# Countdown App

> A fan-made death timer reached No. 1 on the US free-app chart before STX bought it.

- Owner: STX Films
- Kind: App & software
- Sector: Entertainment
- Seed date: 2019-09-26
- Peak date: Oct 2019
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 40 (Notable), v1.2
- Mechanics: Shareable output, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy, Underdog

## Summary

Boyling released a fan-made death timer. Users shared results on Twitter, TikTok and YouTube; it topped six national App Store charts. Apple removed it, and STX acquired it and helped release an Android version. Press later documented its return.

## Timeline

- 2019-09-13 — STX Films (YouTube) — STX released the film trailer that later inspired Boyling's app.
- 2019-09-26 — Ryan Boyling (App stores) — Boyling released version 1.0 of Countdown App on the App Store.
- Oct 2019 — App Store users (App stores) — Countdown reached the US overall free-app chart summit before Apple removed it.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/countdown-app

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Countdown App.” Case HIS-00104. Spread Score v1.2: 40/100. Updated 2026-10-13. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00104