Request for Bidirectional Integration with Apple Reminders
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Eduardo C
Currently, Noteplan allows importing tasks from Apple Reminders but does not offer bidirectional synchronization. This means that tasks created or edited in Noteplan are not automatically reflected in Apple Reminders. The absence of this functionality limits the flexibility and convenience of managing my tasks directly in Apple Reminders or other apps that integrate with it, including using Siri.
> Why Synchronization is Important:
Having bidirectional integration with Apple Reminders would provide a more cohesive and efficient task management experience. Often, I need to create, edit, and delete tasks directly in Apple Reminders or other integrated apps, and I also use Siri for task management. Other Noteplan users have also requested this functionality. Currently, I am a user of Agenda app, which has this feature, and the absence of this capability is the only factor preventing me from fully migrating to Noteplan, which I find to be a fascinating and incredibly well-designed application.
> Proposed Solution:
Implement bidirectional integration with Apple Reminders that allows:
- Automatic synchronization of tasks created, edited, or completed in Noteplan with Apple Reminders and vice versa.
- Configuration options to choose which task lists from Apple Reminders should be synchronized with Noteplan.
- (If possible, no problem in using Reminders notifications) Synchronized notifications and alerts between the two apps to ensure no reminder or task is missed.
- (If possible) The integration should work consistently across all supported versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
I deeply appreciate the fantastic work done on Noteplan so far. It's an outstanding application, and this added functionality would make it even more powerful and versatile. Thank you for considering this request, and I look forward to seeing how Noteplan continues to evolve to meet the needs of its users.
Eduard Metzger
Thanks for sharing this request! We have extended the support of Reminders not too long ago here: https://noteplan.co/changelog/v3.11.2-improved-reminders-integration
But it's also one-way rather. However, I'm wondering why you would want to duplicate the tasks in NotePlan and Reminders? If it's for the Siri integration to create Reminders quickly, the filter from the update above provides you a way to import those into NotePlan (or not?).
So besides that advantage, I'm not sure why to keep things 1:1 duplicated across two apps? Why not just use NotePlan for tasks?
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Eduardo C
Hello Eduard Metzger ! Thank you for the quick response. Your prompt and kind communication with the community is amazing, and the quality and features of your project certainly reflect your profile. Regarding the latest update, with the task filters in Reminders, I had the opportunity to test it, and it was a great improvement! It has become very simple to import and reference tasks; however, it still involves one-way task importation.
To answer your question: specifically, two-way integration allows me to use all the features of Apple Reminders (manipulating tasks via Siri, manipulating tasks via Shortcuts, location-based reminders, simple sharing of lists with other senior family members who use the Apple ecosystem). Additionally, I miss not being able to manage tasks in other applications that integrate with Reminders, such as Flexbits Fantastical and the Apple Calendar on iOS 18, among other applications that community members have listed. Lastly, although less relevant but still important, having the freedom to eventually stop using Noteplan (or even Reminders) without needing to redo my entire task list in one or the other would be valuable.
I found that it's possible to use Todoist with plugins, but I particularly do not want to share my data with yet another third party (and still miss out on Apple Reminders' features). I'm a fan of the Bullet Journal, and for me, Noteplan is finally the (almost) perfect application to digitize the method. If it is possible to implement this feature (and if it is relevant for your users), it will be the perfect application for me. Thank you once again for your attention and great work, and I am here cheering you on!