On Microsoft Teams, at one point, you will receive a message that you may want to convert into a Microsoft To Do task to make sure that whatever that is you won't forget to get it done. However, since this integration does not exist, you need to copy the message and create the task manually on the To Do app or through the Tasks app (subscription required).

Although the process is not exactly difficult, it adds extra clicks and typing that break the workflow on Windows 10 or mobile phone. If you want to send a message directly into a task, you should use the Microsoft Teams Tasks add-on from Awara IT. Once the add-on is set up, you can quickly create Microsoft To Do tasks from messages arriving in your channels or one-to-one chats.

In this Windows 10 guide, we will walk you through the steps of integrating Microsoft To Do into Microsoft Teams to convert messages into tasks.

• How to connect Microsoft To Do to Teams
• How to create task from a Microsoft Teams message

How to connect Microsoft To Do to Teams

To integrate Microsoft To Do into Teams, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click on Apps from the bottom-left corner.
3. Search for Tasks and click the item by Awara IT from the result.

4. Click the Add button.

5. Select one of your chats from the left pane.
6. Click the Tasks button below near the reply box.Quick tip: You may also get a pop-up immediately after selecting to chat to sign in.
7. Click the Sign in button.

8. Click the Sign in button.
9. Confirm your Microsoft credentials.
10. Click the Accept button to allow the app access to the account information.

11. Click the Close (X) button.

Once you complete the steps, you can start creating tasks without switching to a different app.

How to create task from a Microsoft Teams message

To create a Microsoft To Do task from a Microsoft Teams message, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Hover over any message.
3. Click the context menu (three-dotted) button on the message on a chat or team (channel).
4. Select the "More actions" and click the Create Task option.

5. Confirm a title for the task as you want it to appear in Microsoft To Do.

6. (Optional) Select a due date.
7. (Optional) In the "Body" section, add more detail about the task. This information will append to the note section of the Microsoft To Do task along with the Teams message.
8. (Optional) Use the Importance drop-down menu to select the priority of the task, including Low, Normal, or High.
9. Click the Send button.
10. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, the task will be created, and it'll be available in the "Tasks" list of Microsoft To-Do, where you can view, edit, remove, or mark as completed.

If you want to stop granting permissions to the add-on from your account, click the Tasks button, and then click the Sign out button.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

What you need to know

• Outlook on Android now has a shortcut to create tasks in Microsoft To Do.
• The new option appears in the "Other options" menu in Outlook.
• Microsoft To Do has a shortcut to pen tasks in Outlook.

Managing tasks just got a bit easier, thanks to a new shortcut on Microsoft Outlook on Android. The email app now has a "Create task" shortcut that instantly creates a task within Microsoft To Do. The feature was first spotted by HTNovo. We've also seen the new shortcut and tried it out.

Outlook doesn't seem to have a mention of this feature in its Google Play Store listing. I have the feature on my phone on the non-beta version of Outlook, so it's at least rolling out to some users on Android.

The feature is simple to use. You just click on the "Other options" menu with three dots while viewing an email and select "Create task." The task within Microsoft To Do is then made from the subject line and body of the email.

When you view a created task within Microsoft To Do, you can use a shortcut to open it within Outlook. The two shortcuts work well in conjunction and make it easier to manage tasks from emails.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do on the web now supports AI task suggestions in its 'Tasks that seem important' section.
• The feature identifies tasks that seem important and suggests that you add them to your day.
• Suggestions also include starred tasks and tasks with deadlines.

Managing a to-do list can help improve productivity, but only if you actually use it. Microsoft To Do for the web has a new feature that uses AI to suggest which tasks you should add to your day. The new feature should make it easier to make sure that all of the important things you need to do today are on a single list.

Microsoft announced that the feature is rolling out to Microsoft To Do on the web in a recent Tech Community post. The post also explains how the feature works:

The task suggestion feature shows up to seven tasks that seem the most relevant to you. It updates with new tasks as well. If a task is overdue or due tomorrow, the feature will push that taask to the list of suggestions. The suggestions panel also has a "Later" and "Earlier" section for tasks that have due dates in the future.

Microsoft To Do syncs across platforms, so tasks you create and manage on one device will sync to your other devices.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do can now sync with the Samsung Reminder app.
• Reminders also sync to other Microsoft services, such as Outlook on the web.
• Reminders sync in both directions, so you can check items off in either app and stay up to date.

Microsoft and Samsung continue to grow closer and integrate their products together. Now, you can sync items from the Samsung Reminder app with Microsoft To Do. Items sync in both directions, which means that you can check off items on your phone, PC, or other devices while everything stays up to date. In addition to syncing with Microsoft To Do, items can sync with other Microsoft services, such as Outlook on the web and Microsoft Teams.

At first glance, it might seem odd to set reminders through Samsung's own apps and then have them sync over to Microsoft To Do. After all, Microsoft To Do is available on Android. But Samsung makes it especially easy to set reminders on its phones. For example, when you get a text message, you can tap a shortcut to remind you to respond later. Similarly, if you get a phone call but don't want to take it right away, you can tap your screen just a couple of times to set a reminder to call a person later. These integrations are quicker than opening up an app like Microsoft To Do.

Syncing Samsung reminders with Microsoft To Do allows you to easily view them on your PC and other devices.

Microsoft shares the steps to set up syncing in a techcommunity post (reformatted with separated steps):

1. Open the Samsung Reminder app.
2. Open Settings.
3. Select Sync with Microsoft To Do.
4. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
5. Accept the permission request.

You also need to set Microsoft To Do as your default list. After doing so, reminders from outside of the Reminder app, such as ones you create with Bixby and calls, will sync as well.

