In our hectic life, we often forget things and need to rely on apps to keep track of our tasks. In the Mac App Store, you can find various to-do list apps. One of these popular apps is Microsoft To Do. Additionally, macOS has its own app called Reminders which also offers similar features. Since both apps are free, it might be hard to choose between them.
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In our hectic life, we often forget things and need to rely on apps to keep track of our tasks. In the Mac App Store, you can find various to-do list apps. One of these popular apps is Microsoft To Do. Additionally, macOS has its own app called Reminders which also offers similar features. Since both apps are free, it might be hard to choose between them.
User Interface
Apple adopts its standard minimalist approach when it comes to the user interface in the Reminders app. When you open the app, you will find everything organized into four categories in the sidebar under the headings Today, Scheduled, All and Flagged.
Below these categories, you can see your own lists for further organization. On the right, you will see the currently selected category or list, allowing you to focus on one thing at a time.
On the other hand, Microsoft To Do follows the Microsoft 365 design language in its user interface. The app has a minimalist look and is designed to help you focus on the most important task.
You will find categories like My Day, Important, Planned, Assigned to me, Flagged Emails and Tasks on the left sidebar. However, you will mainly use My Day, Important, and Activity.
Features
The app Reminders takes a simple approach when it comes to reminding you to do something. You can easily create reminders and access all the settings by pressing the Edit details button, which looks like a i inside a circle.
A useful feature of Reminders is that it supports natural language processing. This means the app can detect dates, times, locations, and other information as you naturally type the task into the app.
For example, if you type “Take out the trash tomorrow at 8:00 AM,” it will change the task name to “Take out the trash” and set its time and date to 8:00 AM the next day. If needed, you can also create subtasks under a task.
As part of the Apple ecosystem, you can add reminders from any other Apple device and do the same with Siri using voice commands. The Reminders app also works with other apps you may have on your device so that whenever it detects a date, time, location, or even a web link, you can create a reminder with a simple tap.
Microsoft To Do, on the other hand, is perfect for planning your day before you start ticking off tasks. When you select a task, you can see all its details in the right sidebar, where you can set a due date, a reminder, add subtasks, files, and notes. If you are on the My Day tab, the app will automatically suggest adding pending tasks to the list based on upcoming due dates.
Additionally, you can connect Microsoft To Do with Outlook (to see flagged emails) and also with third-party apps. For example, Zapier allows you to automate daily tasks which, combined with Microsoft To Do, can definitely boost your productivity. If you are a fan of customization, Microsoft To Do also offers various themes, letting you apply a different background for each list.
Similar to Reminders, Microsoft To Do supports natural language processing on iOS devices, but unfortunately, this feature has yet to expand to macOS computers.
Convenience
Besides macOS, Reminders is available on iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and on the web via the iCloud website. If you are in the Apple ecosystem, you can easily synchronize all your reminders and tasks across your devices in real-time.
Keep in mind that the web version of Apple’s Reminders app does not allow you to access all features.
As we mentioned earlier, you can always ask Siri to add a reminder for you on any Apple device. It goes without saying that you might feel limited if you use an Android phone with a Mac computer.
If you have friends or colleagues who also use Apple devices, it’s worth noting that you can also share and collaborate on a Reminders using a Mac.
Outside of macOS, Microsoft To Do is available on almost all other platforms, including Android, Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Being a Microsoft product, it allows you to keep track of tasks within Microsoft Teams, adding to the practical reasons why you should use Microsoft To Do. You can also access it on other devices through a browser.
Similar to the Reminders app, everything syncs in real time from one device to another. Since Microsoft To Do works with Microsoft 365, you can also collaborate with others using the Shared List.
feature.
Ease of use
Both the Reminders app and Microsoft To Do are easy to use on Mac. So, choosing an app depends on which other programs you use.
For example, if you work with many emails through Outlook or use Microsoft applications like Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, you should stick to Microsoft To Do.
On the other hand, if you are a devoted Apple user, you can go with the Reminders app without hesitation, as Apple’s Reminders is available on all Apple devices. You can add Reminders using Siri and create tasks and reminders within Apple apps like Mail, Calendar, Messages, and more. Additionally, if you don’t need complex features related to due dates or scheduling, Apple’s Reminders app could be the right choice.
Choose the perfect task list app for your Mac
Ultimately, you don’t have to worry about the price as both Apple’s Reminders app and Microsoft To Do are free on Mac computers. If you are still unsure which app to choose, try both for a week before deciding which best meets your needs. There are many productivity apps for your Mac-based home office, and a task list app should be one of them.
Main Features of Apple Reminders
- Minimalist user interface organized by categories
- Supports natural language processing for setting reminders
- Seamless integration with other Apple devices and Siri
- Ability to share and collaborate on reminder lists
Main Features of Microsoft To Do
- Modern, productivity-oriented design
- Integration with Outlook and other third-party apps like Zapier
- Customization with various themes
- Support for natural language processing on iOS devices
Conclusion
Both Apple Reminders and Microsoft To Do are excellent apps for managing your tasks and reminders on your Mac. The final choice will depend on your specific needs and the apps you commonly use.
If you are a devoted Apple user and want a seamless experience across your devices, Reminders might be the best choice. On the other hand, if you need greater integration with Microsoft apps like Outlook, To Do might be the better option.
Ultimately, both apps are free and easy to use, so we recommend trying both to see which works best for you. With their respective features and advantages, you will surely find the perfect reminder app for your workflow on Mac.
Pubblicato in Mobile & App
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