Mac Reminders Don’t Have a Quick Entry—Here’s My Workaround 

Apple’s Reminders app is a solid tool for staying organized, but adding tasks feels slower than it should. Without a quick entry shortcut, capturing ideas on the fly can be frustrating—especially when they slip away before you can type them out. Some smart workarounds can fix this.

1

Use Siri to Capture Tasks Hands-Free

When it comes to speed, what’s quicker than a keyboard shortcut? Using your voice. Siri is an often overlooked tool for quickly adding tasks or ideas to the Reminders app. If you haven’t been using Siri with Reminders, you’ve been missing out on one of the fastest ways to capture fleeting thoughts or ideas the moment they pop into your head—no typing required.

With the introduction of Apple Intelligence, Siri has become even more powerful, offering improved language understanding and contextual awareness. This means Siri can now better interpret your requests.

Here are a few examples of how you can use Siri to capture tasks in the Reminders app:

2

Set Up a Quick Entry Shortcut for Reminders

If you prefer typing over voice commands for quickly capturing tasks, you can use the Shortcut app for macOS to set up a custom quick-entry keyboard shortcut. This allows you to open Reminders and add tasks with fewer clicks.

To set up a keyboard shortcut for quick entry into Reminders using the Shortcuts app on macOS, start by launching the Shortcut app. The easiest way to do this is by pressing Command (⌘) + Space to open Spotlight Search, typing Shortcuts, and pressing the Return key.

Click the + button in the top bar to create a new shortcut. Search for Reminders using the search bar in the top right corner of the screen, and then double-click the Add New Reminder action.

Now, customize the reminder action. Click the Show More button next to the action to reveal other options. Then, click the input field next to Add, start typing ask, and select the Ask Each Time option. If you only want to capture tasks quickly to organize later, then you can leave the other fields empty.

Finally, set a keyboard shortcut. Click the i (information) icon in the top right corner of the Shortcut window, select Add Keyboard Shortcut, and enter your preferred keyboard combination, for example: ⌥⌘R.

Enable the Pin in Menu Bar option in the same settings menu. This places the shortcut in your Mac’s menu bar, allowing you to access it with a single click even if you don’t remember the keyboard shortcut.

Lastly, click the Shortcut icon in the top left corner to select an icon and color for this action. Close the Shortcuts window to try out your new keyboard shortcut. This should instantly open a new Reminder window where you can quickly type and save your tasks.

While a custom keyboard shortcut is a great way to capture tasks quickly, sometimes a visual shortcut can be just as helpful. Adding widgets to your Mac is a great way to do this. The Reminders widget allows you to view your upcoming tasks at a glance and add new ones with fewer clicks. It is also useful if you like to keep your to-dos visible when using your Mac.

Here’s how to add the Reminders widget to your Mac’s desktop:

1. Control-click (or right-click) anywhere on your desktop and select Edit Widgets.
2. This will open the Widget Gallery, displaying all available widgets for your apps. Use the search bar at the top of the Widget Gallery and type Reminders to find the widget.
3. You’ll see different widget options for Reminders, each displaying tasks in various sizes and layouts. Select the size that works best for your workflow.
4. Drag the widget to position it where you’d like it to appear on your desktop.

You can use the Reminders widgets to view and check off tasks. In addition, you can also add new items by clicking the widget to open Reminders.

4

Share Items to Reminders From Supported Apps

One of the reasons I use Reminders as my to-do list app is because it integrates seamlessly with other apps on my Mac. Whether I’m browsing a webpage in Safari, reading emails in the Mail app, or reviewing my favorite quotes in the Notes app, I can quickly create a reminder for that item without needing to switch to the Reminders app.

Here’s how to quickly add reminders directly from supported apps:

1. Select the item you wish to remember while using a supported app. For example: A webpage in Safari, a specific note in the Notes app, or an email in the Mail app.
2. Click the Share button in the app’s toolbar and select Reminders from the menu.
3. A pop-up window will appear. Customize it to your liking and click Add to save the reminder.

If you want a quicker way to interact with Reminders, the Reminders MenuBar app is a great addition to your workflow. This third-party tool adds a Reminders icon to your Mac’s menu bar, giving you instant access to your tasks and lists without opening the Reminders app.

Even better, it allows you to create a system-wide keyboard shortcut for quick task entry, making it easier than ever to stay organized. Here’s how to set up and use the Reminders MenuBar app:

Visit the Reminders MenuBar GitHub page to download it. Extract the zip archive, then drag Reminders MenuBar to Applications for easy access. Launch the app, grant Reminders access via Open System Settings, and toggle on the Reminders MenuBar switch to enable it.

You should see a Reminders icon in your Mac’s menu bar. Click the icon to reveal your tasks and lists. Click the Settings gear icon in the menu bar dropdown to customize the app. Enable Launch at Login to ensure the app starts automatically every time you turn on your Mac.

Don’t let another brilliant idea or important task slip through the cracks. Use these tips and tools to turn Reminders into a seamless and efficient capture system on your Mac.