Samsung Reminder sync with Microsoft To Do is supported on all Galaxy devices running Android 10 or higher.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do recently received updates on all major platforms.
• The Windows 10 version includes multiple improvements for frontline workers.
• The Android version includes an improve widget to show overdue tasks in red.

Microsoft recently shipped updates to Microsoft To Do on Android, iOS, and Windows 10 (via OnMSFT). The Windows 10 version of the app includes changes that help frontline workers. The app now supports tasks from the Front-Line Worker flow of Planner. The Android and iOS versions of the Microsoft To Do improve the app's widget and voiceover experience respectively.

Here's the changelog for the Android version:

• You asked for it and we got it for you; the improved and better, planned view. Now, with a new all planned filter option, you see all your planned tasks at the same time.
• To make your task management better, we have improved the widget to show overdue tasks in red. The whole behavior is consistent with the app
• There are a couple of bugs and crash fix in this version to provide you with a smooth experience.

The iOS version has a short changelog with only one update:

• There are a couple of bug fixes in this version, providing you a better VoiceOver experience.

The Windows 10 version of Microsoft To Do features improvements for frontline workers:

• Voila! Sharing tasks with your organization's front-line workers is easier than ever. We now support tasks coming from the Front-Line Worker (FLW) flow of Planner.
• FLW tasks will show up as read-only tasks and cannot be edited by the user.
• You can also add FLW tasks to My Day along with your other tasks and organize your day better!
• We made a few accessibility fixes to the narrator announcements during step deletion and removal of currently applied sorting.

What you need to know

• Nearly five years after being acquired by Microsoft, Wunderlist shuts down this week.
• The app will officially sunset on May 6.
• Microsoft is directing Wunderlist users to switch to Microsoft To Do.

As of May 6, 2020, Wunderlist will be no more. Wunderlist announced the app's impending demise in December and stopped accepting new signups. The move comes nearly five years after Microsoft acquired Wunderlist developer 6Wunderkinder.

In Wunderlists' place, Microsoft and the Wunderlist team are directing users to switch to Microsoft To Do. The app has come a long way over the past couple of years, adding a ton of new features, such as smart lists, to its capabilities. Microsoft makes it relatively easy to make the switch and migrate your lists over as well.

Here's how to migrate from Wunderlist to Microsoft To Do.

1. Download Microsoft To Do for Windows 10, Android, or iOS.
2. Sign in with your existing Microsoft account or create one.
3. Head to Settings and select the Import from Wunderlist option.
4. Sign in to your Wunderlist account.
5. Microsoft To Do will show you the number of tasks and lists that will be imported. Select the Import option to migrate them over.

Note that subtasks from Wunderlist will be imported to Microsoft To Do as steps and folders will be converted to list groups. Any comments on your tasks will be imported as notes.

Though Microsoft To Do is Microsoft's preference for Wunderlist users to choose when switching apps, there are a number of other to-do list apps that make it easy to switch over. Zenkit To Do is one that carries the same feel as Wunderlist and has an easy, one-click import option. Todoist is also a pretty powerful option that allows you to import your tasks from Wunderlist.

Best To-Do List App for Windows 10

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do has an update on Windows 10, Android, and iOS.
• The update adds a smart list of all your tasks and several other new features.
• Microsoft To Do's predecessor, Wunderlist falls out of support on May 6, 2020.

Microsoft To Do has a fresh update on all major platforms. You can grab the latest version for Windows 10, Android, and iOS in each operating system's respective app store. The update adds a smart list feature that makes it easier to see an overview of all of your tasks.

Here's the changelog for the Windows 10 version of Microsoft To Do:

• Want to have an overview of all your tasks? Introducing the All smart list, one of your top requested features. You'll now see all your tasks grouped by list.
• We didn't just stop at the All smart list, we now also have the Completed smart list so you can also see all the tasks you've checked off. Enable both in settings.
• If you weren't a fan of your completed tasks mixing with the uncompleted ones, then you'll be glad to hear that we've moved your completed tasks to the bottom. Now you have easy access to the completed tasks without them getting in the way of your productivity.
• Did you notice that if you right-clicked on a task we would suddenly scroll you up to the top of the list? That wasn't a new feature, just a bug. We've fixed it now.
• You might have noticed that new tasks didn't respect your top of the list settings in the Tasks list when you added them from a different smart list. They'll now pay a bit more attention to your settings.
• We made some accessibility announcement improvements on the last updated status in notes.

The iOS version of the app has some of the same features, but also improves its importer from Wunderlist:

• Want to have an overview of all your tasks? Introducing the All smart list, one of your top requested features.
• We didn't just stop at the All smart list, we now also have the Completed smart list so you can also see all the tasks you've checked off.
• If you weren't a fan of your completed tasks mixing with the uncompleted ones, then you'll be glad to hear that we've moved your completed tasks to the bottom. Now you have easy access to the completed tasks without them getting in the way of your productivity.
• Coming from Wunderlist? We've made some improvements to our importer.
• We fixed a crash that happened when you sorted a list while the app was syncing.
• We made some accessibility improvements: VoiceOver now announces the change of state for the user consent button, and also announces the current calendar date when setting a custom reminder date.

We don't see the latest release notes when checking Microsoft To Do for Android, but OnMSFT reports this list of changes:

• One of your top requests was for a Today, Tomorrow, and Week view. We listened, and today you'll see big changes to the Planned list.
• Want an overview of all your tasks? Introducing the All and Completed smart lists. You'll now see all your open tasks or completed tasks grouped by list. Enable both in settings.
• We've moved your completed tasks to the bottom. Now you have easy access to the completed tasks without them getting in the way of your productivity.
• Other bug fixes and improvements.

