Do I need a reminder app?
Forgetful? Or at least people think you are. Look, we've all been there. You forget to pick up the dry cleaning, miss your partner's reminder to grab milk, or completely space on replying to that important work email. These little moments add up fast, and honestly, they can cost you time, money, relationships, and your sanity.
That's where reminder apps come in. A quick ping on your iPhone or Android might be the difference between your partner being annoyed and you being in the doghouse for forgetting the laundry again. Or missing a client deadline versus looking professional and on top of things.
If any of these sound familiar, you probably need a dedicated reminder app:
- You struggle with time-sensitive tasks and deadlines - You forget birthdays, anniversaries, or important dates regularly - Recycling day catches you off guard every single week - You miss medication times or daily habits - Grocery lists? You leave them at home every time - Work tasks slip through the cracks
Here's the thing: your brain isn't designed to remember everything. According to research on the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, we remember only 50% of the information we receive, which gets forgotten within an hour. So if someone tells you something important and you don't capture it immediately, odds are it's gone.
This is why quick, frictionless reminder capture is critical. You need an app that makes it stupidly easy to add a reminder the second you think of it, whether you're on your phone, computer, or smartwatch. The best reminder apps don't just store your tasks—they actually help you remember them with persistent notifications, location triggers, and smart scheduling.
There are dozens of to-do list apps out there, but the apps on this list specialize in reminders specifically. They're built around making sure you never forget the important stuff, with features like auto-snooze that won't let you dismiss a reminder until you actually do the thing, location-based alerts that ping you when you arrive somewhere, and recurring reminders for routine tasks.
If you're tired of being the person who always forgets, or you just want to free up mental space by offloading reminders to an app that won't let you down, this guide will help you find the right tool.
What can reminder apps do?
At their core, reminder apps are simple task management tools designed to ping you at specific times or locations. But the best ones do way more than just send you a notification.
Here's what modern reminder apps can do:
**Time-Based Reminders** - The basics. Set a reminder for 2pm on Thursday, or 30 minutes from now. Most apps use natural language so you can type "remind me tomorrow at 9am" and it just works.
**Recurring Reminders** - For routine stuff like taking medication, watering plants, or weekly check-ins. Set it once, get reminded forever (or until you turn it off).
**Location-Based Reminders** - Get pinged when you arrive or leave a place. Perfect for "remind me to buy milk when I'm at the grocery store" or "call mom when I leave work."
**Pre-Reminders** - Get notified before the actual deadline. Great for things like "remind me 1 day before mom's birthday" so you're not scrambling at the last minute.
**Persistent Notifications** - Some apps (like Due) won't let you ignore reminders. They keep nagging you until you actually acknowledge them, which is perfect for people who habitually dismiss notifications.
**Snooze Options** - Quick snooze times (10 minutes, 1 hour, tomorrow) so you can push reminders without opening the app.
**Cross-Device Sync** - Your reminder on your iPhone shows up on your Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch. No more forgetting something because you set the reminder on a different device.
**Shared Reminders** - Some apps let you share reminder lists with family or roommates, great for coordinated tasks like grocery shopping or household chores.
**Voice Integration** - "Hey Siri, remind me to call the dentist tomorrow at 10am." Most apps integrate with voice assistants for hands-free capture.
The key difference between a basic reminder app (like Apple's built-in Reminders) and the specialized apps on this list is how aggressive and flexible they are about actually making sure you remember. Let's explore the best options:
1. Due
Best for iPhone: Due
Due is simple but ruthlessly effective. If you're the kind of person who dismisses notifications and then immediately forgets what they were about, Due will not let you off the hook. It's designed with one job: make absolutely sure you remember.
The app works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. You can also grab it through SetApp if you're already subscribed there. Setup is dead simple—add a reminder, set a time, and you're done.
What makes Due special is the Auto-Snooze feature. By default, if you don't mark a reminder as done, it will keep nagging you every minute (you can adjust this) until you actually deal with it. For people with ADHD or anyone who habitually ignores notifications, this is a lifesaver. The reminder literally will not leave you alone until you acknowledge it.
