How to work with notifications in Reminders on Mac

In this tutorial, we will show you how to work with notifications in the Reminders app on your Mac so that you never miss a task, list, or to-do.

Reminders app notification on Mac

One of the most important features of the Reminders app is the notifications. After all, you can’t expect to be reminded of something without them, right?

So that you never miss a business task, list item, or personal to-do, we’ll show you how to work with it.

Create notifications

Notifications in the Reminders app are flexible. So you can set up an alert for a specific date and time, based on a location, or when texting with someone in Messages. Plus, you can create a repeating reminder and notification.

Open the Reminders app and create your task. Then set up one of the following notifications.

By date and time

You can set up a notification quickly when creating the reminder with the buttons below the task.

Click Add Date and pick from today, tomorrow, or a future timeframe. Or, click Custom to choose a date from the calendar.

Once you add a date, the Add Time button will appear. So if you want to be reminded at a certain time, click and pick from morning, noon, afternoon, evening, or night. You can also enter a specific time if you prefer.

Reminders Quick Date and Time Notification Mac

If you already have your Reminder created, you can still add a notification to it. Click the Info icon to the right of the task. Next to Remind me, check On a Day and select the date. After adding a date here, the At a Time box will appear for you to check and select.

Reminders Date and Time Notification Mac

Repeat a notification

If you use the date option for your notification, you have the ability to make the item and alert repeat. Plus, you have some great flexibility with repeating Reminders.

Click the Info icon and then the drop-down box for Repeat. You can have the reminder repeat hourly, daily, weekdays, weekends, weekly, biweekly, monthly, every 3 months, every 6 months, yearly, or you can click Custom and select something specific.

Repeat reminders schedule on Mac

The Custom options are extremely flexible. So you can choose a certain number of hour or days, specific days of the week, a particular day of the month, or a certain month of the year.

Reminders Repeat Notification Mac

At a location

If you want to create a location-based reminder, you have the same methods as the date and time notifications.

Click the Add Location button beneath the task. You can quickly pick an option like your Current Location, Home, or Getting In or Out of the Car.

Reminders Quick Location Notification Mac

Alternatively, click the Info icon, check the box for At a Location, and either choose a quick option or enter an address.

When messaging someone

Another handy notification option is to receive a reminder when you’re messaging someone.

Click the Info icon and check the box for When Messaging a Person. Then click Add Contact and select someone from your list.

Reminders When Messaging Notification Mac

Respond to notifications

Like creating notifications, you have different options for responding to them.

If you have Banners or Alerts set up for Reminders on your Mac, you’ll see your notification display in the corner of your screen. Take the mouse cursor over the reminder and click Options. After that, you can mark it complete. Or, if you want to snooze that alert, you can then choose to be reminded again in an hour, later in the day (or next morning), or tomorrow.

Reminders app notification on Mac

You also have these same options if you receive the alert at a location or when messaging someone.

Reminders Notification Messages Mac

If you want to open the item in the Reminders app, just click the title in the notification.

Do more with Reminders: