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Advantage of using Reminders instead of Calendar

S

swandy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 27, 2012
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I have not really used the Reminders Apple app before. What is the advantage of setting a recurring event (like the night to leave out the recycling) in the Reminders app vs having it on your Calendar?
I read in one of the threads about an issue with the Reminders Widget and it got me thinking.
Thanks
 
I don't know that there is an advantage to use Reminders for recurring events (or any events for that matter) over Calendar, at least in iOS 13. Is there some new functionality for the Reminders widget in iOS 14 that makes it a better choice? I'd find it easy to keep everything centralized in Calendar.
 
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Both will work well on your iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad. I get reminder notifications on my watch which is nice. For events that I can’t risk missing, I use the app “Due,” which audibly alerts me about an event until I mark it as done or set it to remind me again in x minutes etc.

The problem with Reminders and Calendar is it is too easy to overlook them, especially with passing notifications that are gone very quickly.
 
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I have a list in the Reminders app called ”Reminders” where I put those sorts of reminders. They live there and I don’t need to see the list, but just want the notification. Works for me.
 
Donnation said:
Its ridiculous that Apple doesn't integrate Reminders with Calendar. Its seriously lazy that they don't allow it. The stock iOS app would be infinitely more usable if they actually tried to improve their own app.
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I don't see that being beneficial for all people.

I have Calendar for meetings, events, etc.

Reminders is my To-Do list, that I can check off as I do things. I have various lists in reminders, one is a Shopping list (or Grocery list for those Yanks), I have a Wishlist of things I would like to buy/do, I have reminders for my daily meds (I take 20 at weird intervals), so I can tick them off when done, etc.

None of that would work in Calendars.
 
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I use reminders for lists. Anything that need to be scheduled I put in a calendar.

One advantage of putting them in the Reminders app is that you can dismiss the alert but the reminder stays as something that needs to be done, whereas a calendar event will end (at the scheduled end time) even if you don't acknowledge the alert.
 
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Ansath said:
I don't see that being beneficial for all people.

I have Calendar for meetings, events, etc.

Reminders is my To-Do list, that I can check off as I do things. I have various lists in reminders, one is a Shopping list (or Grocery list for those Yanks), I have a Wishlist of things I would like to buy/do, I have reminders for my daily meds (I take 20 at weird intervals), so I can tick them off when done, etc.

None of that would work in Calendars.
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Tasks being there is what would be beneficial I think. I agree that having 20 different reminders in there would be messy, but if we had the ability to add tasks to the calendar like Fantastical does it would be great, at least for me.
 
Ansath said:
I don't see that being beneficial for all people.

I have Calendar for meetings, events, etc.

Reminders is my To-Do list, that I can check off as I do things. I have various lists in reminders, one is a Shopping list (or Grocery list for those Yanks), I have a Wishlist of things I would like to buy/do, I have reminders for my daily meds (I take 20 at weird intervals), so I can tick them off when done, etc.

None of that would work in Calendars.
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Exactly the same for me. To me the Reminders and Calendar serve two difference purposes. Also I like the fact for Reminders I can make the notification persistent on the lock screen so that if a reminder time passes, I'm constantly reminded and the fact that past due reminders show up as a badge icons as another reminder for me.
 
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achappy said:
Exactly the same for me. To me the Reminders and Calendar serve two difference purposes. Also I like the fact for Reminders I can make the notification persistent on the lock screen so that if a reminder time passes, I'm constantly reminded and the fact that past due reminders show up as a badge icons as another reminder for me.
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Yea, if those that use calendar for reminders, then they just can use that and delete Reminders, leaving those of us that use it heavily to do so ☺️
 
Ansath said:
I don't see that being beneficial for all people.

I have Calendar for meetings, events, etc.

Reminders is my To-Do list, that I can check off as I do things. I have various lists in reminders, one is a Shopping list (or Grocery list for those Yanks), I have a Wishlist of things I would like to buy/do, I have reminders for my daily meds (I take 20 at weird intervals), so I can tick them off when done, etc.

None of that would work in Calendars.
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This is mine as well. Basically I’m using Reminders for everything that needs to be reminded while Calendar is for checking schedules.. like when do I have an appointment with dentist, when is my next meeting & where, things like that, while Reminders is like, don’t forget to buy eggs when you’re leaving home or don’t forget to put this in a fridge when it’s cool, thing like this.
One area that I’m using it differently than @Ansath is for daily meds. That I use Alarm (with label to tell me to take what medicine. 🙂)
 
matrix07 said:
One area that I’m using it differently than @Ansath is for daily meds. That I use Alarm (with label to tell me to take what medicine. 🙂)
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I went for Reminders, so that way I can easily look back at what I’d marked off as taken, in case I snooze or dismiss the alarm on the phone, due to work. 😁 If I was always at home, I’d probably do that too.
 
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swandy said:
I have not really used the Reminders Apple app before. What is the advantage of setting a recurring event (like the night to leave out the recycling) in the Reminders app vs having it on your Calendar?
I read in one of the threads about an issue with the Reminders Widget and it got me thinking.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Reminders can be a bit more perpetual than calendar is imho. If you see a number on the widget you know you have something that was due. Calendar not so much.

I use it mostly for lists which is great for how I organize and share lists.
 
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I interface with Reminders primarily through Siri. "Remind me at XXX to do YYY", "Remind me when I get home to do XXXX", "Remind me in XX hours to do YYY", "Remind me every Tuesday to do..". The Siri control is pretty good, which is the main advantage to me. Reminders are like lightweight calendar events.
 
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How about for tracking monthly bills ? Would reminders be sufficient? I hate finding an app I like and than it ends up abandon by the dev. And not supported in a year or so ...if I can stick with default apps that would be good ...
 
richxps said:
How about for tracking monthly bills ? Would reminders be sufficient? I hate finding an app I like and than it ends up abandon by the dev. And not supported in a year or so ...if I can stick with default apps that would be good ...
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Yeah, I do that now... with several different regular tasks...
 
I’ve never used that app. It’s one of the first app I removed when I get a new iphone. It seems redundant since its tasks can be done in the calendar app.
 
aleni said:
I’ve never used that app. It’s one of the first app I removed when I get a new iphone. It seems redundant since its tasks can be done in the calendar app.
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What do you do for shopping lists, etc?
 
I have only just started using Reminders, not sure how I got by without it before, I use if for bills mainly, if set up correctly it just shows up on the day, I pay the bill (you can even add the website to the reminder and other info) and then press the reminder so it marks it as done and it’ll go off at the next interval you have set.

Adam.
 
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Ansath said:
What do you do for shopping lists, etc?
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shopping list is a repeating order every month using the happyfresh app, an online groceries store. I rarely do shopping to the loca supermarket anymore.
 
aleni said:
shopping list is a repeating order every month using the happyfresh app, an online groceries store. I rarely do shopping to the loca supermarket anymore.
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Awh... I use a couple different shopping lists. My one for Home Depot and ace hardware and so forth is constantly changing... so is my Costco one really. Actually there are some items that are regular but there is never anyplace imho where everything is the same every time I go there.
 
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