10 Productivity Hacks Every Apple Reminders User Should Know

The Reminders app on the iPhone is perhaps one of the most underrated apps that Apple makes. On the surface, it's a simple to-do list app: You can use Siri to add reminders, get notifications, and check them off. But hiding under the surface is a complex program, with features that help you get things done with the right context and at the right time. You can organize your list as a Kanban board, set blaring alarms for important reminders, manage tasks from the Calendar app, and generate your own smart lists. Here are 10 ways to make the most of your Reminders app:

Use "When Messaging" to get a reminder when texting a specific contact

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If you have something to ask your friend or colleague, but you keep forgetting, Reminders has a feature that can help. "When Messaging" links a task to a contact, so the next time you text them, Messages reminds you about it. The feature is a bit hidden, though: When you create a new task, tap the “i” icon to go into the detailed view. Scroll to the bottom and enable the "When Messaging" toggle. Next, select the contact from your contact book. The next time you're talking to them on iMessage, you'll get a notification from the Reminders app.

Use Kanban view for complex lists

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Kanban view converts your list into a column-based interface. Any section that you create becomes a column of its own. This works best on the Mac, but you can scroll through columns easily on the iPhone, as well. I find this view ideal for anyone who uses an assembly-based task management workflow, where you need to track a task between multiple steps. For example, my article management list can have multiple sections: "Pitches," "Approved," "Writing," "Editing," "Published," and so on. This way, I can track the progress of each of my articles with ease. You should experiment with how a column-based interface can help you. Start by creating sections. Tap the Menu button, choose Add Section, and give it a title. Then, tap the View as Columns button from the Menu to switch to the Kanban view. For more information, see my detailed guide on using the Kanban view in Reminders.

Use Calendar's built-in Reminders feature to sync tasks across both apps

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If you're a visual planner, you might want to see your tasks along with your events as you plan your day. But not all calendar events can be tasks. You can solve this issue by turning your reminders into calendar events. The feature is enabled by default: All you have to do is set up the Calendar app. All your reminders with a due date and due time will automatically show up in the Calendar app, complete with a checkbox. You can also drag and move a task around in the Calendar, and there's an option to add a task from the Calendar app to Reminders. Just hit the Plus button and then switch to the Reminder tab.

Use an auto-organizing grocery list for your shopping

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Organizing a shopping list can be a challenge. You have a long list of things to pick up, and you end up running around from one aisle to another. Instead of using a specialized grocery shopping list, use the built-in auto-organizing "Groceries" list in Reminders. If you're using iOS 17 or higher, you'll likely see a suggestion to create a new Groceries list once you start entering items. If not, you can tap the Plus button to create a new list, and choose Groceries in the "List Type." Now, when you enter a new item on the list, it will be categorized automatically. Sourdough will go to the breads section, tomatoes to the produce section, chicken thighs to the meat section, and so on.

Set alarms so you never miss important reminders

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It's easy to miss reminders if your iPhone is away from you, or if you have Do Not Disturb enabled. That can spell disaster for especially important alerts. Instead of setting a separate alarm from the Clock app, you can now add an alarm to any reminder using the new Urgent setting on iPhones running iOS 26.2 and higher. Go to a task's detailed view, assign a due date and time, and then enable "Urgent." (The first time you do this, you'll get a request to integrate with iOS' Alarms.) Now, when the reminder is due, you'll see a full-screen interface with the reminder up top. Like a traditional alarm, there will be an option to slide to stop, and you'll also see a big blue "Snooze" button.

Create shared lists to assign tasks to family members or teammates

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Reminders has a built-in collaboration feature that you can use to create shared lists with your family members and your coworkers. It's not as feature-rich as a dedicated tool like Todoist, but for day-to-day task sharing, it's more than enough. Go to a list, tap the Share button, and choose how to share the invitation—either using Messages or Mail. Once they join the list, you can assign a task by simply typing "@ their name" in the task itself.

Use templates to quickly reuse existing lists

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If you find yourself using the same lists over and over again, you should turn it into a template. That way, the next time you need it, it will automatically populate with the same sections, tasks, and subtasks, without needing to rebuild those things from scratch. To get started, go to a list, tap Menu at the top, and choose Save as Template. Give the template a name and save it. The next time you want to create a new list based on the template, tap Menu, choose Templates, and choose a template to recreate a list.

Use subtasks to build complex workflows

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Every task in Reminders can include multiple subtasks, and each subtask can have its own due date, notes, tags, assignees, and more. This lets you break down complex tasks into a visual hierarchy without a complex project management app. All of this works with a simple gesture: Write your main task first, press enter, then start typing your subtask, which will initially appear as another task entry. For example, in your newsletter list, you can have a main task called "Interview section update" with subtasks like "Schedule interview with guest" and "Get the questions approved." After writing your subtasks, swipe right on the task and choose Indent to indent it. It will instantly attach as a subtask to the task above it. This is now a subtask. You can now expand or collapse the main task.

Use tags to keep tabs on similar reminders

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Tags help you stay organized without putting in the work. When you're adding tasks, start by tagging them with a category, using the "#" symbol. Use tags like #work, #shopping, and #home. Then, tap a tag to view all tasks associated with it. At the bottom of the Home page in the Reminders app, you'll see all your tags. Tap a tag to see all the tagged tasks.

Use smart lists to organize reminders

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Once you get the hang of subtasks and tags, start using smart lists. Smart lists in Reminders are customized filters you can stack to create highly specific collections of tasks. For example, you can create a smart list that includes all tasks tagged with "#work," set to your office, due in a week, and assigned to you. 

To create a custom smart list, go to the Reminders home page, tap the Plus at the top to create a new list, and in the List Type, switch to Smart List. Then, from Manage Smart List, enable the filters you need. These can be based on tags, flags, due dates, locations, priorities, and tasks in other lists. A new custom list will appear on your Reminders home screen. You can then pin it to the top section if you intend to use it frequently. 

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