For anyone still using the predecessor to Microsoft To Do, Wunderlist, you should consider switching to Microsoft To Do or another to-do list application. Wunderlist support officially ends tomorrow.

What you need to know

• Tasks in Microsoft To Do for Android now appear at the top of lists when moved between lists.
• The update also smooths scrolling, which helps when viewing long lists.
• The update is available now through the Google Play Store.

The latest update for Microsoft To Do includes a few changes that make it easier to keep track of tasks. First, when you move tasks between lists, they now appear at the top of their new list. The update also allows you to manually sort lists using the app's three-dot menu and arrows to move tasks. Lastly, if you currently sort your lists automatically, the app will prompt you if you try to disable automatic sorting to sort items manually.

You can read about all the changes in the app's changelog below:

• We've made it easier for you to keep track of individual tasks across your lists. If you move a task between lists, we'll add it directly to the top of the list.
• It's also easier to sort tasks manually in lists. Just tap the three dots to move tasks using arrows.
• And, if you've enabled an automatic sort method, we'll prompt you to disable it before sorting manually.
• We've smoothed scrolling in long lists.

In addition to the changes to sorting tasks, Microsoft To Do for Android now has smoother scrolling, which is helpful when viewing long lists of tasks.

What you need to know

• New tasks can now appear at the top of your to-do lists on the Windows 10 version of Microsoft To Do.
• Starred tasks can also move to the top thanks to the same update.
• The update is available now on Windows 10, and some of its features are also available on iOS and Android.

A recent update to Microsoft To Do on Windows 10 allows you to have new tasks appear on the top of your to-do lists. Similarly, you can have starred tasks move to the top of your lists. The same update also brings accessibility fixes, including announcing when a due date is removed from a task.

Microsoft To Do's changelog explains the entirety of the update:

• You asked, and we listened. You can now add new tasks to the top! But that's not all, starred tasks can now move to the top too. Set your preference in settings.
• We made a number of accessibility fixes including announcing the removal of due dates, recurring tasks and reminders.

Previously, added tasks went to the bottom of to-do lists. This was fine if you regularly check off every item on your list, but if you have a list of recurring tasks or a lot of other tasks, your new items can get buried. The change makes it easy to find new and important tasks.

The iOS and Android versions of Microsoft To Do also recently received the ability to have starred tasks move to the top of lists. Though, neither of them has the ability to have new tasks appear on the top of lists.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do has updates on iOS and Android.
• The updates primarily focus on bug fixes.
• The iOS version receives improved syncing through the update and the Android version gains a Today section within the My Day area's suggestions.

The Android and iOS versions of Microsoft To Do both have updates available. The updates focus primarily on bug fixes and addressing issues, but also contain a few small tweaks (via OnMSFT).

The Android version of Microsoft Do do has several bug fixes and a new section. The app now has a Today section within the suggestions in My Day. Here's the complete changelog.

• There's a new Today section in suggestions in My Day. See what's due today and quickly add it to My Day.
• When you searched for a task you may have noticed that the tags on Steps weren't clickable. We've fixed that.
• We made some design adjustments to make the notes preview better, along with giving a new look and feel to your list options.
• We fixed a number of small bugs, including one where sentences in your notes were disappearing or being duplicated.

The iOS version of Microsoft To Do includes quite a few fixes and also improves syncing for the app. Here's the complete changelog.

• We're constantly working on our sync, and we've made a lot of improvements in this update.
• For Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages our smart due dates weren't working correctly. We've fixed that now.
• We fixed an issue where the UI didn't update if a task was deleted when you were in search results.
• Our header colors were not changing correctly... now they do.
• We made a number of accessibility fixes, including announcing that file is not downloaded if an attachment hasn't downloaded yet. We also hide the sidebar scroller when VoiceOver is on.

You can grab both app's updates through their respective app stores now.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do can now auto-complete mentions when you press the tab key.
• The update also brings several accessibility fixes.
• The update is available now through the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft To Do on Windows 10 can now auto-complete mentions when you're assigning tasks when you press the tab key. The new feature comes in an update that also adds accessibility fixes and a few other changes. The update is available now through the Microsoft Store.

Mentions allow you to assign a task to someone on a shared to-do list. When you type the "@" symbol and start typing a person's name, Microsoft To Do shows suggested names as you type. Now, you can just press the tab key to auto-complete the mention. Here's the complete changelog:

• Using @mentions to assign tasks while you type? We've made it even easier now: press tab to auto-complete.
• The sections within your Flagged Email list have had a slight name change to make the sections clearer.
• We fixed an issue that caused you issues with manual sorting after exiting one of our automatic sort options.
• We made a lot of accessibility fixes, including adjusting colors for better contrast and improving keyboard navigation within a list.

The update makes it easier to assign people to tasks when you're using a mouse and keyboard. The new feature allows you to complete them without having to take your hands off the keyboard.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do now supports force syncing tasks on Android.
• The update fixes an issue involving dragging and dropping items between split screens.
• The same update also brings bug fixes and improvements.

Microsoft To Do for Android now supports force syncing of tasks. This update makes it easy to ensure that your to-do lists are up to date. The same update also brings bug fixes, including addressing an issue that caused Microsoft To Do to crash when dragging items between split screens. The update brings the app to version 2.8.145 according to MSPU and is available now.

To sync your tasks following this update, you just need to swipe down when you're within a list. It's a relatively small feature but a nice addition to the app. Many people use Microsoft To Do to collaborate, so ensuring lists are up to date can reduce confusion.

Microsoft continues to update Microsoft To Do. The app recently gained support for Siri shortcuts on iOS and the ability to show more data on Android widgets.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do has an update available for iOS and Android.
• The iOS update brings support for Siri shortcuts.
• Both updates bring the option to turn off notifications for shared lists.

