After that, the countdown arranges itself to fit its frame. In small frames, the progress drops out first, then the heading. The numbers are never cut off.

## Settings

Open the settings with the gear icon on the toolbar above the widget. They are on the tabs **Content**, **Appearance**, and **Data**. The toolbar also offers **Template** and **Colors**, plus the **Background**.

![The settings window of a countdown in the scene editor with the preview on the left, Data tab: the target date (1), the time (2), the time zone (3), and the Content tab with the precision and the sentence after the target (4)](/apps/bilder/9cff0c99-countdown-settings.png)

| Setting | Tab | Meaning | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Target date** | **Data** | The day the countdown counts to. | none |
| **Time** | **Data** | The time on the target day. Without a time, it counts to midnight at the start of the target day. | none |
| **Time zone** | **Data** | **Display location**, **Organization time zone**, or **Fixed time zone**. With the organization or a fixed zone, all displays count to the same moment. | Display location |
| **Heading** | **Content** | Appears with the numbers, such as “Until the opening”. | none |
| **Precision** | **Content** | **Days**, **Minutes**, or **Seconds**. | Seconds |
| **Progress from** | **Content** | With a start day, a fine bar appears showing the share that has already passed. | none |
| **After the target** | **Content** | **Sentence** or **Days since**. | Sentence |
| **Sentence after the target** | **Content** | Appears instead of the numbers. | “It’s time” |
| **Colors** and **Font** | **Appearance** | **Style of the app**, **Brand colors**, or **Custom** colors, plus the font. See [Configure widgets](/content/configure-widgets). | Style of the app |
| **Background** | **Appearance** | **Dark**, **Light**, **Night blue** for occasions, **Glass**, or **Transparent**. | Dark |
| **Corners** | **Appearance** | **Rounded** or **Sharp**. | Rounded |

## Limits

- *Hiding after the target* is not possible. Plan the scene through the program so that it no longer runs after the date.
- *Recurring targets* such as “until closing time” are not supported by the countdown yet. The target is one fixed day.
- *Offline:* The countdown needs no connection and keeps counting without a network.

## If something goes wrong

| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| In the editor, it says “No target chosen yet”, the display shows only the background. | No target date is entered. | In the settings, choose a **Target date**. |
| In one branch, the countdown ends an hour earlier. | The display is in another time zone and counts to its time. | If the same moment should apply everywhere, set **Time zone** to the organization or a fixed zone. |
| The progress is missing. | No start day, the start day is after the target, or the frame is too small. | Set **Progress from** or drag the frame larger. Under the preview, the window tells you when something has no room. |
| The widget cannot be inserted. | The app is not installed, an update is waiting for your decision, or it shows **Not in your package**. | Check the status under **Apps** ([When an app doesn’t work](/help/apps-troubleshooting)). |

## Related

- [Configure widgets: template, preview, and fields](/content/configure-widgets)
- [Day Counter](/apps/countup) — the same idea in the other direction.
- [Clock](/apps/clock) — time and date instead of time left.