Tasks

Tell me what you don't want to forget and I'll note it in Google Tasks – with a date, a time, a link to the email or as a follow-up task. From the emails you send, I suggest reminders.

Your tasks live in Google Tasks, in each account's default list. For this, Tasks needs to be granted on Meetings & tasks (Connect your calendar).

Create a task

Type it into the field at the top (on your phone: ✦ in the tab bar) and say it the way you'd tell a colleague:

"Note: send the quote to Müller by Friday."
"Remind me tomorrow at 9 to call the bank back."

A date you mention becomes the due date. If you say "tomorrow" shortly after midnight (until 4 am), I take it to mean the day that has just begun. Google Tasks only stores dates, so I put the time in the note. At that time you get a notification, as long as notifications are on for your device (Notifications). If you paste a long text, it goes into the note in full.

The task goes into the account you're currently using. If it belongs to an email, it goes into the account where that email is.

Tasks from emails

From a specific email: Below the email, tap Make it a task. I create a task with a link to the email. An instruction works too: "Make a task from the email from the property manager." If I can't find the email, I'll tell you.
From your own promises: If you write to someone "I'll drop off the key the day before", I suggest a matching reminder under Don’t forget. Add reminder creates it, No thanks drops it. I never create one without asking.
From a meeting: Turn your own meetings without guests into a task in Your day with Make it a task.

Recurring tasks

"Remind me on the 1st of every month about the rent." Google Tasks can't be set to repeat from outside. So I create a series in your calendar instead: a 15-minute entry with ⏰ before the title, marked as "free", with an alert at that time. Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly all work. Without a time, I use 9 am.

Dependencies

"Collect the tax documents, and once that's done, book an appointment with the tax adviser." That becomes two tasks. The second has no date at first and shows which task it's waiting for. When you tick off the first one, the second becomes due that same day. This also works if you tick it off directly in Google Tasks. I check every hour.

Day to day

In Your day, your tasks are grouped under Today (overdue first), Tomorrow, No date and Later. Tap one to see its note and links. From there you mark it Done, push it to Today, Tomorrow or Next week, or open it In Google Tasks.

Edit, move, delete

With Edit you change the title, note, due date and time right in the list. An empty date means "no due date"; a time only works together with a date. If you have connected several accounts, pick another one under Account – I create the task there and remove it from the old account; if another task waits for it, that link moves along.

Delete removes the task right away. For a few seconds you can bring it back with Undo, including note and date.

If something looks wrong

If a task ended up in the wrong account or with the wrong date, change it with Edit (Edit, move, delete) – or in Google Tasks. Right after creating it, you can take it back with Undo in my reply to your instruction.