Microsoft pushed out updates for Microsoft To Do on iOS and Android recently. The updates bring support for new features and make it easier to migrate your shared lists from Wunderlist.

The update to the iOS version brings support for Siri shortcuts. People can now open specific lists using shortcuts rather than having to jump through multiple lists or sections. The App Store listing for Microsoft To Do lists all of the changes, including a new share extension.

• Introducing Siri shortcuts! You can now add your own shortcuts for To Do. Just open settings, tap Siri Shortcuts and you can create shortcuts to open a specific list or to add a new task to a specific list.
• We're also very happy to share our, uh, share extension with you! Need to save a web page to your reading list or add something to your holiday shopping list in a hurry? Just tap the share button, select the list and we'll do the rest.
• Coming from Wunderlist? We've made it easier to reshare your shared lists. Share by email and we'll add the email addresses of your previous list members.
• You can now turn off notifications for shared lists. If those shared holiday shopping lists are getting a little too noisy, just head to settings and toggle shared list activity off.

The changelog for the Android version is shorter, but also includes the option to turn off notifications for shared lists.

• Importing your lists from Wunderlist? We'll now highlight the lists that were shared in Wunderlist and prompt you to reshare them in To Do.
• You can now turn off notifications for shared lists directly in our To Do settings. If those shared holiday shopping lists are getting a little too noisy, just head to settings and toggle shared list activity off.
• We've added a bit of polish to our animations and cleared out a few bugs.

Both updates are generally available through their respective app stores.

What you need to know

• Wunderlist will officially shut down on May 6, 2020.
• Wunderlist stopped accepting new sign-ups today.
• The Wunderlist team shared some advice on migrating to Microsoft To Do in a new post.

Microsoft acquired 6Wunderkinder and its Wunderlist app in June of 2015. Now, four and a half years later, the makers of Wunderlist announced that the app will shut down on May 6, 2020. Following the shutdown date, items will no longer sync on Wunderlist. The team behind Wunderlist shared the news in a new post, and also invited people to migrate to Microsoft To Do.

The team behind Wunderlist spent years migrating its features into Microsoft To Do. Rather than abruptly forcing a switch, Microsoft gave people years for Microsoft To Do to catch up and for people to switch over. The team behind Wunderlist believes that now is the time to complete the transition, stating, "With all our latest updates, we're confident in To Do being the best alternative for Wunderlist now and so we believe it's the right time to make the next move."

Following the shut down on May 6, to-dos will no longer sync with Wunderlist. The app's makers added that for a limited time after the shutdown date, people will still be able to migrate lists to Microsoft To Do. 6Wunderkinder has an FAQ page that further breaks down the future of Wunderlist and what happens going forward.

In September, Wunderlist's founder expressed an interest in buying Wunderlist back. His efforts appear to have been in vain, as 6WunderKinder officially scheduled the app's shut down. Following the founder's interest in buying Wunderlist, our Executive Editor Daniel Rubino spoke about killing the past, stating "It's time for Wunderlist users (and its founder) to move on."

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do for iOS has a new update that brings support for push notifications for personal accounts.
• The app will now star items that are marked as important.
• The app also looks a bit better after the update thanks to elasticity in the menu view.

Microsoft To Do for iOS received an update recently that adds a few improvements (via MSPU). The most notable change is that personal accounts now support push notifications. After receiving this update, people will receive notifications when a person adds an item or checks an item off from a shared list.

The update also makes it so Microsoft To Do stars items that are set as important and brings elasticity to the menu view. The full changelog can be found on the App Store listing for Microsoft To Do and below.

The update brings Microsoft To Do for iOS to version 2.6 and is rolling out now.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do's widget on Android now shows more data.
• The widget can display due dates, which list an item belongs to, and if an item is within the My Day section.
• Microsoft To Do also gained an icon for dark mode.

Microsoft To Do has a richer widget and a new icon for dark mode users thanks to a recent update (via MSPU). The update allows Microsoft To Do's widget to display more metadata. As a result, people can see an item's due date, which list an item belongs to, and if an item has been added to the My Day section of the app.

Microsoft To Do's new icon looks similar to the app's lighter icon. The biggest change is that it swaps out white for black. Both icons are still available, but the new icon looks good on devices in dark mode.

The app's listing on the Google Play Store details the complete changelog:

The update is now generally available for Android devices.

Portable (and affordable) power accessories we love

Each and every one of these charging gadgets will keep your favorite gear and gadgets going for longer, and none of them costs more than $30.

VisionTek 8,000 mAh micro-USB power bank ($13 at Dell)

This compact dual-output powerbank can speedily recharge any and all your devices, thanks to a two-amp "fast charge feature," using its micro-USB out port. Its simple design includes an LED indicator, and it costs about as much as a single ticket to the movies.

Panasonic eneloop AA batteries (From $13 at Dell)

Panasonic's rechargeable batteries are among the best available, and just a couple of them will keep your favorite remote, mice or other peripherals powered up when you need them. They're also eco. And the company's affordable charger fits and charges both AA and AAA batteries at the same time.

Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad ($30 at Dell)

This unobtrusive Qi wireless charging pad looks good (and kind of like a UFO …) and easily charges all your Qi-compatible device up to 5W. Its LED indicator lights up when you're charging. And it costs just $30.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To Do now has a dark mode on iOS 13.
• Microsoft is bringing a dark mode to the entire Office suite in the near future.
• OneDrive for iOS 13 also gained a dark mode recently.

