waitedWhich app lets you send a photo with a countdown?
Updated
In short To send a photo with a countdown, waited is the app made for it: free, on iPhone and Android, with a wait from 1 hour to 30 days and challenges to shorten it. Blocked reveals a group’s photos on a set date, Buddies offers short waits, while Locket and Snapchat show photos right away.
The best countdown photo apps
waited makes one friend, or a few, wait for as long as you choose, with challenges to cheat a little. Blocked reveals a whole group’s photos on a set date, Buddies the day’s photos at a fixed time, while Locket and Snapchat show them right away.
| Feature | waited | Blocked | Buddies | Locket | Snapchat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wait chosen by the sender | Yes: from 1 hour to 30 days, or instant | Yes: until a chosen date | Partly: “Rush” opens after 5 min, 10 min or 1 h; “Reveal” unveils the day’s photos at 6 pm | No: the photo shows up on the widget right away | No |
| Challenges to unlock sooner | Yes, written by the sender | No | No | No | No |
| Sent to | One or more friends, a group of 3 to 10 friends, or a link for someone without the app | A group, which discovers the photos together on the chosen date | A group of friends | A few close friends | Friends and groups |
| Price | Free, no in-app purchases | Not stated | Free | Free, with the optional Locket Gold subscription | Free, with optional Snapchat+ or Snapchat Platinum |
| Ads | None | Not stated | Not stated | Yes in the free version; Locket Gold removes them | Yes |
| End-to-end encryption of photos | Yes, on the phone: our servers can’t see the photos | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes for Snaps, according to Snap; not for text messages |
| Phones | iPhone and Android | iPhone (App Store); Android: not stated | iPhone and Android | iPhone and Android | iPhone and Android |
Comparison made on 30 September 2026 and updated on 4 October 2026, from each app’s public website and store listing, which may change; “not stated” means the information isn’t public. Blocked, Buddies, Locket and Snapchat are trademarks of their respective publishers; waited is not affiliated with them.
Which app should you choose?
To make a friend, or a few, wait for as long as you like: waited, free, end-to-end encrypted, with challenges to unlock the photo sooner. To reveal a whole group’s photos at once on a set date, after a trip or a party: Blocked. To see your close friends’ photos as soon as they’re taken: Locket or Snapchat.
How it works, and how a countdown photo differs from a self-timer or a time capsule: how a countdown photo works. All the ways to send a photo that only opens later: how to send a photo that unlocks later.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free app to send a photo with a countdown?
Yes, waited: free, with no ads or in-app purchases, on iPhone and Android. The credits that open a photo sooner are earned by taking on challenges, sending photos and inviting friends.
What if my friend doesn’t have the app?
Send your photo as an invitation link: they see that you sent them a photo and the countdown, then install waited to unlock it. The photo stays end-to-end encrypted.
Want to try it?
waited is free, on iPhone and Android.