14 Tips and Tricks to Make the Most of Apple's Reminders App
Are you looking for a productivity app that can help you manage your tasks and reminders effectively? Look no further than Apple's Reminders app. This app is one of the most well-rounded and complete productivity apps that Apple has made, and it has been adding new features to it for years now. In this article, we will share 14 tips and tricks with you that make Reminders super useful.
Tip 1: Use Sections to Better Manage Your Reminders
If you find the regular lists a bit too basic, you can include sections in your list to help you better manage your reminders. For example, if you have a project list, each item on the list represents a task that must be accomplished as part of your project. You can tap the ellipses menu in the upper right corner and choose "New Section" to add a section to your list. You can give it a name and expand or collapse it as needed. You can also drag and drop reminders into the section.
Tip 2: Choose an Icon for Your List
When you create a list, you can choose an icon for it at the top of the screen. You can scroll through the list and choose one from here. There are quite a few to choose from, and they cover a wide range of topics.
Tip 3: Use Smart Lists to Filter Your Reminders
Smart lists are a feature of the Reminders app that many people stay clear of because they look daunting, but they're really useful. When you create a list, you have the option to choose the type of list you're creating. You can choose standard or shopping, which is where your phone will automatically sort the items in the list into categories, or smart. You can choose from edit filters and enable different filters, such as tags, to sort your reminders.
Tip 4: View Your Lists as Columns
If you're working on more of a project where you want to move things from one stage to another, you can view your lists as columns. Tap the ellipses in the upper right of the screen and choose "View as Columns." The sections now show as column headers, and you can drag and drop items from one column to another.
Tip 5: Pin Your Most Important Lists
If you work with loads of lists, it can be challenging to access the ones you need most easily. You can pin them to make them more accessible. Swipe from left to right on a list and tap the yellow pin button, or tap and hold on a list and choose "Pin."
Tip 6: Use a VPN to Protect Your Data
When you connect to open Wi-Fi without using a VPN, your data is at risk of being stolen. Private Internet Access is a sponsor of today's video and makes it easy to set up an automation from within the app to enable your VPN as soon as it connects to open Wi-Fi.
Tip 7: Link Your Reminders to Other Parts of the Apple Ecosystem
You can link your reminders to other parts of the Apple ecosystem, such as notes, emails, or pages in Safari. The easiest way to create a reminder that links to something else is to create a reminder from that item using Siri.
Tip 8: Share Your Lists with Others
You can share a list so that you can work on it with another person or a group of people. Tap the share button at the top right of your screen next to the ellipsis. You can choose how you'd like to share access to the list and allow or revoke that access.
Tip 9: Create List Templates
One of the most useful but often overlooked features of the Reminders app is the ability to create list templates. For example, a packing list is something that many people can relate to. Spend some time creating that list once and then save it as a template.
Tip 10: Use Tags to Group Your Reminders
Tags are a method of tagging your reminders to then group them later on. They're really useful, but most people still don't use them. You can use tags to better manage your lists and pull together all items with that tag, even if they're across different lists.
Tip 11: Use Early Reminders to Stay on Track
Reminders now lets you create early reminders. While you're creating a reminder, you're going to tap on the "I" or "Info" button to access additional options. One of these options is dates, which you're going to toggle on. This is the date that you need to complete this particular task, but you want to be reminded of it earlier on.
Tip 12: Use Interactive Widgets to Complete Activities from Your Home Screen
Another new feature that arrived in iOS 17 is interactive widgets. For Reminders, you no longer have to tap on the widget to open the Reminders app to complete an activity. Instead, you can simply tap on the button within the interactive widget and complete it right from your home screen.
Tip 13: Create Reminders from Other Apps
If you want to add a reminder from another app, you can generally just click and drag the item into Reminders. This works on the Mac, but you can also do this on the iPhone.
Tip 14: Create Voice Memos and Add Them to Reminders
Something that many people have always wanted to be able to do is to add voice memos to the Reminders app. There is a workaround for this. You can share the voice memo to Notes, which creates a note in the Notes app with the voice memo embedded into it.
In conclusion, the Reminders app is a powerful tool that can help you manage your tasks and reminders effectively. By using these 14 tips and tricks, you can make the most of this app and stay on top of your to-do list.
Pros
- The Reminders app is a well-rounded and complete productivity app that Apple has made.
- The app has been adding new features for years now.
- You can use sections to better manage your reminders.
- You can use smart lists to filter your reminders.
- You can link your reminders to other parts of the Apple ecosystem.
- You can share your lists with others.
- You can create list templates.
- You can use tags to group your reminders.
- You can create early reminders to stay on track.
- You can use interactive widgets to complete activities from your home screen.
- You can create reminders from other apps.
- You can add voice memos to reminders.
Cons
- Some features may be daunting for new users.
- The app may not be suitable for users who prefer a more basic to-do list style.
Highlights
- Use sections to better manage your reminders.
- Use smart lists to filter your reminders.
- Link your reminders to other parts of the Apple ecosystem.
- Share your lists with others.
- Create list templates.
- Use tags to group your reminders.
- Create early reminders to stay on track.
- Use interactive widgets to complete activities from your home screen.
- Create reminders from other apps.
- Add voice memos to reminders.
FAQ
Q: Can I use Reminders on my Apple Watch?
A: Yes, you can capture voice memos on your Apple Watch, and iCloud sync means that they'll show immediately on your iPhone.
Q: Can I create early reminders in Reminders?
A: Yes, Reminders now lets you create early reminders.
Q: Can I share my lists with others?
A: Yes, you can share a list so that you can work on it with another person or a group of people.
Q: Can I create list templates in Reminders?
A: Yes, you can create list templates in Reminders.
Q: Can I add voice memos to Reminders?
A: Yes, you can add voice memos to Reminders by sharing them to Notes.
Resources:
- Private Internet Access: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/
- AI Chatbot: https://www.voc.ai/product/ai-chatbot
