The Reminders app by Apple is a handy tool, yet integrating its tasks into the Calendar app has always been a personal goal. Productivity peaks when tasks are accompanied by clear deadlines; however, facing a long list of reminders can be daunting. The breakthrough came with the discovery of ReminderCal ($5), an application designed specifically for syncing reminders with the Calendar.

Benefits of Viewing Tasks in Calendar

The Calendar app presents an organized weekly view, creating visual space between entries. For example, a run scheduled for 5 AM, meditation at 7 AM, and work at 9:30 AM may feel overwhelming when viewed in Reminders. In the Calendar, these tasks appear vertically spaced apart, providing a sense of available time in between. This visual spacing helps alleviate the urgency associated with tasks, encouraging a mindset of, “I can manage this!”

Steps to Sync Reminders with Calendar

After downloading and setting up ReminderCal on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac (a single purchase allows for use across all devices), you need to grant it access to your calendar and Reminders app. The application will then perform the syncing with minimal effort required on your part.

With the app installed, any timed reminders created in Apple’s Reminders app will be automatically reflected in the Calendar. For reminders that should remain unsynced, prefix these entries with $nocal or $nocalendar, and the app will ignore them.

On Mac, as long as ReminderCal remains running in the background, it will sync tasks automatically, negating the need for manual updates. However, on iPhone and iPad, background syncing can be inconsistent due to battery-saving measures. To improve reliability, utilizing Apple’s Shortcuts app to create an automation for periodic syncing is advisable. Simply open the Shortcuts app, tap the “+” in the upper right corner, select a time for the shortcut to run daily, and choose ReminderCal. If multiple daily syncs are desired, setting up several automation triggers is necessary.

For those who prefer a proactive approach, syncing ReminderCal at sunrise is a convenient strategy. If daily tasks are added, manually syncing the app on the iPhone quickly updates the Calendar.

Customizing ReminderCal to Suit Your Needs

ReminderCal stands out for its straightforward design, a quality evident in its settings menus. The default configurations cater to most users, but several options can be customized. For instance, users can choose whether to have recurring reminders appear in their calendar, with this feature turned on by default but available for deactivation.

Two specific adjustments are worthwhile. Changing the standard event duration from 30 minutes to one hour can be beneficial. The second modification allows users to reverse the $nocal exception phrase—enabling this feature means the app will only sync reminders that include the $nocal phrase, enhancing control over which entries are synced.

Important Limitation to Consider

It is important to note that third-party applications often face restrictions. In the case of ReminderCal, it is unable to sync reminders to calendars other than iCloud and Outlook. This limitation may deter users who rely heavily on Google Calendar, but such constraints are currently beyond the developer’s control.