Quick entry is fast thanks to shortcuts like "+12h" to set a reminder 12 hours from now. The lock screen integration on iOS is clutch—you can snooze or adjust reminder times right from the notification without unlocking your phone or opening the app.
Countdown timers are another strong feature. You can see exactly how much time is left until something is due, which is great for time-sensitive tasks like "take cookies out of oven in 12 minutes" or "leave for airport in 2 hours."
That said, Due's design looks dated. It works perfectly fine, but if you care about aesthetics, it hasn't been refreshed in years. And honestly, it doesn't do much more than Apple's built-in Reminders app except for the persistent Auto-Snooze feature. If that's what you need though, it's worth it.
**Pros:** - Auto-Snooze won't let you forget (keeps nagging until you acknowledge) - Quick entry with shortcuts like "+12h" or "+30m" - Lock screen controls let you snooze without opening the app - Countdown timers show time remaining - Works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch - Syncs via iCloud or Dropbox
**Cons:** - Design looks tired and hasn't been updated in years - Limited features beyond persistent reminders - Only marginally better than Apple Reminders unless you need Auto-Snooze
**Pricing:** One-time purchase, around $7.99 on iOS and $9.99 on Mac. Also available via SetApp subscription.
**Best for:** iPhone and Mac users who need aggressive, persistent reminders and won't remember unless the app literally won't shut up. Perfect for medication reminders, time-critical tasks, or anyone with ADHD.
2. Any DO
Best for Cross Platform: Any DO
Any DO is attractive, easy to use and will extend to helping you manage your tasks too.
It is primarily a to-do list application and is popular and already used by millions of people, but it does have a good simple reminders system within it as well as reminder checklists too for making sure you never forget things like packing lists or grocery lists.
The benefit to AnyDO is that you can share it with others making it a good couples or family to-do list app for you to set reminders for each other.
AnyDO can do one-time reminders, recurring reminders for the regular items on your list and even location-based reminders too, perfect for making sure you don't leave anywhere or arrive somewhere without something, whether that be the grocery list or the ring for your wedding.
The benefit to using AnyDO is that the checklists are so good, and it serves a more powerful to-do app too, we'd recommend this more for cross-platform users and those who want more than just a reminder app.
Of course, there are plenty of to-do list apps like Todoist, or Akiflow, that can help you do the same, AnyDO feels and acts very simply which many people like if the goal is just reminders. Great simple, list based to-do app with reminders. Good for location-based reminders to you never forget IRL. Sharing abilities with family, or couples that need something.
Works across all devices (including Web, Windows & Mac) All part of the free subscription and syncing is free. Limited to task based reminders. You might not need the might of a full to-do list app. No persistent reminders like Due.
3. Things 3
Best for Mac Users: Things 3
Things 3 is one of the best looking reminder & to-do list apps ever. Adored by millions, Things 3 is a minimal and beautiful to-do list app with the reminder features for making sure you never forget anything. Alot of people love Things for the simple nature and the same applies to the reminders too.
You can set a reminder on every single to-do that you create within Things, you just hit "When" and then you hit reminder.
Each reminder notifies you once, and a little bell notification comes next to the tasks indicating that you have a set reminder. This is super basic, but does the job. Alot of people like how it connects with recurring tasks too, and a reminder can be added separately to recurring to-dos - making it slightly more customizable.
If you're looking for beauty over powerful reminders, this is your go-to reminders app.
The best looking reminders app. Works great to help you set reminder times outside of the recurring time. Set reminders as part of your areas/projects too. You can snooze a reminder for 10, 30 or 60 minutes. Doesn't stay persistent as a reminder pop-up.
4. Microsoft To-Do
Best for Microsoft Users: Microsoft To-Do
Microsoft To-Do, formerly Wunderlist, is a to-do app with reminder abilities. It is basic, easy to use and good for those already baked into apps like Microsoft Outlook that can flag emails already as tasks in Microsoft To-Do. You can add reminders to each task in To-Do and it allows you to add a recurring reminder, or adjust it one time too.
