Overhauled in 2020, Apple equipped the Reminders app with a handy feature that many third-party apps seem to lack: the ability to delegate and assign tasks to other people. Here’s how it works on a Mac.
What You Need to Assign Reminders
The ability to assign reminders—and make use of other new features like Smart Lists, tags, and improved Siri capabilities—is only available with the upgraded Reminders app. That means your device should be running macOS Catalina.
Then, make sure that your app is synced to iCloud. To do this on a Mac:
Head to System Preferences > Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar. Tick the box beside Reminders.
Once you open the Reminder app, you will see a Welcome to Reminders window asking you to upgrade. Simply click Upgrade, found next to your iCloud account.
Note that the upgraded Reminders app is not backward compatible with earlier versions of the app. This means that you won’t be able to share and delegate to other people who don’t have an upgraded Reminders app.
How to Assign Reminders to People on a Mac
Before you start assigning tasks, make sure you have a shared list with people you want to assign or delegate reminders to. To share an iCloud Reminders list with others:
Open the Reminders app. Select the list you want to share, Control-click to access the contextual menu, then select Share List. Choose the method you want to use to send your invitation. Tick Anyone can add more people if you want to allow others you’ve invited to add more people to the shared list. Unselect this if you don’t want to let others invite other people to the list.
Note that the invitee can only view and edit the shared list once they accept the invitation.
How to Assign Reminders
Now that you’ve shared an iCloud Reminders list, you can assign tasks to other people. First, select the shared list in the sidebar; you’ll know it’s a shared list if there’s a person icon by it. Then do one of the following:
Control-click the reminder, hover over Assign, then select the person you want to assign it to from the list of assignees. Click the Assign Reminder button, or the person icon below the reminder, then select the assignee. Click the info (i) button on the upper-right side of the reminder, then click the dropdown menu beside Assign to select an assignee.
Once you’ve assigned the reminder to someone, they will receive a notification about it.
How to Unassign Reminders
If you decide to remove assignees from your reminders, you can do this by simply clicking the X button beside the Assignee button. Alternatively, you can Control-click, select Assign > None, or click the Info button and choose None from the Assign To popup menu.
How to Reassign Reminders
If you figured that someone else might be better suited to do the task, you could also reassign the reminder to a different person. Just repeat any of the steps and select another assignee. You can also click the Assignee button, which contains either the person’s picture or initials, then click Reassign.
Accomplish More Together
To-do apps are popular because they help you organize and plan so that you can do more in the same amount of time. What if you use them with others? Imagine the boost that collaboration could have on your to-do list.
Reminders makes assigning seamless, but it also makes communication easier, avoiding unnecessary overlaps and miscommunication.