Microsoft To Do now has a dark mode on devices running iOS 13. The to-do list application joins OneDrive which gained a dark mode on iOS 13 last month. Microsoft To Do's official Twitter handle shared a tweet showing off the new dark mode earlier today.

Microsoft is adding dark modes to the entire Office suite and released an artistic video showcasing how dark modes will look on several apps.

The dark mode looks as you'd expect, mostly flipping blacks and whites. Dark mode reduces eye strain and can save battery life depending on the type of screen your device has. The update with dark mode for Microsoft To Do on iOS 13 will roll out to devices throughout the day.

We're back with another exciting episode of the Windows Central Podcast, and this week, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden have returned from IFA in Berlin and have a roundup of hardware announcements from the trade show. They also look at 20H1 (Vibranium) build 18980, Microsoft To Do's fresh design, and Your Phone for Windows 10 and Samsung users.

This episode of the Windows Central Podcast was recorded on September 11 2019.

Links:

• Windows 10 20H1 build 18980 now rolling out to Fast ring Insiders | Windows Central
• Microsoft To Do gets fresh design that taps into its Wunderlist roots | Windows Central
• First Look: Making phone calls using Your Phone on Windows 10 (video) | Windows Central
• Don't trust those 'leaked' Microsoft Surface benchmarks (or any benchmarks) | Windows Central

Subscribe to the podcast

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Hosts

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

Make this show great by participating!

Send in your comments, questions, and feedback to:

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Back in 2018, I remarked how the popular task app Wunderlist was still ahead of Microsoft To Do. The irony, of course, was that Microsoft owned both after the company acquired Wunderlist in 2015. Now four years on, Wunderlist's founder, Christian Reber, wants to buy back his app from Microsoft.

It's not only a terrible idea but a waste of time. Nostalgia for tech is tedious and an odd take from those who are supposed to be creating the future.

We love the rosy past

But I get it. There are two significant factors here for Wunderlist users: comfort, and a taste for the past. Like web browsers, it's tough to get people to switch away from something that they know and use dozens of times a day. No matter how good Firefox may be over Chrome, the switch rate is meager.

Wunderlist users enjoy the simplicity, design, and familiarity of using it to manage their daily lives. There's no easy solution here. People need to jump ship sometimes even with a little push. So yeah, Wunderlist will die someday. There's your shove, familiarize yourself with your life jacket.

There's also function, too. I noted that last year, when I said the To Do team needs to do more. Luckily, they have. We now have inking, dark mode, shared lists, list groups, Planner support, a Mac version, file attachments, shared attached files, flagged emails from Outlook, multiple account support, Cortana support, multi-list Live Tiles. Amazon Echo integration, new smart list sorting options, and beyond. Anyone who thinks Microsoft is not serious – or not working hard on To Do – is full of it.

Is there still more to do in To Do? Of course. But it should be clear that the To Do team is working harder than ever. They're delivering more features now than a year ago and more consistently too. To Do will get there even for Wunderlist users. Once To Do is ramped up and Wunderlist usage falls, the latter will be retired. Until then, nothing changes.

As to Reber's remarks about buying back Wunderlist, why? He took that Wunderlist money and put it into Pitch, an open platform for presentations and collaboration. It'll likely compete with Microsoft in other areas like PowerPoint, SharePoint, Whiteboard, and more. As usual, he has his eyes on what comes next — but buying back Wunderlist? Let's not oversell how important Wunderlist is to the digital foundation of the modern tech world. Like Blackberry Messenger, WinAmp, MySpace, Google Hangouts, etc. you sometimes need to let go recognizing the time has passed.

Forget what was, look to what is

Nostalgia is a dangerous drug. It's an alluring thing to reminisce about yesteryear. Microsoft fans know this all too well with Windows Phone, Zune, Windows Media Center, and Microsoft Band to name a few cult-faves. If all you do is think about how great things were years ago, you're missing all the fantastic stuff that is yet to come (or even here today).

Long term, To Do is going to hook into machine learning, AI, Outlook, LinkedIn, Skype, and more to work as a central tool. It'll be a hub for work and consumers to organize one's work life. Wunderlist would never be able to do any of that because Wunderlist was powered by Amazon's AWS, not Microsoft Azure. But Wunderlist's linegage and heart lives on in To Do (it also maintains a 4.5 rating on the Google Play store, Wunderlist is at 4.7).

Wunderlist was great. But Microsoft To Do is becoming excellent. Follow the path of the one that has momentum, not the one living on fumes from yesterday. And to Wunderlist's current users – give To Do another shot. The recent callbacks to Wunderlist design in To Do is a testament to the idea you can have your cake and eat it too.

What you need to know

• Microsoft debuted a new look for To Do today.
• The new experience incorporates more customization with background images and warmer colors.
• The updated experience will be available across Microsoft To Do on all platforms.

Microsoft To Do has evolved considerably since its initial launch in 2017. Over time, Microsoft has sought to make the app a replacement for Wunderlist, which it acquired (along with its team at 6Wunderkinder) in 2015. It's been a gradual process to say the least, but we've seen a marked increase in the pace of To Do's development over the past year or so. Today, Microsoft unveiled a new user experience and design tweaks for To-Do with the aim of merging the best of both To Do and Wunderlist.

"We've come a long way since those first Wunderlist days," Microsoft said [in a blog post today](/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeeplink%3Fid%3DkXQk6%252AivFEQ%26mid%3D24542%26u1%3DUUwpUdUnU69186%26murl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.microsoft.com%252Fen-us%252Fmicrosoft-365%252Fblog%252F2019%252F09%252F09%252Fannouncing-new-version-microsoft-to-do%252F&token=nSOXJHBP "Today is one more step in our evolution. We'd like to unveil what we've been building for you at the Wunderlist/To Do offices here in Berlin: the new version of To Do. Our best-of-both-worlds vision realized."

