Over the last few years, Apple has rebuilt the Reminders app. The Reminders app is Apple’s stock-to-do manager in iOS, but for years, it has been chasing third-party solutions like Things 3 by Cultured Code GmbH & Co. KG. This year, Apple has caught up and, in some ways, surpassed the competition. Apple has made Reminders great for writers on a budget with new features like sections, shopping lists, early reminders, and Kanban boards.
In iOS 17, Reminders allows users to add sections to their reminder lists. I use sections to separate stages of projects. For example, I have a project for this website. I have sections for article ideas, my favorite things articles, ideas, tasks, and photos. Having these in sections on the same list is helpful. Adding this feature to tags and lists gives writers a fantastic tool to keep tasks organized and work done.
Next, iOS 17 brings shopping lists to Reminders. Okay, I can hear the comments now. How is this beneficial for writing? Time spent in a store is time spent away from writing. Apple has made it so reminders automatically organize shopping lists into sections of what department in the store the item is located. This cuts down on the time and money I spend away from my work.
Thirdly, iOS 17 brings early reminders to the Reminders app. This allows me to get a notification before a task is due and when the project is due. By setting this new early reminder, I get notified to write my weekly article on Wednesday and a notification on Friday that the article is expected. This is extremely helpful for managing project due dates.
Lastly, a feature I don’t personally use, but I know several writers who swear by that, is Kanban boards. It allows a user to view any list in column view, with the headings being the section titles. I can see where this would be handy. A writer could create sections for the writing process, like research, brainstorming, first draft, etc., and drag tasks from one section to another as it moves through the writing process. I don’t use this feature.
In conclusion, Apple has made Reminders in iOS 17 great for writers on a budget with new features like sections, shopping lists, early reminders, and Kanban boards. iOS 17 launched in September, and these features, in my opinion, make reminders the best option for writers to track their tasks. I use it every day, all day. What is your task manager of choice? Have you given iOS 17 and Reminders a second thought?