Guide · Black Friday and Christmas 2026

How to track prices for Black Friday and Christmas

The easiest way to track prices for Black Friday and Christmas is to save the things you want now, a few weeks before the sales, in a price tracker that alerts you when a price drops. You'll see the real "before" price, you'll hear when it falls, and you won't spend Black Friday refreshing twenty tabs. Here's how to do it with Save Genie, free on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Key dates for 2026

DayDateWhere
Thanksgiving Thursday 26 November US
Black Friday Friday 27 November US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand
Cyber Monday Monday 30 November US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand
Christmas Day Friday 25 December Everywhere
Boxing Day Saturday 26 December Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada

Plenty of shops start their "Black Friday" prices well before the Friday itself, which is one more reason to start your list early.

Eight steps to a better Black Friday

  1. Start your list early

    Save what you want now, before the sales start. Save Genie keeps a price history for every item you save, so by Black Friday you'll know what the price was a few weeks earlier. On the free plan you can add 3 items a day, up to 15, so a few minutes a day this week gets your whole list in.

    Start my Black Friday collection

  2. Save from wherever you shop

    On iPhone or iPad, tap Share on any product page and choose Save Genie. Use the Safari extension on iPhone, iPad and Mac, or the Chrome extension on a Mac. You can also paste a link straight into the app.

  3. Switch on notifications

    Genie tells you when a price drops and when a sold-out item comes back in stock, but only if notifications are on for Save Genie. Check now, not on the day.

  4. Sort it into collections

    Make a collection for Black Friday, another for Christmas gifts, one for each person if you like. Share a wishlist with family using My wishlist, and what they buy for you stays a secret until the big day.

  5. Check the history before you buy

    Some "deals" aren't. A shop can raise a price in October and "drop" it in November. Look at the item's price history in Save Genie: if the Black Friday price isn't lower than it was a few weeks ago, it isn't a deal.

  6. Look for it cheaper at another store

    Where it can, Genie shows you when the same item is cheaper somewhere else. It matches on the barcode when there is one, so it's the same product, not a lookalike.

  7. Check the price on the day

    Genie checks often, not every second, so open the app and pull down to refresh before you buy. Delivery fees, member prices and discount codes can change the final total, and the checkout always has the last word.

  8. Keep watching after Cyber Monday

    Missed it? Leave the item in your list. Prices move again before Christmas and in the Boxing Day sales, and Genie keeps watching the whole time.

Smoky the genie in a black shopping bag, reflected on a dark floor

Not sure a sale is a sale? See how to tell if a Black Friday deal is real.

Start your list today

Save Genie is free on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Download on the App Store Download on the Mac App Store

Black Friday questions.

When is Black Friday 2026?

Black Friday 2026 is Friday 27 November, and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November. Many shops start their sales earlier in the month.

Are Black Friday deals real?

Some are and some aren't. The only way to know is to compare the sale price with what the item cost a few weeks before. Save Genie keeps that price history for every item you save, free.

How do I get an alert when something drops in price on Black Friday?

Save the item in Save Genie and switch notifications on. Genie checks your saved items regularly and sends you a notification when the price drops. Checks aren't continuous, so open the app to see the latest price before you buy.

Is Save Genie free for Black Friday?

Yes. Save Genie is free on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with up to 15 tracked items and 3 new items a day. Premium lifts those limits if your list is bigger. See all the answers on our Support page.