Your date,
above the clock.
DateSmith puts a clearer, fuller date in the line above your Lock Screen clock. Choose exactly how it reads, or count down the days to something you are looking forward to. Bold Home Screen widgets come with it too.
For iPhone and iPad with iOS 18.2 or later. No account and no ads.
The dashed line marks where DateSmith lives.
The full date, where you look most
The slim line above the Lock Screen clock usually shows very little. DateSmith fills it with the date you actually want to read.
Your format, your way
Two slots, each with its own style. Full, short or one letter month and weekday names, month first or day first numbers, and two or four digit years.
Home Screen widgets
Small, medium and large widgets show your date or countdown in big, clear type, with a week strip or a month calendar. Pick one of five themes or your own photo, and choose glossy Liquid Glass style text or crisp, solid text.
Countdowns
Count the days to a trip, a birthday or a big day. Give it your own label, emoji included, and choose whether the label or the days come first.
Private by design
No account and no tracking. Your settings and any photo you choose are kept on your device, and Apple handles any purchase. Read the privacy policy.
Support
Questions, ideas or something not working? Send an email and you will get a personal reply.
Or write to revers62_crabs@icloud.com. It helps to include your device model and iOS version.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add DateSmith to my Lock Screen?
- Touch and hold your Lock Screen.
- Tap Customize, then choose your Lock Screen.
- Tap the date above the time.
- Find and select DateSmith.
- Tap Done.
How do I add DateSmith to my Home Screen?
- Touch and hold your Home Screen.
- Tap Edit, then Add Widget.
- Find DateSmith, pick small, medium or large, and tap Add Widget.
How do I use my own photo on the Home Screen widgets?
Open DateSmith, tap Customize in the Home Screen widgets section, then tap Photo. Choose a picture in Apple's photo picker, then frame it. Switch between Small and Large and Medium to set each shape, and tap Done. You can pick a different photo for Dark Mode too.
How do I change how my date looks?
Open DateSmith and choose what each slot shows, along with its style. The preview at the top shows how your widget looks today, and DateSmith asks iOS to update your widget as soon as you make a change.
How do I set up a countdown?
Open DateSmith, switch Display mode to Countdown, pick your target date and type a label (up to 100 characters, emoji welcome). Short labels fit best on the Lock Screen. If yours gets cut off, try putting the days first.
Will my date change at midnight?
DateSmith prepares your widget for the coming days ahead of time, so the date can change without you opening the app. iOS decides exactly when widgets refresh, so the change usually appears at or shortly after midnight. If your widget still shows yesterday after midnight, open DateSmith and it asks iOS to update the widget.
Is DateSmith free? How do the plans work?
Everything in the app is free to set up. When you first open DateSmith you can pick a plan, or close the plans screen to start a free preview of 7 days. When the preview ends, your widgets show Preview Ended in place of your date or countdown until you subscribe. A subscription keeps your widgets working.
There are two plans: Monthly, which includes a one week free trial for eligible new subscribers, and Yearly. The price for your region is shown in the app before you subscribe.
What is the difference between the free preview and the free trial?
The free preview starts when you close the plans screen. It is not a subscription and nothing is ever charged. The free trial is part of the Monthly subscription: it starts when you subscribe, and the subscription renews automatically afterward unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends.
How do I cancel or manage my subscription?
In DateSmith, scroll to Subscription and tap Manage Subscription. You can also open the Settings app, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions. Canceling stops the next renewal, and you keep your plan until the end of the period you paid for.
I already subscribed. How do I get my plan back?
Make sure you are signed in with the same Apple Account you subscribed with, then open DateSmith and tap Restore Purchases in the Subscription section.
My widget says Preview Ended, Subscription Ended or Open DateSmith. What does it mean?
- Preview Ended means your free preview is over. Tap the widget to see the plans, and subscribe to bring back your date or countdown.
- Subscription Ended means your subscription is no longer active. Tap the widget to subscribe again, or open DateSmith and tap Restore Purchases if you think it should still be active.
- Open DateSmith appears in front of your date when DateSmith needs to be opened, for example if you added the widget but have not opened DateSmith for a week, or when it cannot confirm your subscription. Your date still shows.
I used DateSmith Light. What changed?
DateSmith Light is now simply DateSmith. Your saved date and countdown settings carry over, and you get the new plans screen and a fresh free preview the first time you open the update.
Will DateSmith drain my battery?
DateSmith is designed to use very little battery. The widget shows text that is prepared ahead of time, and DateSmith only asks iOS for an occasional refresh in the background. You can turn that off in Settings under General, then Background App Refresh, and the widget keeps working from its prepared days.
What do I need to use DateSmith?
An iPhone or iPad with iOS 18.2 or later.
Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The short version: the DateSmith app does not collect any data. Your settings are kept on your device, and Apple handles any purchase.
Who we are
DateSmith is an app for iPhone and iPad made by Benjamin Staab ("we" or "us"). This policy explains how the app handles your information.
Information we collect
None. DateSmith has no accounts and no sign in. It contains no analytics, no advertising, no tracking and no third party code that collects data. The app does not send your information to us. Purchases and subscription checks are handled by Apple, as described below.
Information stored on your device
Your widget settings, such as the date formats you pick, your countdown label and your target date, are stored on your device, in storage shared between the DateSmith app and its widgets. DateSmith also keeps a few small records on your device so the widgets know whether a free preview or a subscription is active. These include when your free preview started and when your subscription was last confirmed, renews or ends. We cannot see any of this. Like other app data, it can be included in your device's iCloud or computer backups, which Apple and you control under Apple's terms.
Photos you choose for your widgets
If you choose a photo as the background of your Home Screen widgets, you pick it in Apple's photo picker, which shows DateSmith only the photo you select. DateSmith saves a copy, reduced in size where needed, and the cropped versions your widgets use on your device, in the same storage shared between the app and its widgets. Location and camera details are not kept in these copies. DateSmith never uploads the photo or sends it anywhere, and we cannot see it. Like other app data, these copies can be included in your device's iCloud or computer backups. Removing the photo in DateSmith deletes these copies from your device, and deleting the app removes them too.
Date and time
To show your date, DateSmith reads the current date, time and time zone from your device. This never leaves your device.
Widgets and background refresh
DateSmith prepares your widget's text for the coming days on your device. It can also ask iOS for an occasional background refresh to keep the widget current. During a refresh, DateSmith may also check your subscription status with StoreKit, as described under Purchases. DateSmith never sends anything to us. You can turn off Background App Refresh in your device's Settings at any time.
Purchases
Subscriptions are sold through the App Store. Apple handles the payment, and we never receive your payment details, your name or your Apple Account information. To show prices, sell a plan, restore purchases or check whether you have an active subscription, the app and its widgets use Apple's StoreKit. StoreKit may contact Apple's servers to do this. That exchange is between your device and Apple, and we do not receive it. Apple's handling of your information is described in Apple's Privacy Policy.
Deleting your information
Deleting DateSmith removes its settings and records from your device. Copies inside older device backups follow the rules of those backups. Deleting the app does not cancel a subscription. To cancel, use Manage Subscription in the app or the Subscriptions page in your device's Settings.
When you contact support
If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you choose to include. We use it only to reply to you. We do not sell or share it, and we will delete it on request.
Children
DateSmith is suitable for all ages and does not collect personal information from anyone, including children.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the new version will be posted on this page with a new date.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Email revers62_crabs@icloud.com.