Init4Labs / HowManySleeps support

HowManySleeps support

Help with HowManySleeps events, reminders, widgets, iCloud sync, backups and editing protection. HowManySleeps is available free on the UK App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Kevin’s inspiration for creating HowManySleeps was a wish to make important dates easier to understand for children and adults with special educational needs (SEN). Its countdowns are there for anyone who finds them useful.

Getting started guide Email support Privacy policy App page Download on the App Store

Support contact

Common help topics

  • Reminders are not arriving: check Daily Reminders in the app and notification permissions in your device’s Settings. Summaries include events within your chosen look-ahead window; there may be no summary on days without matching events. Open the app to refresh the schedule.
  • Reminder renewal: summaries are prepared for up to 30 days. If more reminders are needed, “Refresh your event reminders” asks you to reopen the app when the prepared schedule ends. Notification delivery also depends on your device settings.
  • Widgets look out of date: open the app to refresh the widget snapshot and allow iOS time to update.
  • Can’t add, edit or delete: check Settings → Editing Protection. Full Editing allows all changes; Add Events Only allows new events but prevents editing and deleting; Viewing Only prevents all changes. Choose a mode, tap Save Editing Access and confirm with the PIN.
  • Forgotten PIN: open Settings → Editing Protection → Change PIN → Forgot PIN? and verify with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. Recovery removes this device’s PIN, restores Full Editing and keeps all events. Follow the PIN recovery steps. The PIN controls editing on this device; it does not hide event details in the app, widgets, notifications or backups.
  • An event seems to be missing: tap the up/down arrows beside + and set Show to All. Filtering does not delete events. Earlier scheduled repeating dates appear in Past and All; Upcoming shows today or the next occurrence for each series. See the sort and filter guide, including how history is calculated.

Sorting and filtering your events

Tap the up/down arrows beside + on the event list. Sort by Next Date (earliest date first), Name (A to Z), or Date Added (oldest added first). You can combine a sort order with any Show filter.

Repeating-event history

Its Show filters include:

  • Upcoming: one occurrence today or next for each saved repeating series, alongside upcoming one-off events.
  • Past: every scheduled occurrence from a repeating series’ current saved start date up to yesterday, alongside past one-off events.
  • All: those past occurrences plus the one today or next for each repeating series, alongside one-off events.

Past cards show “1 sleep ago” or “N sleeps ago”, using the number of days since that date. Next Date shows the oldest dates first. The list loads 100 cards at a time; tap Load More Events for the next 100.

Past repeating cards are read-only. To edit or delete the saved series, find it in Upcoming and use Edit or Delete, if your access level allows it.

History is calculated from the series’ current saved start date and repeat setting. Changing either recalculates the dates shown; these are not separate attendance records. Deleting a series also removes its past dates.

Your Show choice is remembered on this device. Sorting returns to Next Date when the app restarts. Read the full sort and filter instructions.

iCloud sync

Check that each device uses the same Apple Account, iCloud is available for HowManySleeps, and the devices have an internet connection. Open the app on both devices and allow time for sync.

If an event remains after closing and reopening the app, it has saved locally even if a sync warning is shown. If a warning persists, contact support with the exact message and app build. Export a backup before trying recovery steps.

Backups and restoring events

Use Settings → Backups & Your Events → Save a Backup to save a copy of your events. Backup files contain readable event details, but not app settings or your PIN, so keep them somewhere private.

Restore from a Backup replaces your current events, including on synced devices. Save a current backup first if you want to keep them. Select the saved file, review the warning and choose Replace Events to continue, or Cancel to leave events unchanged. Enter your PIN if asked. Wait for Backup restored before returning to the list.

Delete All Events also removes synced copies. Deleting events does not delete backup files you saved elsewhere.

Backups use format 2 to preserve calendar dates across time zones. Each file can hold up to 5,000 events and must be no larger than 5 MB. Older format 1 backups are not supported; contact support before changing your data if you need help.

Before you contact support

  • Include your device model, iOS or iPadOS version, and app version/build from Settings → Help & About → About HowManySleeps.
  • Describe what you expected to happen, what happened instead, and any exact error message.
  • If the issue involves reminders, widgets, backups or sync, mention whether the app was recently updated.
  • Keep event details private: do not send your PIN or a full backup unless support specifically needs further information and you choose to share it.