- What happened to Countdowns on Snapchat
- What Snapchat Plans can do
- How to create a Plan on Snapchat
- How to invite friends and reply to a Plan
- Who can see your Plans
- Editing, leaving and reporting a Plan
- The other Snapchat countdown: the Video Timer
- If you can't find Plans yet
- Ideas for using Plans
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
Snapchat is replacing Countdowns with a feature called Plans. If Plans has reached your region, you can still see the Countdowns you already have, but you can't create new ones. To count down to an event now, you create a Plan, invite friends and they get reminders. If you meant the countdown before recording, that's the Video Timer, with a 3 or 10 second count.
Two different things go by the name Snapchat countdown, and that's why so many people search for it and come away confused. One is the event countdown you used to share with friends. The other is the timer that counts down before the camera starts recording.
I'll cover both, using Snapchat Support's own pages, read in October 2026.
What happened to Countdowns on Snapchat
Snapchat's note is short and clear: Countdowns are being replaced by Plans, which have more features. If Plans are available where you live, your old Countdowns stay visible, but the option to create a new Countdown has gone.
If you still see the Countdown option, Plans probably hasn't reached your region yet. Either way, Plans is where Snapchat is heading, so it's worth learning now.
What Snapchat Plans can do
Snapchat describes Plans as a way to organise an event, such as a birthday party, a hangout or a game, and invite friends so everyone can reply and get reminders. Compared with a simple countdown, that's a step up: you get an RSVP, a guest list and reminders, not just a number of days.
| Old Countdown | Plans | |
|---|---|---|
| Create new ones | No, once Plans reaches your region | Yes |
| Event title, date and time | Yes | Yes, or switch on All Day |
| Invite friends | Shared with friends | Invites arrive in a Chat with you |
| Replies | Not described | Going, Maybe or Can't Go |
| Reminders | Not described | Yes |
| Who can edit | Not described | Only the host |
How to create a Plan on Snapchat
- Go to your own Profile, or open a friend's Friendship Profile.
- Scroll down to My Plans and tap New Plan, or Create a Plan if you don't have any yet.
- Add a title, a date and a time, or turn on All Day.
- Tap Create.
If you start from a friend's Friendship Profile, scroll to Our Plans and tap New Plan. That friend is added as a guest automatically.
How to invite friends and reply to a Plan
- Open the Plan from your Profile.
- Tap Add.
- Pick the friends you want to invite and confirm.
Your friends get the invite in a Chat with you. To reply, they tap Going, Maybe or Can't Go in the Chat, or open the Plan to change their answer later.
Who can see your Plans
This is the privacy bit worth knowing. Snapchat says anyone invited to a Plan can see its details, including the time and who's going. Friends only see the Plans they're invited to. On a Friendship Profile, Our Plans shows the Plans you share with that one friend. So a Plan isn't broadcast to everyone on your friends list.
Editing, leaving and reporting a Plan
- Edit or delete: only the host can. Open the Plan and tap Edit or Delete.
- Leave: open the Plan, tap the menu in the top right and tap Leave.
- Report: press and hold the invite in Chat and follow the prompts, or open the Plan, tap the menu and tap Report.
The other Snapchat countdown: the Video Timer
If you came here because you want the camera to count down before it starts recording, that's the Video Timer. Snapchat says it helps you pick a clip length and gives you a countdown before recording begins.
- Open the Camera.
- Tap the Timer icon in the Camera toolbar twice to open the Video Timer. If you're recording with a Sound, one tap opens it.
- Choose your clip length. With a Sound, you can drag to adjust the playback.
- Choose a 3 second or 10 second countdown.
- Tap Start Countdown, and get into position.
Ten seconds is the one to pick if your phone is propped up across the room. Three is plenty when it's in your hand. For the other timers Snapchat offers, including how long a photo stays on screen, see my guide on how to set a timer on Snapchat.
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If you can't find Plans yet
Snapchat's wording is that Plans are available in some regions, which is why your friend may have them while you still see Countdowns. Make sure your app is up to date, then check My Plans on your Profile. If it isn't there, keep using Countdowns for now; your old ones will still be visible when Plans arrives.
Ideas for using Plans
Plans suit anything with a date and a guest list: a birthday, a match you're watching together, a study session or a weekend away. Because the invite lands in Chat and replies are one tap, it's quicker than asking everyone in a group chat and counting thumbs. If you film the day itself, my guide on how to edit Snapchat videos helps you tidy the clips before you share them.
My verdict
Don't go hunting for the old Countdown button: Snapchat is retiring it in favour of Plans, and in regions with Plans you can't make new Countdowns at all. Plans does the job better anyway, with invites, replies, reminders and a host who controls the details. And if all you wanted was a countdown before recording, use the Video Timer and pick 3 or 10 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I make a countdown on Snapchat?
Snapchat is replacing Countdowns with Plans. If Plans is available in your region, you can still see old Countdowns but you can't create new ones.
How do I make a Plan on Snapchat?
Go to your Profile or a friend's Friendship Profile, scroll to My Plans and tap New Plan or Create a Plan, add a title, date and time or turn on All Day, then tap Create.
Who can see my Snapchat Plans?
Only people invited to a Plan can see its details, including the time and who's going. Friends only see Plans they're invited to.
How do I set a countdown before recording on Snapchat?
Tap the Timer icon in the Camera toolbar twice to open the Video Timer, choose your clip length, pick a 3 or 10 second countdown and tap Start Countdown.
Can someone else edit my Snapchat Plan?
No. Snapchat says only the host can edit or delete a Plan. Guests can reply, leave or report it.
