Introduction to reminders

Available for

  • Beginner
  • Pro
  • Business

Platforms

  • macOS
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows 10

The secret to remembering everything on your task list? Let Todoist remind you.

Whether it’s the last day to submit your monthly report or your friend’s surprise birthday bash, it’s easy to add a Todoist reminder, so you never miss a thing.

Types of reminders

In Todoist, you can add different kinds of reminders to a task:

  • Automatic reminders: A reminder that’s added by default whenever a date and time is scheduled to a task. This is based on your Reminders settings.
  • Custom reminders: A reminder based on a specific date and time, or the amount of time before a task is due
  • Recurring reminders: A reminder that notifies you on a recurring basis (for example: ev Tuesday 7:00)
  • Location reminders: A reminder that notifies you when you’ve arrived at a specific location. Learn more about location reminders.

When you’ve identified which reminder suits your needs, here’s how to add them to your tasks.

Set up automatic reminders

When you add a date and time to a task, Todoist can automatically add a task reminder. You can adjust how long before the task date Todoist will remind you, as well as the type of notification you’ll receive, in your Reminders settings.

  1. Click your avatar at the top-left.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Click the Reminders tab.
  4. Click the Automatic reminders menu.
  5. Select how long before the task’s time to receive a notification.
  6. Turn on the type of notification you’d like to receive:
    • Desktop notification: Get notifications on your desktop computer.
    • Mobile notification: Get notifications on your mobile device.
    • Emails: Receive an email notification at your account email address.

Add an automatic reminder

To add an automatic reminder, always add a date and time to the task. This is because these reminders are relative to the time of a task.

Turn automatic reminders off

If you no longer want Todoist to add reminders automatically, click the Automatic reminders menu and select No automatic reminder.

Add a custom reminder

Add custom reminders that’ll remind you on a specific date and time, or before a task is due. If you’re on Todoist Pro or Business, you can add multiple custom reminders, so you get notifications at any time of the day.

Add a Date & Time reminder

  1. Click a task to open the task view.
  2. Click Reminders on the left side. A small window will appear.
  3. Select the Date & time tab.
  4. Select the hour you want to receive the notification, or use natural language to enter the date and time (for example: Mon 19:00)
  5. Click Add reminder.

Add a Before task reminder

  1. Click a task to open the task view.
  2. Click Reminders on the left side. A small window will appear.
  3. Select the Before task tab.
  4. Select how long before you’ll get a notification about the task in the menu. You’ll get a notification when it’s time for this task to be due.
  5. Click Add reminder.

Assign a reminder

If you’re working on a shared project with other people, you can assign reminders to specific collaborators, so they don’t miss tasks that need their input.

  1. Click a task to open the task view.
  2. Click Reminders on the left side.
  3. Click the avatar beside the reminder.
  4. Select the appropriate person from the assignee list.

Use shortcuts to create reminders

If you're on the Pro or Business plan, you can quickly add a reminder, use the “!” shortcut while creating or editing a task.

Type “!” in the task name field followed by the desired time for the reminder (or just select one of the useful suggestions that appear).

You can set a reminder for a specific time (like “!3pm”), for after a certain amount of time has passed (e.g. “!2h”), or to make sure you get notified an X amount of time before your task is due (e.g. “!30mb” or "!30min before"). Todoist will even understand when you add a reminder for “!later” (i.e. 4 hours later) or “!tomorrow” (i.e. the next day at 9:00 AM).

reminders-quick-add-help-center.png

Warning

Reminder shortcuts don't work with Microsoft Swiftkey. To resolve this, turn off this keyboard or switch to a different keyboard on the Android device.

Here is the list of supported reminders: 

ShortcutExampleWhat it does
!30mWork meeting today 10:30 !30mReminder set for 30 minutes from current time (time when added to task)
!2h30mCall the hotel to confirm reservation !2h30mReminder set for 2 hours and 30 minutes from current time (time when added to task)
!0mb or !0min beforeLunch at restaurant 1pm !0mbReminder set at the exact time (0 minutes before)
!laterClear the trash !laterReminder set for around 4 hours later from current time (rounded down to the closest hour)
!1hb or !1h beforePrepare meeting agenda 11am !1h beforeReminder set 1 hour before it's due
Note: When added to tasks without time, this will create a reminder set 1 hour from the current time.
!11am !1hb !3hbDentist appointment Thu 2pm !11am !1hb !3hbMultiple reminders set for: the next instance of 11 AM, 1 hour before it's due, and 3 hours before it's due
!6pmGet groceries after work !6pmReminder set for the next instance of 6 PM
!30mb or !30m beforeTake vitamins every day at 9am !30mbFor each instance of the task, reminder is set for 30 minutes before 9 AM
!tmr 3pmHand in report before EOD !tmr 3pmReminder set for tomorrow at 3 PM
!Mon 9amCheck schedule for the week !mon 9amReminder set for Monday at 9 AM
!every 5pmEnd of day review every day !every 5pmReminder set for every day at 5 PM
!every sat 9amWater plants every weekend !every sat 9amReminder set to every Saturday at 9 AM

FAQ

Which date and time formats are supported for creating reminders?

Any of the dates and times that can be used to schedule your tasks also work for reminders.

Can I create a recurring reminder for my task?

Absolutely! Simply use any of the recurring dates and times.

Can I get a default reminder for tasks without time?

No, because the default reminders are relative to the time of a task.

On which devices can I receive location-based reminders?

Location-based reminders are only available for iOS or Android devices. You can learn more about location reminders here

Can I snooze a reminder?

Yes, but you can only snooze the reminders you receive on Android or iOS.

  • On Android, simply tap Snooze on the reminder.
  • On iOS, long press the reminder, then tap Snooze, and pick either Snooze for X minutes (Default), Snooze for 3 hours, or Snooze until 9 AM.
What is the default snooze time? How can I change it?

The default time for snoozing reminders on Android is 30 minutes, and on iOS it is 5 minutes. However, you can change this in your settings:

  1. Tap on Browse at the bottom-right.
  2. Tap the gear icon at the top-right.
  3. Select Reminders.
  4. Tap When snoozed... to set a new default time for snoozing reminders.
Is there a way to sync the notifications between macOS and iOS? 

Unfortunately, it's a known limitation, completing a task on one of the devices won't clear the notifications on another device. We're working on solving this in the future.

My device is running iOS 15 or above. If I use Apple’s Focus feature, will I still get reminders from Todoist?

All Todoist reminders, whether they are time or location-based, are considered Time Sensitive notifications, so you should still receive these, even if you have Focus enabled on your iOS device.