Missing your reminders?

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A green banner with the word urgent

A green banner with the word urgent

So, you need that reminder to do a thing, but sometimes it's just not enough to get your attention? It might be time to upgrade your task reminders!

When to upgrade task reminders

Use task reminder upgrades for things that are:

  • Very important
  • Time sensitive
  • If the time it needs to happen, you might be extra distracted/overstimulated/fatigued

Examples:

  • Medications that need to be taken at a particular time
  • Take the trash to the curb on a specific evening
  • Doing a task that enables going to bed (not an actual reminder to go to bed-- those rarely work)

How to Upgrade Task Reminders

Natively on iPhone

Thanks to a recent release of iOS 26, you can add alarms to Reminders tasks to ensure you get them. I have a video showing you how to set up these upgraded task reminders.

 
The Due app logo, a black circle with a black check mark going through it

The Due app logo, a black circle with a black check mark going through it

Third Party Apps

Apps like Due have long existed to give more nagging reminders for things that really need them.

As in almost all cases where you compare a single-use app to a native feature on Apple platforms, the apps will usually offer more options but have less access to system-level features. That means there are limits to things apps like Due can do-- in the past, I've hit limits where the iPhone was, like, "Nope! This app notification must be spam to be going off so much. We're going to stop it from nagging you for a while."

But it also means that you can do fun things in Due, like customize your snooze patterns (and more, I'm sure, but I haven't used it in a while).

Caveats on upgrading reminders

Upgrading our task reminders isn't always the right choice, and may not work in all instances.

What if I’m not seeing/noticing alerts?

Often, people have too many other notifications cluttering up to see their important task reminders. I have a whole set of resources on notifications.

Remembering ≠ Motivation to do the task

an orange stickynote with the words, "do NOT forget!" written on it

an orange stickynote with the words, "do NOT forget!" written on it

If the reason the thing isn't happening is more motivation-based, putting the reminders more in your face won't help. Consider this your reminder that awareness of the task and the motivation to act on it are not the same thing. (If your nervous system is tapped out already, this is especially true!)

Escalating the attention the task reminder takes might actually backfire. Instead, talk with a friend, therapist, or coach about what's actually getting in your way and address that. Or co-work with them to get the thing done.

Use task reminders well

iPhone reminder settings, showing the "urgent" option
  • Concrete, Quick to accomplish, tasks
  • Low thinking tasks
  • It should be obvious when you're done and can check it off
  • Don't let more than 2 accumulate (ideally none accumulate)
  • It can't depend on another task to happen
  • Needs to represent the task that's happening accurately Want more on using task reminders well? I have a collection on task reminders backfiring, too!

Let me know:

What reminders have worked well for you? What do you wish you could upgrade your task reminders, but you aren't sure how? Let me know!

Best of luck!

--Brittany

P.S. I currently do not plan to publish any newsletters or blog posts this summer. I have lots of topics lined up, but it's going to be a busy summer. I haven't dropped off the planet; it's a planned break. In the meantime, if you have anything you'd like to hear more about, I'm always open to suggestions!