# Countdown running in the background (possible?)

**URL:** <https://community.thunkable.com/t/countdown-running-in-the-background-possible/1664664>\
**Category:** Questions about Thunkable X\
**Created:** [January 3, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/countdown-running-in-the-background-possible/1664664 "2022-01-03T14:41:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stronazyskuup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@stronazyskuup](https://community.thunkable.com/u/stronazyskuup)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/countdown-running-in-the-background-possible/1664664/1 "2022-01-03T14:41:55Z")

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I did a simple countdown, unfortunately it doesn’t work if the application is not open. Can it be changed?

 ![Zrzut ekranu 03-01-2022 15.36.22](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/d/2/d21001eef3d702e9e739a6d7878129df17b55159.png)

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**Author:** ![jared](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/jared/32/138473_2.png) [@jared](https://community.thunkable.com/u/jared)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/countdown-running-in-the-background-possible/1664664/2 "2022-01-03T15:04:33Z")

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You may find this helpful

> [@How to create a timer that runs in the background or with the app closed completely](https://community.thunkable.com/t/how-to-create-a-timer-that-runs-in-the-background-or-with-the-app-closed-completely/515590):
>
> Hey Thunkers! I wanted to create a quick tutorial to demonstrate how to have a timer that runs in the background independent of the app being open or closed. First, here is the visual layout, of course, i doubt yours will be the same as mine exactly but for demonstration purposes, here you go! Step 1: Create 1 stored variable. This guy will do our real “timer” work and keep track of everything we need Because I utilize the variable as a list, I need …

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**Author:** ![muneer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/muneer/32/75210_2.png) [@muneer](https://community.thunkable.com/u/muneer)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/countdown-running-in-the-background-possible/1664664/3 "2022-01-03T15:16:05Z")

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In our app starting screen you should check if the `stored variable` has any value and use that value before starting you `Timer`. This ensures that you read the last thing saved by the app before it was last closed.

In the other hand, you need to store the counter to the `stored variable` just before exiting the `Fires` event of the timer to ensure that the current countdown is stored.

If you follow this process then you will simulate a countdown that works even if the app is not running.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/0/f/0f59f292712368bce16ff80133ae10de8a6f27e8.png) [@system](https://community.thunkable.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/countdown-running-in-the-background-possible/1664664/4 "2022-04-03T15:16:24Z")

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