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How Apple's Updated Reminders App Can Keep You on Task

Lance Whitney
 & Lance Whitney Contributor

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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The Reminders app for iPhone and iPad offers a handy way to create tasks and manage to-do lists in your busy life. The app has typically lacked the bells and whistles found in many third-party task management apps, but with iOS 13 and iPadOS, Apple has beefed up the capabilities of Reminders, turning it into a more effective and powerful program.

Update Your Devices

You can use and sync your reminders across your Apple devices through iCloud. But there is one potential hitch: if you share your lists across these different devices via iCloud, all of them must be running the latest version of their respective operating systems. So your first step should be to update your iPhone or iPod touch to iOS 13 or higher, update your iPad to iPadOS 13.1 or higher, and update your Mac to macOS 10.15 Catalina.

After updating your various devices, open the Reminders app on your iPhone or iPad. The first time you do this, a welcome screen lists some of the new features. Tap Continue. You're then placed at the main screen with your existing lists and the new smart lists, such as Today and Scheduled.

Smart Lists

Smart lists will categorize the items on your to-do list. Tap Today to see what tasks are due today. Tap Scheduled to see your tasks based on due date. Tap All to see all your reminders, including any designated as tasks and any shared with other family members. Tap Flagged to see any reminders that you've flagged as important.

Create New Reminders

To create a new reminder, select the list to which you want to add it. Tap the "New Reminder" button at the bottom, type the reminder, then tap the Info button.

Add Reminder Details

At the Details screen, enter any notes for the reminder, including a URL, if necessary. You can then set a day and time for the reminder. If no time is set, notifications for your reminders will pop up at 9 a.m. by default.

Turn on the "Remind me on a day" switch and select the specific due date. Turn on the "Remind me at a time" switch and choose the time for the reminder. If the reminder is a recurring item, tap the option for Repeat and choose the frequency for it, such as daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Location Reminders

You can now set reminders based on your current location. Activate the switch next to "Remind me at a location," then tap Location. At the Location screen, choose one of the available locations or type in an address. You can even set the reminder for when you arrive or leave a given area.

Tap Details to return to the previous screen. Now when your device confirms that you are at the set location, the reminder will be triggered.

Messaging Reminders

Reminders can also send you a notification when you're chatting with a specific person in the Messages app. Turn on the switch next to "Remind me when messaging," and tap the Choose Person link. You then select the person from your contacts, and the next time you chat with that person, you will receive a notification about the reminder.

Create Subtasks

Another new feature is the ability to create subtasks. This can be handy if you wish to organize or divide a reminder into different steps. Tap Subtasks > Add Reminder, then type the first subtask. Tap "Add Reminder" to create more subtasks; repeat as necessary. Then tap the Details link to go back to the previous screen.

Add Image to Reminders

You can now associate an image with a specific reminder. Tap "Add Image" and you can snap a photo, scan a document, or pick an existing image from your library. Tap "Add Image" again to add more. You can then rearrange the images by dragging one up or down via its hamburger icon () or delete an image by tapping its minus symbol. Tap Done when finished.

Edit Tasks

You can now see all your reminders on one screen with all notification triggers, subtasks, and images included. These reminders can also be edited from here. Subtasks are indented under the parent task, but you can change that with a swipe. By swiping a reminder to the right and tapping Indent you turn it into a subtask of the reminder above it. If you swipe a subtask to the right and tap Outdent, it becomes an independent reminder.

Edit Reminders

Swipe a reminder to the left to flag or delete it. Press down on a reminder to drag it up and down the list. Tap a reminder to access a toolbar with commands to set the due date and time, create a location-based notification, set a flag, and add an image.

Create Lists

You can create additional lists from the main screen of the app. For example, maybe you want a list for work-related reminders to keep them separate from your personal tasks. Tap the "Add List" link in the lower right, then type a name for the new list. Select a color and icon to distinguish it from other lists, then tap Done. You can then add a reminder to the new list by tapping the list name and tapping New Reminder.

Create Reminders With Siri

Reminders can be created with the help of Siri. Either ask the voice assistant directly, or type your reminder into the search field first. Swipe to the right or down the screen until you see the Search field. Type something like "Remind me to turn off the lights at 10 p.m." Among the suggestions will be one that says Ask Siri. Tap the entry and Siri will add your request to the Reminders app with the criteria you included.

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About Our Expert

Lance Whitney

Lance Whitney

Contributor

My Experience

I've been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I've written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, PC World, Time, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I've also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn.

My Areas of Expertise

I've used Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products for years so I'm well versed in that world. I also know the Mac quite well. I'm always working with iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and Android on my various mobile devices. And these days, I write a lot about AI, so that's become another key area for me.

The Tech I Use

My wife always jokes about all the tech products we have around the house, but I manage to put them to good use for my articles. I like Lenovo computers, so I own a couple of Lenovo desktops and several laptops. I have three MacBooks and a Mac mini. For my mobile life and work, I use an iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad mini as well as an Apple Watch. But since I write about Android, I own several Android phones and tablets. Like any tech person, I have a cabinet full of cables, wires, and assorted mysterious gadgets. And when it's time to take a break from writing, I have an old Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, both of which I use for exercise and fitness games.

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