This is perfect if you want something that is easy to use and just gets the job done. Many people might like to use reminders in a safe, reliable app like this as it is owned and managed by Microsoft. Free to use and good for Microsoft users already. Flag emails and add a reminder to check-in on those emails all within Microsoft To-Do. Good for sharing the list with family & friends.
Not one of the best looking apps.
Microsoft To-Do is a to-do list application that can be used to manage lists & tasks.
5. Todoist
Best for Cross Platform: Todoist
Todoist is one of the most used to-do list apps in the world, and it has reminders. You can add reminders really easily, you go into a task and you can either add a recurring reminder, or a reminder before the task happens - allowing you to get the task ready in time. Alot of people like that you can do this with the level of customization.
Todoist reminders used to be a paid subscription part of the app but many people complained about this a lot and it is now for all free users, with no limits.
As a cross-platform app, Todoist is free allowing you to use it anywhere and reminders too. Alot of people really like to use the "!" feature inside of the quick capture in Todoist, it allows you to quickly, using natural language, to tag a task with a reminder and using a phrase like "!30m" get notified in 30 minutes.
It is one of the reasons why people have moved to Todoist for quick task capture.
You can set reminders like "!every sat at 9am" for routine reminders on the same task. For business and pro customers, they can set a location based reminders, perfect for out and about. You can use it for free. Quick capture as part of natural language in Todoist. Everything works fast and easy.
You can use custom recurring ones too. Location based reminders are limited to Pro & Business plans.
6. TickTick
Best for Reminders & Habits: TickTick
TickTick is another great app for following the GTD method, it has many features and abilities to help organise your life and your time through task management. You can integrate your calendar with TickTick to combine tasks and events already existing elsewhere. You can even receive location-based reminders when using TickTick on iOS or Android.
Overall, TickTick is a more in-depth app with added reminders for getting things done and organizing your life. Recently, they changed their pricing to slightly more expensive. TickTick also has a feature for habit tracking, a pomodoro timer, and priority lists. This is great as part of the app, but what about being a daily task reminder app?
With TickTick, you can quickly add tasks with natural language to automatically add dates and times.
This then prompts reminders on your device to alert you of upcoming events or something you need to do.
7. Google Keep
Best for Notes & Reminders: Google Keep
Google Keep is a good option for managing tasks and to-dos in a simple setting. The app is fun and quirky, with sticky notes for tasks, audio notes, images, and more. You can see all your notes in one place and set reminders for each.
With Google Keep, your reminders can be time-based to help you complete a task within a certain period or location-based to alert you of things you need to get done when in a certain location.
This isn't a full to-do list application, but it works well as light notes and tasks. Users enjoy Google Keep because it still feels like writing notes on sticky notes, but with Google Keep, notes are digitized, and you won't lose them or forget what you need to do.
Overall, Google Keep is a handy little tool for setting reminders and remembering the tasks that pop into your mind throughout the day.
You can then organize your tasks to complete each day.
Google Keep is the digital version of Post-it Notes created by the folks at Google.
Which is the Best Reminders App Out There?
What is the best reminder app with note-taking?
Let's narrow down your choices and what to go with: Well, the one with the best note-taking abilities alongside the reminders is probably Google Keep. It is a well-known one and comes as part of any free Google account. It resembles Post-it Notes in a digital format and comes with some good mobile applications too.
Many people like it thanks to the reminders that you can pin to notes, and also location-based reminders, great for if you want a nudge based on your location.
We’d recommend looking at Todoist and TickTick, as well as Any DO. As these are really good reminder-based task management applications But they will help you to organise your week, but also make sure you don’t miss reminders. It’s well worth considering if you’re looking for a more collective system.
If you’re looking for something much more simple and basic, then look at Due, as it seems to be one of the leaders in reminding you with a simple application.