The refreshed look is a more polished experience for To Do. Gone are the large headers in To Do's current iteration. In their place, Microsoft has added more colors to "give the app more warmth and personalization." Even better, you can now select from several backgrounds for your lists, backgrounds that include the Berlin TV tower that was a prominent feature in Wunderlist. You can also now give each list its own background, helping to give them each their own unique flavor.

"We've freshened up our look so that it feels simple, yet modern," Microsoft says in its blog post on the revamp. And in giving it an initial look, you can definitely see some of the design elements from Wunderlist making their appearance here — something that fans of the older app will appreciate.

To the consternation of users looking to make the switch from Wunderlist to To Do, Microsoft was initially somewhat slow to migrating features. That pace of development came down to some technical issues, but the To Do team has been busy feaverishly adding new features over the past year.

Integration with Cortana and list sharing, along with integration across Microsoft's other apps and services, such as Outlook and Microsoft Launcher, have made the list app a whole lot more attractive. A dark mode, assigned tasks, and the Smart Lists feature have helped make To Do a much more viable option as well.

All of this combines for a more attractive experience looking to jump from Wunderlist. Still, because of Wunderlist's impending retirement, the app's founder recently expressed interest in buying the app back from Microsoft to keep it alive with a new team.

Microsoft To Do is available now across a variety of platforms, including Windows 10, Android, iOS, Mac, and the web.

What you need to know

• Wunderlist's founder wants to purchase the app back from Microsoft.
• Microsoft acquired Wunderlist and has progressively rolled its features into Microsoft To Do.
• Wunderlist will eventually be shut down once Microsoft ports all of its features to Microsoft To Do.

Wunderlist's founder, Christian Reber, wants to purchase Wunderlist back from Microsoft before the app is shut down (via The Verge). Reber tweeted his hope to buy the app back over the weekend and mentioned both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Microsoft General Manager for Tasks Marcus Ash. Microsoft acquired Wunderlist in 2015 and the app is set to be shut down once its features are ported to Microsoft To Do. Reber wants to keep Wunderlist running and expressed his sadness that the app is being shut down.

Wunderlist was reportedly purchased for between $100 to $200 million in 2015 and Microsoft has gradually ported its features over to Microsoft To Do. The process has taken years as Wunderlist's APIs are powered by Amazon Web Services. Microsoft chose to rewrite code and move everything over to its own cloud, Azure.

Wunderlist is still a highly-rated productivity app, and some users prefer it over Microsoft To Do. Microsoft has improved Microsoft To Do significantly since its launch, but it still falls behind Wunderlist in some categories.

What you need to know

• List groups are rolling out to all versions of Microsoft To-Do.
• The feature allows you to create specific groups such as holiday, work, or anything you'd like.
• You can archive list groups once you don't want to see them anymore.

Microsoft To-Do now supports list groups. The new feature is rolling out to all platforms. Users can create list groups to separate different types of tasks. Microsoft said that it is one of the most requested features ever for Microsoft To-Do in the blog announcing the feature. In conjunction with list groups, users can archive list groups and create lists using templates.

Like many new features that have come to Microsoft To-Do recently, list groups are intuitive and easily slide into your workflow. The feature allows you to create specific lists for tasks such as a vacation list or a shopping list. This makes it easy to separate different types of tasks. For example, in my house, we have a weekly to-do list for chores and cleanup, but we also use Microsoft To-Do for DIY projects. List groups allow me to keep mowing the lawn separate from sanding skirting boards to prepare for painting. These lists can still stay in a "home" category instead of requiring a separate category.

You can also archive lists once you're done to clean up your tasks without deleting an entire category. Additionally, users can use templates to create new lists of tasks.

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What you need to know

• Microsoft To-Do on all platforms now supports assigning tasks.
• iOS is the first platform to get the feature on a non-beta build of Microsoft To-Do.
• The update is rolling out to all platforms this week.

Updated July 29, 2019: It appears the iOS update was just a sign of things to come. Microsoft says the ability to assign tasks is rolling out to all platforms this week. The original story follows.

Microsoft To-Do on iOS now supports assigning tasks to users. The beta version of Microsoft To-Do for Android already supports assigning tasks, but iOS is the first platform to see the feature on a general public release.

The option to assign tasks shows up when you tap a to-do list item within a shared list. You can assign tasks to anyone on the shared list that the task appears in. The full changelog of the update summarizes the feature and mentions another fix that rolled out in the same update.

• Want to delegate like a pro? Introducing assignments – share a list of all those tasks you want to get off your plate and start assigning them to your colleagues, friends, family, neighbors... you get the idea. Tap on the detail view of a task in a shared list to see the option to assign it to someone who is in that list.
• We also fixed an issue that removed formatting from HTML formatted notes if you edited something else within the task, like adding a due date or checking it off."

Assigning tasks is a large step forward in bringing Microsoft To-Do to feature parity with Wunderlist, the spiritual predecessor to Microsoft To-Do.

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What you need to know

• Microsoft To-Do now has a rich entry bar for Fast Ring Windows Insiders.
• The feature allows you to add details as you create a task.
• Previously, you had to create a task and then add details later.

Microsoft To-Do now has a rich entry bar for Windows Insiders on the Fast Ring. This feature allows you to add details as you make an entry rather than having to create the entry and then add details later. You can add due dates and reminders as you create the reminder. Microsoft tweeted out a video showcasing the new feature.

This addition speeds up creating tasks and fixes the cluttered process that currently involves saving a task and then opening it again to add a due date and reminder.

