Do countdown timers work in every email app?

How an email timer works

Email apps don't run scripts, so a countdown can't tick by itself the way it does on a website. Instead, the timer is an animated GIF. When an email app asks for the image, SnapTimers creates one showing the time left at that moment, and it counts down for 30 seconds.

This is why the timer usually shows the right time, even days after you send. It also means it depends on when the app fetches the image, and whether the app plays animation.

This page is based on Apple's and Microsoft's documentation and on published industry reporting. It isn't a test report of our own, and email apps change, so always send yourself a test.

Outlook on Windows

Microsoft says Outlook plays animated graphics by default, and that if only the first frame appears, animations are turned off in Outlook or Windows settings. Email testing companies have also reported that older desktop versions of Outlook show only the first frame.

Either way, the reader sees a still timer showing the time left when the image was fetched. The deadline is still correct at that moment, but it doesn't tick. Keep your first frame readable, and don't rely on the movement alone.

Apple Mail

Apple says that with Mail Privacy Protection on, remote content is privately downloaded in the background when a message is received, rather than when it's viewed. Litmus, an email testing company, warns that a timer can then show an outdated time, because the saved image reflects when it was fetched.

Litmus also reports that the timing of these downloads is hard to predict, so some readers may see a correct timer while others see an old one. This applies to the Apple Mail app, whichever email service the reader uses.

For the same reason, an evergreen deadline may start before a reader using this feature actually opens the email.

Gmail and other apps

Many apps fetch images through their own servers or keep a saved copy, and some let readers turn images off. We have not published test results for each app, so test the ones your audience uses. Your email platform's reports can show you which apps those are.

How to protect your campaign

• State the deadline in plain text too, such as "Sale ends Friday at midnight ET". This is the most important step, because the text is right in every app.
• Add alt text with the real deadline, for people with images turned off.
• Make sure the first frame is readable by itself, for apps that don't animate.
• Choose what happens after the deadline: show zeros, hide the timer, or switch to a custom image.
• Send a real test to the apps your audience uses, and open it again a few minutes later.
• End the offer when the timer says it ends, so a stale timer never makes a false promise.

Questions