Another alternative to look at is Clear, it's more basic, but has reminders and simple lists for fun-grocery shop like tracking.
Notable Reminder Apps
Here's the best reminder apps:
Which Reminder App Should You Choose?
Picking the right reminder app depends on what kind of forgetter you are (we all have our specialties).
If you need an app that absolutely will not let you forget, Due is the answer. The Auto-Snooze feature is relentless in the best way possible. It's perfect for medication reminders, time-critical tasks, or anyone with ADHD who dismisses notifications and then immediately forgets. The design is dated, but functionally it's unbeatable for persistence.
For cross-platform users who want reminders plus a full task management system, Any.DO or Todoist make the most sense. Both are free, work everywhere (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, web), and handle location-based reminders. Any.DO is simpler and better for families or couples sharing lists. Todoist is more powerful for people managing complex projects alongside their reminders.
If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and care about aesthetics, Things 3 is gorgeous. The reminders integrate beautifully with recurring tasks and projects, though it lacks the aggressive persistence of Due. It's best for people who want a beautiful app and won't habitually ignore notifications.
TickTick is the all-in-one choice. You get reminders, habit tracking, a pomodoro timer, and calendar integration in one app. If you'd otherwise be using 3-4 separate apps for productivity, TickTick bundles it all together. The free tier is generous, and location-based reminders work on both iOS and Android.
For simple note-based reminders, Google Keep is underrated. It's free, works everywhere, and the sticky note interface makes it easy to capture quick thoughts with time or location reminders attached. Perfect for people who want something lightweight.
Microsoft users already paying for Office 365 should just use Microsoft To-Do. It's free, integrates with Outlook for flagging emails as reminders, and works across all Microsoft services. The design isn't exciting, but it's reliable and you're already paying for it.
Bottom line: Don't rely on your brain alone. Pick an app that matches your forgetting patterns, set it up properly, and let technology remember for you. Your future self (and your partner) will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
**What's the best free reminder app?**
Google Keep or Any.DO take this one. Both are completely free with no feature limits on reminders. Keep is simpler and great for quick notes with reminders. Any.DO is better if you want a full task system with location-based alerts.
**Which reminder app is best for ADHD?**
Due, hands down. The Auto-Snooze feature keeps nagging you until you actually acknowledge the reminder, which is critical for people who dismiss notifications and immediately forget. It's specifically designed for people who need persistence.
**Can I share reminders with family or my partner?**
Yes. Any.DO, Todoist, TickTick, and Microsoft To-Do all support shared lists. You can assign reminders to specific people and both get notified. Great for couples managing household tasks or families coordinating schedules.
**Do any of these apps work with location-based reminders?**
Most do. Any.DO, Todoist (Pro/Business plans only), TickTick, and Google Keep all support location-based reminders on iOS and Android. Due does not have location features, it's purely time-based.
**What's better, Todoist or TickTick for reminders?**
TickTick has more built-in features (habits, pomodoro, calendar) for free. Todoist has better natural language input and faster task capture with shortcuts like "!30m" for a reminder in 30 minutes. Todoist used to charge for reminders but made them free in 2026, which was a big improvement. If you want an all-in-one app, TickTick. If you want focused task management, Todoist.
**Is Things 3 worth it just for reminders?**
Probably not. Things 3 costs $50+ across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It's beautiful and the reminders work great, but unless you also want the full GTD-style task management system, it's expensive compared to free options like Any.DO or Google Keep. Buy Things if you love the design and want a complete productivity system, not just for reminders.
**Can I use Siri with these apps?**
Most integrate with Siri on iOS and Mac. Due, Things 3, Todoist, TickTick, and Microsoft To-Do all support voice commands like "Hey Siri, remind me to call mom at 2pm." Google Keep works with Google Assistant. Any.DO has limited Siri support.
**What's the most aggressive reminder app that won't let me forget?**
Due. No contest. The Auto-Snooze feature will literally keep pinging you every minute (adjustable) until you mark the reminder as done. It's designed for people who need the app to be annoying on purpose.