What you need to know

• Microsoft To-Do beta on Android now supports grouping lists.
• The feature aims to help users stay organized and to reduce clutter.
• The feature doesn't seem available for every user on the beta at this time.

Microsoft To-Do beta on Android received a new update that includes support for grouping lists. Users can group lists together to reduce clutter and keep their lists organized. While the changelog lists this feature, I do not have it on my Android phone even though I'm running the latest version of the beta available to me. There's a chance that it will roll out differently to different users or that my phone is a bit behind.

Microsoft To-Do has had a good year so far, including rolling out to Macs and gaining several new features. The developers behind the app brought over many of the remaining missing features from Wunderlist and integrated Microsoft To-Do with several Microsoft services including Cortana and Microsoft Planner.

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What you need to know

• Microsoft To-Do on Mac now integrates with Microsoft Planner.
• You can change details of a task in Microsoft To-Do and have them appear in Microsoft Planner.
• The integration also works on other platforms.

Microsoft To-Do for Mac now integrates with Microsoft Planner (via OnMSFT). The integration allows you to create tasks in Planner and have them show up within a special "Assigned to Me" section inside Microsoft To-Do.

The integration between the services goes beyond syncing details. If you look at a task in Microsoft To-Do and need to see more details such as comments and file attachments you can select "Open in Planner" to jump into Microsoft Planner. You can read more about the integration on Microsoft To-Do's support page.

Tasks created in Microsoft Planner can also show up in other sections of Microsoft To-Do if you'd like. For example, if a task has a due date, it will show up in the "Planned" list.

Microsoft Planner is a service built for visualizing organization. You can create boards, categorize tasks, and assign tasks to people. Planner is available on iOS and Android. It requires an eligible Office 365 work or school subscription and does not work with Office 365 personal accounts.

Microsoft To-Do is free for Macs and all other platforms.

In addition to this new integration, the beta version of Microsoft To-Do for Android now supports assigning tasks in shared lists.

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Each and every one of these charging gadgets will keep your favorite gear and gadgets going for longer, and none of them costs more than $30.

VisionTek 8,000 mAh micro-USB power bank ($13 at Dell)

This compact dual-output powerbank can speedily recharge any and all your devices, thanks to a two-amp "fast charge feature," using its micro-USB out port. Its simple design includes an LED indicator, and it costs about as much as a single ticket to the movies.

Panasonic eneloop AA batteries (From $13 at Dell)

Panasonic's rechargeable batteries are among the best available, and just a couple of them will keep your favorite remote, mice or other peripherals powered up when you need them. They're also eco. And the company's affordable charger fits and charges both AA and AAA batteries at the same time.

Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad ($30 at Dell)

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What you need to know

• Microsoft To-Do is now available for macOS.
• The application allows you to sync to-do list items across devices.
• Microsoft To-Do is already available on several platforms, including iOS.

Microsoft To-Do is a cross-platform productivity application that syncs your to-do list items across devices. Now, that list of devices includes Macs as Microsoft To-Do launched on macOS over the weekend.

The app allows you to share to-do lists and tasks with people, set one-time or recurring tasks, and create color-coded lists. Microsoft To-Do focuses on helping you wherever you are and was already available on Windows 10, iOS, Android, and the web.

The Mac version of Microsoft To-Do looks very similar to all of the other versions of the application. It features a clean interface that has a My Day view that shows your tasks due today as well as list views to keep track of tasks on any of your lists.

Microsoft continues to expand Microsoft To-Do's reach and feature set. Earlier this year, the app gained the ability to attach files up to 25MB to any task. With its release on MacOS, it is now available on all major platforms.

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The Microsoft To-Do app on Windows and iOS can now sync and manage your flagged emails from personal Microsoft accounts. The feature, which initially rolled out in March, was initially available only for work and school accounts.

With the latest update on both Windows and iOS, you'll now be able to turn on a new "Flagged Email" smart list. Whenever you flag an email from your personal Microsoft account tied to To-Do, you'll then see it appear inside this smart list. Each entry in To-Do will be labeled by the email's subject line, and the task will contain the body text and a shortcut to open the email.

In addition to flagged email management, the To-Do app for iOS has also added support for Microsoft Planner integration through work and school accounts. Here's a rundown of the iOS release notes:

• Introducing the Microsoft Planner integration—tasks assigned to you in Planner (available for work and school accounts) will now show up in the Assigned to Me list in To-Do. You can enable it in To-Do today.
• You can now flag emails in personal inboxes hosted by Microsoft and they'll turn up in your Flagged Email list in To-Do when logged into that same account. You can also enable this in To-Do.
• We no longer duplicate a file if you move a task.
• We've stopped crashes when you tried to access a shared list.
• We've fixed an accessibility issue where the voiceover focus was being reset.

If you want to give the flagged emails smart list a try, you can grab the latest versions of To-Do for iOS and Windows now.

• See at Microsoft Store
• See at App Store

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Updated April 25, 2019: Microsoft has announced that file attachments for shared lists are now available on all platforms. The original story, focused on iOS, follows.

File attachments can now be added to your shared lists in Microsoft To-Do for iOS. File attachments first made their way to To-Do in January, but they were only initially available for lists that weren't shared with others. Since then, Microsoft has been gradually rolling the feature out to shared lists, allowing you to keep important files in sync with your collaborators.

In addition to shared list file attachments, the latest update includes a couple of new accessibility features and improvements for syncing. Here's the full rundown:

• New: File attachments come to shared lists!
• Improved: We've been making sync improvements.
• Accessibility: We now announce when a file has been uploaded successfully.
• Accessibility: We now announce how many tasks are selected in edit mode.

