Check out all the recent additions to Microsoft To-Do

By Richard Devine
published

October has been a busy month for Microsoft To-Do, so here's a handy roundup.

Microsoft To Do Windows 10
Microsoft To Do Windows 10 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Microsoft To-Do continues to get better and better and October has been a pretty impressive month packed with new goodies. Whether you're a regular user or still to jump in, it can be hard to keep up with everything that's been going on.

So here's a recap.

Microsoft has kindly rounded up everything (opens in new tab) new that To-Do users have had recently or will be seeing soon. Some features are still rolling out or have been pre-announced for a later date.

Microsoft 365 integrations

Microsoft 365 integration seems like a no-brainer for an app like To-Do, and both Outlook and Skype are in the mix. The Skype integration is still rolling out, but it allows you to create tasks right from your Skype conversations.

Selecting "create a task" will pop out a dedicated tasks pane where you can add, edit and mark complete, and you'll be able to see anything you create in both the Skype and To-Do apps. Better still, it'll support all the Skype apps you use.

Microsoft has also previewed some To-Do integrations coming to Outlook across November and December. Similarly to the Skype integration, you'll be able to create tasks from emails in Outlook, with a dedicated pane and the ability to just drag and drop your emails. Similarly, you'll be able to drag tasks onto your calendar to automatically block off time in your day to get them done.

Flagged emails will also be added to To-Do under a dedicated list, adding some pretty neat productivity features between the two.

App feature updates

Everyone loves a dark mode, don't they? Users of Microsoft To-Do on Android have been given some love and the most recent update added a little more polish to the home screen widget. Dark mode on Android looks slick.

For Windows users perhaps the biggest addition is inking support. Folks using a touchscreen can simply scrawl their tasks down and the app will interpret and add them to your lists.

On something like the new Surface Go (opens in new tab) in particular, this is a great feature and a really natural way to interact with the app. OneNote already has great inking, and with To-Do on your tablet you've a real productivity 1-2 punch.

You can also now add importance to your tasks, setting anything as high priority and it'll be pulled together into an important list with all high priority tasks. Importance carries across any list you have tasks in, including My Day.

Plenty of great stuff

It's great to see the steps forward the Microsoft To-Do app is taking not just on Windows, but across all platforms and with the wider integration into Microsoft services.

If you've got a particular favorite feature or something you'd like to see added, drop into the comments below.

See at Microsoft (opens in new tab)

Richard Devine
Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

36 Comments
  • Awesome. Keep it up MS.
  • I'll start using this when the replace Wunderlist as the default list option in Cortana.
  • Agreed. Richard, have you heard anything about Cortana, Alexa, or Google-whatever integration?
  • Cortana surprise reportedly before end of year with To Do.
  • Exactly what I am waiting for.
  • Yes please. An Alexa skill would be nice too. Then all my lists can be connected.
  • Agreed on that one, Cortana and Android launcher need to switch over, then i will happily move over.
  • The only thing I'm confused about with those app is the separation between certain lists and "Tasks". I never know whether to put tasks in Tasks or in its own list topic.
  • I think "Tasks" is just the default list. That's how I've been using it, anyway.
  • Yeah you are right, tasks is just the default list and then you can create custom lists
  • I wish To-Do supported multiple accounts. I have work and personal 365 accounts.
  • They're working on it
    https://todo.uservoice.com/forums/597175-feature-suggestions/suggestions...
  • Needs to support Office 365 with on-premise Exchange too.
  • My guess is that when and if that happens, it'll require the latest version of Exchange. Microsoft To-Do utilizes the "Tasks" function of Outlook.com. So, if you had on-premise Exchange, that's where your tasks live currently. That Exchange Server will need to support this new format of Tasks, either through a new version or a patch. Not sure which way they'll go with it, if they ever do.
  • What about task list sharing?
  • That's already available
  • Still no folders / task hierarchy. Sigh
  • Not sure exactly what you mean by this, but you can add "steps" under a task. And create as many task lists as you want.
  • Thanks, I hadn't realized they'd added the steps feature. Just added some to some existing tasks I had. Pretty cool.
  • Yes add folders so I can use one for each "Project" and yes add task hierarchy so I can give each task in each project (folder) a priority. Then I can sort them appropriately. Templates for folders are needed too, for each of "our" shared projects.
  • While without folders, To-Do does have hashtag support, which I've found very helpful. It's not quite the same, though - within a folder I can do lots of things, but within a list of hashtag-tagged items, To-Do limits what you can do.
  • Folders. Folders. Folders. Please for the love of God, add folders.
  • Agreed. Folders required
  • +1
    That's the only feature left i miss from wunderlist
  • Anything that requires modification of the actual Task handling is a pretty big deal. It's tied in with Outlook tasks, so any changes have to be universal in that Outlook and To-Do will have to gain support at the same time (or at least backwards compatibility, ie: Outlook needs to be able to ignore folders and still display all tasks in a way that makes sense, etc.). So, I understand wanting the feature, but just know its a cross-team objective and fairly more complex than it sounds. Not saying it'll never happen, its just that if they haven't announced that they're working on it already, then it probably won't happen for awhile.
  • How about syncing across multiple devices, I haven't been able to get this to work, or sync at all.
  • Seems like you have a syncing issue but it definitely syncs across devices
  • Needs to be integrated with Launcher instead of the "other" included ToDo feature/page.
  • Amen to that.
  • Can you set up Google home to add to this task list as I have one linked to it now but would love to use the ms one instead.
  • Same two comments as noted above for me, I am waiting for Cortana and Launcher integration. Then I will make the switch.
  • While Cortana and Launcher integration would be awesome in and of itself, I'd love to see them take it a step further and see if they can get it to work with Google Assistant. I'm not entirely sure Google has opened up tasks for third parties on their end, but at the very least, they can create a skill to emulate it.
  • Needs the ability to pin individual lists to the Start Screen on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.
  • I understand what you mean, and I think you're right, that sounds ideal. Several tiles, each with a different list's top items. Right now it's just My Day items.
  • On Android I am bound to say that I cannot see any changes. My Outlook flagged items do not show. No big deal perceived. Are these changes US only?
  • Sometimes it takes awhile to roll out. And I'm not entirely sure if these are changes for the beta or the official release.