TickDown: Countdown & Tasks — for iPhone and iPad
TickDown puts the moments you're counting toward and the work in front of you on the same screen. If something isn't working, or you have a question or a suggestion, get in touch — every message is read by the developer.
Email: futuretekapps@gmail.com
We aim to reply within 2–3 business days. Telling us your device model and iOS version helps us answer faster.
Reminders need notification permission. Open iOS Settings → TickDown → Notifications and make sure Allow Notifications is on. Inside the app, check Settings → Notifications to confirm event reminders, task reminders and summaries are enabled and that the summary time is what you expect. Also make sure a Focus mode isn't silencing them.
Open Settings → Backup & Restore and create a backup. This writes an
encrypted .tickdown file containing your countdowns, tasks, subtasks, categories,
event photos and settings. Save it to Files or iCloud Drive, then on the new device choose
Restore and pick that file.
If you had iCloud backup switched on, it is simpler: install TickDown on the new device, sign in to the same Apple Account, and the welcome screen offers Restore from iCloud with the date of your backup. Passphrase-protected backups can’t be restored from the welcome screen — finish setting up, then restore from Settings, where you can type the passphrase.
TickDown keeps a single backup file in your iCloud Drive, and each new backup replaces the previous one. There is no older copy to fall back on, so if data goes missing, restore before you back up again. If you want to keep snapshots over time, use Save Backup to Files and keep the files yourself.
Writing a backup and uploading it are separate steps: the file is written on your iPhone first, then iCloud uploads it. If your iCloud storage is full, the upload cannot finish and the Backup screen says so. Free up space and the upload completes on its own — or save a backup to Files in the meantime.
Backups are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM, and we hold no copy of your key. A passphrase-protected backup cannot be recovered without its passphrase — not by us, not by anyone. Backups secured with the device key restore automatically on a device signed in to the same Apple Account.
Open Settings → Go Premium and tap Restore Purchases. Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple Account used for the original purchase. Premium is a one-time purchase — there is no subscription to renew.
Widgets are a Premium feature. Once Premium is active, long-press your Home or Lock Screen, add a TickDown widget, and it will refresh as time runs out. If a widget looks stale, open the app once to let it publish a fresh snapshot.
TickDown is free and ad-supported. A one-time Premium purchase removes all ads permanently, and also unlocks the widgets, unlimited photo backgrounds and automatic iCloud backup. The built-in artwork backgrounds are free for everyone. If a Watch an Ad option appears in Settings, you can also use it to remove ads for a short period; it is not available in every version of the app.
Free countdowns can use a few photo backgrounds at once, and the Background section of the countdown editor shows how many you have used. It is a limit on how many you are currently using, not a lifetime allowance — switch a countdown to one of the built-in artwork backgrounds, or delete a countdown you no longer need, and the slot comes straight back. Premium makes photo backgrounds unlimited. Photos you have already set are never removed.
Automatic daily backup is a Premium feature, and the Backup & Restore screen says so if it is paused. Everything else about backup stays free: Back Up Now, Save Backup to Files, and restoring — from a file or from iCloud. Your existing backup is never touched, and you can always get your data back without buying anything.
Your Apple tracking choice lives in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking. If you're in a region where Google's consent form applies, you can change it from Settings → Ad Privacy Settings in the app.
Only so it can show your existing calendar events alongside your countdowns in the Calendar tab. It's entirely optional, read-only, and nothing is uploaded. Turn it off any time with Settings → Show Device Calendars.
Use Settings → Delete All Data to erase your content from the device. Deleting the app also removes its local data. Backup files you saved yourself are not removed — delete those in the Files app.
Your countdowns and tasks are stored locally on your device. There is no account, no sign-in and no server — your content is never uploaded to us.