If you have used Apple’s Reminders app, you know it is a helpful tool for keeping track of tasks and their due dates, as well as a great way to stay on schedule.
While many basic features, such as creating reminder tasks, are well known, the Reminders app can do much more.
Even if you already use the app, you may not be leveraging everything you need from it, but we are going to change that now. Let’s talk about 10 tips for using Apple Reminders like a pro.
Use Siri For Reminders
While you can manually enter reminders into the Reminders app, you can also use Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, to set them up for you.
Simply activate Siri by pressing the iPhone’s side button or saying “Hey Siri” and saying “Remind me to..” followed by the task that you want to be reminded about.
This voice command automatically creates a task in your Reminders app.
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Organize Reminders By Lists and Groups
Some of your reminders may fall into a similar category. If you are packing for a vacation, you may have some things in mind that you want to make sure you bring.
While you can throw in one lengthy reminder with all of the items, it is far more practical to list the items in one relevant group.`
To add a new list, follow these steps:
- Open the Reminders app
- Tap Add List at the bottom right
- Give the list a relevant name
- Choose a color that you want to differentiate the list from other lists with, and, if you wish, an icon relevant to the list’s topic
- Tap Done
- You will see the new list displayed at the bottom, along with any other lists you have created
- Open the list and tap New Reminder to start adding tasks to your list
The lists can also be grouped. You can do this by going to the list of lists, tapping and holding one, then pulling it up or down within the list.
Once you hover over the list you want to group with, let go, and the two will be put into a “Group.”
Give the group a name, and back on your list listing, you will now see the new group that will have an expansion arrow to reveal its member lists.
Reminder Tags
Lists are a traditional way to organize tasks in a Reminder list, but tagging reminders is a more modern approach that also notifies relevant parties.
Here’s how to tag a reminder:
- Open your reminder list and tap the reminder text you want to tag.
- You will see a few symbols, including a hashtag (#), right over the on-screen keyboard at the bottom.
- Tap that #, and note that the text “Add Tag” appears under your reminder. You will then be prompted to enter your tags and click Done.
Back in the main Reminders app window, scroll past the lists to see the tags in use.
If you click a tag, reminders relevant to that tag will appear in a curated list.
Priority Flagging Reminders
You may wish to flag certain reminders to make them more prominent on your reminder listing.
For example, you may have 10 tasks to accomplish, but 3 are absolute must-dos.
You can move these to a special “Flagged” section by tapping the flag icon on the on-screen keyboard while the particular reminder is selected.
You can also assign priorities to reminders by selecting the reminder, tapping the small “i” icon next to it, and selecting “Priority”.
This will allow you to choose the priority level (low, medium, high, or none). Select the one you want, and the priority will be represented by a set of 1, 2, or 3 exclamation marks.
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Location-Based Reminders
Some reminders are especially useful when you are in a specific location. Another great feature of the Reminders app is the ability to tailor reminders to locations.
If you are in a store, a notification can be set up to remind you to purchase a particular item.
To set up location-based reminders, follow these steps:
- Tap on the “i” icon next to the reminder
- Tap the switch next to Location to toggle it to the green ON position.
- You can choose from the available options, or swipe left and tap Custom to set a specific location.
- Then, choose the location from the provided map or enter its address.
- Tap the toggle to select Arriving or Leaving; the alert will trigger when you reach your destination or when you leave it.
Set Reminder Due Dates
Some reminders may not need to be done immediately, but they do have a time by which they must be completed.
For instance, if your rent is due on the last day of the month, you may want a reminder to avoid forgetting.
To set up a due date:
- Tap on the reminder in question, then tap the calendar icon located on the keyboard.
- Then scroll through to find the due date and select it.
You can set a specific time for the due date and even make it a recurring reminder. You can view all relevant reminders in your Reminder app’s Scheduled view.
Create a Smart List
Smart Lists are a powerful tool for organizing reminders by specific criteria, such as due dates or locations. They’re especially useful if you have multiple reminders and lists to manage.
To set up a Smart List, choose “Smart List” from the List Type menu when creating a new list.
This will unlock the Edit Filters option, allowing you to customize your list based on tags, dates, times, locations, flags, or priority levels.
You can also refine your Smart List to include reminders from existing lists you’ve already set up.
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Natural Language Scheduling
Along the lines of due dates, you may also wish to do something at a time that you’d rather describe as “tonight” or “tomorrow afternoon.”
Reminders help set a concrete time by allowing entries like “tomorrow afternoon,” which provide a list of suggested times when you can perform the task, including tomorrow afternoon.
You can choose 12:30 PM Tuesday, and that will now be the associated due date for the reminder by simply typing “tomorrow afternoon.”
Subtasks
You may need to break down some reminders further, as they may not be a one-step action.
To do so, you can delineate them into subtasks. Tap the “i” icon next to the reminder, then scroll down and select Subtasks.
Here, you can make an additional list of components of the individual reminder.
When you navigate back to the reminders list, you will find that the reminder now has an expand/collapse arrow and shows the subtasks for that list.
Attach Images Or Documents to Reminders
Some reminders are helpful when accompanied by images or documents. You can easily do this by selecting a reminder and tapping the camera icon located on the on-screen keyboard.
You can take a photo or attach one, and it will be added to your reminder.
Tapping the camera icon also lets you scan a document, which will be imported into the association with your reminder.
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Save Or Print Lists
Sometimes, you may want to store a list or reminders locally or even print them on a local printer.
You can do this by navigating to a list, tapping the ellipsis in the top-right corner, and selecting Print.
From here, you can select a printer, specify the number of copies, or display the thumbnail full-screen by swiping with two fingers.
To save as a PDF, click the share icon and choose either “Save to Files” or “Copy to PDF Expert.”
Wrap Up
As you can see, there is far more to Apple’s Reminders app than just task management.
The 10 tips above will help you unlock many possibilities to improve your productivity and save time with this robust tool.
By using these pro tips and many others you are yet to discover, you can get the most out of this seemingly simple yet massively potent organizational tool.
