Trying to get an overview of all your to-dos? Looking for one place to modify all reminders in one place? Find out here how to view all tasks in Apple Reminders on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
First, Symphony for a Zero
When composer Gustav Mahler’s latest symphony was set to see its inaugural performance on September 12, 1910, in Munich, one thing was obvious to the city’s residents: nobody would be in the audience.
Everybody was already booked to be there—in the orchestra pit, as a soloist or in one of the (three) choirs to play Mahler’s “symphony of a Thousand” with its humongous headcount.
Now, want to get a headcount or just see all of Reminders’ residents? Here’s to that symphony of some thousand:
How to View All Tasks in Apple Reminders
Reminders for Mac
Time needed: 2 minutes
To see absolutely all your tasks in Apple Reminders on a Mac:
- Select View | Show Smart List | All from the menu in Reminders for Mac if the menu item does not have a checkmark yet.
The checkmark: The checkmark, of course, means that the smart list for all reminders has (already) been enabled.
- Go to the main Reminders window.
Reminders keyboard shortcut: Press Command 0 (zero) to open or bring to the front the main window.
From the menu: You can also select Window | Reminders from the menu instead. - Open All in the Reminders sidebar.
No sidebar: Press Command Option S (or select View | Show Sidebar from the menu to reveal the sidebar; with the sidebar hidden, you can also select View | Go To | All from the menu.
Keyboard shortcut: The All list does have a keyboard shortcut depending on its rank in the list of lists starting from the top left. - Optional: Click Show next to Completed to show completed tasks as well.
Cleaning up: From the All list, you can quickly delete all completed tasks in Reminders.
Catching up: You can just as well catch up with overdue reminders from All.
Sizing up: Reminders also lets you sort tasks in any list. of course.
Reminders for iPhone and iPad
To get a list of all your tasks in Reminders for iPhone and iPad:
- Tap the three dots menu button (⋯) In Reminders.
- Select Edit Lists.
- Tap and check All.
More or less prominent: Use the handles to move All further up or down the list of lists.
- Now tap Done.
- Open the All list.
- Optional: Tap the three dots menu button and select Show Completed to see all tasks included those marked done.
How to View All Tasks in Apple Reminders: FAQ
Can I also see all tasks by highlighting all lists?
No.
Even with multiple lists selected in the sidebar, Reminders will only show tasks in the list you first selected.
Will the setup of visible smart lists (including “All”) be synchronized?
Yes.
if you make the All list visible in Reminders on an iPhone, for example, it will also become visible in Reminders on a Mac using the same iCloud account.
How can I view all reminders in multiple lists?
While you cannot show reminders of multiple lists by selecting the lists, you can get an overall view using folders.
Reminders for Mac
To see all reminders across multiple lists in Apple Reminders for Mac:
- Select File | New Group from the menu.
- Type the name you want to use for the new folder over New group.
- Use dragging and dropping to move all lists whose reminders you want to see to the new group.
- Open the group to see all reminders in the lists included.
Reminders for iPhone
- Select the three dots menu.
- Choose Edit Lists.
- Type the name you want to use for the group over Untitled.
- Select Include.
- Add all lists you want to include
- Tap New Group.
- Now tap Create.
- Open the group.
(How to see all tasks in Apple Reminders tested with Reminders for macOS 7.0 and Reminders for iOS 17; updated January 2024)