How to remember birthdays
Most people forget birthdays for one reason: the date lives somewhere they never look. Here are three ways to fix that, and what each one is good and bad at.
1. Your phone's calendar
Add each birthday as a yearly event and turn on an alert. It's free and already on your phone.
The catch: you type every date by hand, and one alert time applies to every birthday unless you change each event. When you get a new phone or switch calendars, events can get lost.
2. Your contacts
iPhone and Android show birthdays saved in your contacts in the calendar. If your contacts already have birthdays, this costs you nothing.
The catch: most contacts don't have a birthday saved, and you only learn about a birthday on the day itself unless you set alert times.
3. A birthday reminder app
Velita keeps your people's birthdays in one list and emails you a heads-up a week before, so there's time to send something. Friends can add their own birthday with a link, and you can import the ones in your contacts.
The catch: it's one more thing to set up. It takes a few minutes, it's free, and there are no ads.
Whichever you pick
Ask for the dates you don't know. A message in a group chat works better than guessing: people like being asked.
Set the reminder early enough to act. On the day is fine for a message; a week before is what you need for a gift.
Start your list before the next one.
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