New tasks keep landing on the wrong list in Apple Reminders? Wondering where your restored reminders will end up, or how iCloud.com decides where to put new tasks? Find out here how to set the default list for new tasks in Apple Reminders ⤓ for Mac, iPhone, iPad and iCloud.com.
First, Ripe Greens
When an orange tree’s fruit have ripened, they are by nature — green.
Only in cold climates or nights (or under the influence of extra ethylene), green chlorophyll in the fruit’s rinds breaks down. With the green color gone, more of the carrot-colored carotenoids becomes visible, and an orange turns truly orange.
Now that we’ve established the default color of a ripe orange (and how to change it), let’s find out how to change the established default list in Apple Reminders:
How to Set the Default List for New Tasks in Apple Reminders
Apple Reminders for Mac
Time needed: 2 minutes
To change the list that is used as the default for new tasks in Apple Reminders for Mac:
- Open Apple Reminders settings.
Here’s how: Select Reminders | Settings… from the menu in Reminders.
Reminders keyboard shortcut: You can also press Command , (comma) to open the settings window. - Choose the list you want to use for new tasks by default under Default List.
Inbox: You can set up a kind of task inbox, for example, where you gather tasks that have not been categorized further.
Their word: Apple include information on setting the default list in the Reminders User Guide.
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Set the Default List in Reminders for iPhone and iPad
To change the list on which new reminders will appear when no list is specified in Apple Reminders for iPhone and iPad:
- Open the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad.
- Go to the Apps category.
iOS < 18: In iOS versions before 18, you can skip this step. - Select Reminders.
- Choose Default List.
- Select the list you want to use by default in Reminders.
Restoration: The default list will be used for recovering tasks from Recently Deleted.
Their word: Apple includes information on changing Reminders settings in the iPhone User Manual.
New task already on the wrong list? How to Move Tasks from One List to Another in Apple Reminders
The Default List in Apple Reminders Online (iCloud.com)
To configure where new tasks get created by default in Apple Reminders online at iCloud.com:
- Open Reminders on a Mac, iPhone or iPad.
Not on iCloud.com: You cannot change the default list in Reminders at iCloud.com itself. - Go to the list of lists.
Reminders for Mac: Select View | Show Sidebar in the menu if you do not see the sidebar with its lists.
Reminders for iOS and iPadOS: Swipe in from the left until you see the list of lists. - Use dragging and dropping so that the list you want to use as the default for new tasks in Reminders online is at the very top.
Folders: If you organize lists in folders, the default list is the top list or the top list in the topmost folder.
When you create a new task using the Create button in Apple Reminders at iCloud.com, it will appear on the topmost list.
How to Set the Default List for New Tasks in Apple Reminders: FAQ
Can I choose a shared list as the default?
Yes.
You can set up Reminders to create new tasks on a shared list unless you choose a different list manually.
Can a smart list be the default in Apple Reminders?
No.
New tasks can only be created in regular Apple Reminders lists, not on smart lists (such as Today).
(Tested with Apple Reminders for Mac 7.0, Reminders for iOS 18.3 and 26.2 as well as Reminders online at iCloud.com; first published February 2025, last updated December 2025)