The Apple Reminders Feature I Almost Ignored
Why adding an alarm to a reminder is more useful than it sounds
Hi!
Today we’re talking about one of my favorite topics — Apple Reminders.
And I’ll be honest: when Apple introduced the option to add an alarm to a reminder, I rolled my eyes. A reminder that reminds me ? aAnd then an extra alarm on top of that? It sounded like “new feature for the sake of it,” with no real purpose behind it. A desperate attempt to combine two things that essentially do the same thing. So I ignored it.
After all, there’s already the option to set priorities and tags. That had always been enough for me.
But curiosity won in the end, and I gave it a try.
And I realized that some tasks are simply too important to quietly disappear in a list or get dismissed for the fifth time. The one thing I absolutely cannot forget that day. For me, that was recently the planning of a schedule change for a colleague at my school.
And I’m sure you know that important call you’ve already pushed back twice — for exactly these moments, the extra alarm is genuinely brilliant.
Here’s how it works:
In the Reminders app, tap the ⓘ next to a reminder and you’ll find the option to set an additional alarm, separate from the regular due time.
On your iPhone, the alarm goes off just like a timer or your morning wake-up — you can’t miss it.
This works the same way if you set the alarm on a MacBook, by the way. The alarm still lands on your iPhone and goes off at the time you set, loud and clear.
Overlooking the task? Not possible.
This feature isn’t meant for every single reminder, of course — but for the one that really counts.
And since we’re on the topic: if you want to build a system where you never forget anything important again, take a look at my e-book Apple Reminders, Finally Simple.
In it, I walk you through a simple two-list system you can adapt to your daily life in just a few minutes. It keeps your mind free for the things that truly matter — instead of constantly trying to hold everything in your head.
👉🏻 Apple Reminders , Finally Simple
See you next week with another iProductivity hack to simplify your digital life! 🚀
Until then, feel free to check out my work on Medium, Substack, and Gumroad.
Georg