Repeating events
Choose Days, Weeks, Months or Years under Repeats, then adjust “Every” to set the interval. For a weekly activity, choose Weeks and Every 1 week. Use No Repeat for a one-off occasion.
Your getting started guide
HowManySleeps
Your first countdown starts here.
Choose something to look forward to. Add a name and a date, then make it feel familiar with colours, icons and reminders.
01 / Start small
One name. One date. Ready.
In HowManySleeps, a task, trip or occasion is called an event. Open the app on your iPhone or iPad and follow along. You don’t need an app account or a PIN to get started.
Step 1 of 4
Tap Add Event
On the main How Many Sleeps screen, tap the + button. If your list is empty, you can also tap Add Event in the middle of the screen.
You’ll see the event editor. Keep the guide open while you try it in the app.
Give it a name and date
Tap Name and type something familiar, such as “Our holiday”. Tap Date and choose when it happens.
For your first countdown, choose a future date and leave Repeats set to No Repeat.
Choose a colour, if you like
Under Event Colour, tap a colour circle or use Custom Colour. You can also choose an Icon to help recognise the event.
These choices are optional. Leave Visual Timetable Link empty unless you have a Widgit Online document to attach.
Tap Save
Tap Save to return to your list. Your event now shows how many sleeps remain until the date you chose.
That’s your first countdown. To change it later, swipe left on the event and tap Edit.
These buttons move through the guide. Create the event in the app.
02 / Make it familiar
A few options. Your way.
Find these in Add Event, or swipe left on an existing event and tap Edit. Tap Save when you’re done.
Colours & icons
Use a recognisable colour for each kind of event. Pick from the palette or choose Custom Colour. An Icon is optional; choose None for a simpler look. Change the available palette in Settings.
Visual timetable links
Paste a Widgit Online document URL into Visual Timetable Link. Once saved, swipe right on the event and tap Timetable to open it. HowManySleeps is not affiliated with Widgit Online.
A simple first setup
Start with one event, a clear name and a colour you recognise. Add repeats, reminders or timetable links when they’re useful to you.
04 / Settle in
Find the setting you need.
Tap the gear icon on the main screen to open Settings. Choose a topic below for the exact route.
Change the colour palette
Settings → Appearance → Manage Colour Palettes
In Colour Palettes, use the Palette picker to choose a set of colours. Use Add Palette to create your own. Tap Done to return to Settings, then Done again to return to your events.
Events using a palette colour follow that palette slot when you change palettes. Events with a Custom Colour keep their chosen colour.
Turn on a daily reminder
Settings → Daily Reminders
- Turn on Enable Daily Reminder and allow notifications if asked.
- Choose your Reminder Time.
- Set Look ahead to between 1 and 30 days.
- Choose whether to Include events happening today.
The reminder is one daily digest of events within your look-ahead window. It isn’t a separate alarm for each event.
If notifications were previously denied, use Open Settings in the app’s notification alert to allow them in your device settings.
Set up a PIN and choose who can change events
Settings → Security → Set Superuser PIN (Optional)
You can keep full access without a PIN. If you’re setting up the app for someone else, create and confirm a 4-digit PIN, then choose an access level under Standard User Permissions.
| Access Level | What the user can do |
|---|---|
| Full Access | Add, edit and delete events. |
| Read Only | View events without changing them. |
| Add Only | Add new events, but cannot edit or delete existing ones. |
After choosing Access Level, tap Apply Permission Level and enter the PIN to confirm. Check the selected level before handing over the device.
The PIN controls editing on this device. Events remain visible in the app, widgets, notifications and exported backups.
To remove PIN protection and restore full access, choose Return to Superuser Mode and enter the PIN. If you forget it, use the recovery option from Reset Superuser PIN; device authentication keeps your events and restores access.
Keep a backup of your events
Settings → Data → Export Backup
Choose Export Backup and save the file somewhere private, such as a folder in Files. It contains readable event details and timetable links.
Import Backup replaces your current events, including on synced devices. Export your current events before restoring a different backup. Erase All Events permanently removes them; it is not needed for normal setup.
Find help and your app version
Settings → Support & Privacy / About HowManySleeps
Use Support Information, Privacy Policy or Email Support for help. Find the installed Version in About HowManySleeps; include it with your device model when asking for support.
If something looks different.
I can’t add, edit or delete an event
Check Settings → Standard User Permissions. Read Only blocks changes; Add Only allows new events but blocks editing and deleting. The person with the superuser PIN can change the access level and tap Apply Permission Level.
My event has disappeared from the list
Open Sort and filter and set Show to All. A past one-off event is hidden when you’re viewing Upcoming.
Save isn’t working
Check that the event has a name. If you added a timetable link, use a valid Widgit Online document URL, or clear the link to save without one. Follow any message shown by the app.
Where do I add a widget?
Widgets are added from your iPhone or iPad’s Home Screen widget gallery. Look for HowManySleeps, choose a size and add it. They aren’t added from the app’s Settings screen.
If a widget looks out of date, open HowManySleeps and give your device time to refresh it.
Something to look forward to.
Open HowManySleeps and add your first event. You can come back to this guide whenever you need it.