To-Do has been making great strides over the last year or so as Microsoft prepares to make it a full replacement for Wunderlist. Some of the more interesting features to hit the app in recent months include the ability to managed flagged Outlook emails, multiple account support, and autosave for notes on Android.

• See at Microsoft
• See at App Store
• See at Google Play

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Microsoft To-Do beta testers can now check on their Planner tasks with the app's latest update. Rolling out now for all beta testers, the app has added integration with Microsoft Planner, making it a little easier to keep your assigned tasks in sync with all of your other lists.

Once connected, you'll start seeing your Planner tasks in a new "Assigned to me" list in To-Do.

Of course, this wouldn't be an update without some bug fixes. Here's a full look at the release notes for the latest To-Do beta:

• Planner integration. View your Planner tasks in Assigned to Me.
• Ensure cursor position is at the end when editing multiple steps
• Autosave steps when tapping dates/other steps
• Do not change reminder time when a recurrence is added
• Accessibility: Scroll search results as user gets to the bottom of list
• Ensure Flagged setting is shown correctly after confirmation dialog is dismissed

If you've already opted into the To-Do beta, you should be able to grab this update from Google Play now. Otherwise, if you want to give it a whirl, you can opt in to be a beta tester from To-Do's store page. Planner integration should make its way to the release version of the app before too long if testing goes well.

See at Google Play

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Microsoft is shipping out another small update to To-Do or Android, bringing a handful of useful features alongside some small bug fixes. One of the biggest features added in the latest version is that To-Do will now automatically save your notes. But you'll also now be able to add tasks to your "Planned" smart list and more.

Here's the full rundown of what's new with the To-Do beta for Android:

• Add new tasks in Planned smart list
• New error messages for license-related errors
• Add autosave for notes
• Updated string shown in snackbar on Planned list
• Back arrow on detail screen is tinted correctly in dark theme
• Create/rename list dialog supports now screen rotation
• Ensure emoji picker is usable in RTL locales
• Do not force due date to be today if custom weekly recurrence is set

This update started rolling out on March 25, according to Google Play, so you should be able to pick it up now if you're enrolled as a beta tester. If you want to enroll in beta testing, you can do so from Microsoft To-Do's Google Play store page now. Otherwise, we should see these new features hit the release version of the app before too long if testing goes well.

See at Google play

Microsoft To-Do on Windows and the web is making it easier to keep up with your backlog of emails. In the latest update to the task manager, work and school accounts can now have their flagged Outlook emails automatically synced up to To-Do in their own task list.

Upon updating to To-Do version 1.52, you'll see a prompt asking if you'd like to turn on the flagged email feature. Once enabled, you'll see a new list for flagged emails appear amongst your other lists. Any time you flag an email in Outlook with your work or school account, it will then automatically appear in the flagged email list as a task with the title and body text, along with a shortcut to open the email in Outlook.

According to Microsoft's support document, you can have up to 10 emails flagged from the last two weeks at any given time. Once they're converted to tasks, you can add due dates, reminders, and otherwise interact with them as you would any other task.

See at Microsoft

Updated February 25, 2019: Microsoft is now rolling out this update to everyone with To-Do version 1.51 for Windows 10. The original story follow.

If you're constantly keeping up with work and personal tasks in Microsoft To-Do, the app's latest update on Windows 10 will make separating them a little easier. Following the example of To-Do for Android, the Windows 10 app now supports signing in with multiple accounts, though it's only available for Windows Insiders at the moment (via Windows Blog Italia).

Switching between accounts works just as it does in the Android app. From the hamburger menu, you can see which account you're currently using, with your profile image and email address sitting at the top of the menu. Tap or click the drop-down menu, and you'll be able to switch to any other account that you've signed into.

Using multiple accounts won't be for everyone, but for anyone juggling personal and work tasks from the same account, this should be a welcome addition to help clean things up a bit.

It's unclear when we can expect multiple account support to make its way to To-Do for everyone, but it shouldn't be too far off given Microsoft's pace of iteration.

See at Microsoft

If you're an avid user of Microsoft's To-Do service or a big fan of Cortana's Reminders feature, but you have a macOS device in the mix with all your Windows PCs, you're probably super frustrated at the fact that there's no app available for Mac that lets you organize your tasks. But did you know there is a way to utilize the built-in Reminders app on macOS to sync your To-Do and Cortana Reminders with ease? Here's how.

Products used in this guide

You'll need a macOS device of some kind. We're using a MacBook Air 2018, but any Mac that runs macOS Mojave and above should work just fine.

• Apple: MacBook Air 2018 (from $1,199)

How to sync your tasks and reminders

Getting your Microsoft To-Do and Cortana Reminders to sync with macOS is easy and doesn't require any additional downloads on your part. The functionality for this is actually built-in to macOS, and it uses the Exchange account option in System Preferences to sync your Microsoft Account data to your Mac, which includes To-Do and Reminders information.

Enable the syncing

First, follow these steps:

1. Open up System Preferences on macOS.

2. Select Internet Accounts.

3. Select the Exhange option.

4. Type in your name and Microsoft Account email address and select sign in.

5. Select sign in once again.

6. Type your Microsoft Account password and select sign in.

7. Once logged in, select done.

8. Open up the Reminders app on macOS.

That's all there is to it. Now, all your Microsoft To-Do and Cortana Reminders will sync up with your Mac using the Reminders app built into macOS. You can add to, complete, and delete tasks from Mac as well, so it acts just like a native client.

Why sync Microsoft To-Do with macOS?

Why should you even consider syncing your Microsoft To-Do and Cortana Reminders with your Mac? Well, if you're someone who is forced to use macOS for work, or if you prefer Apple's OS to Microsoft's (gasp!), but continue to use Microsoft's software and services, being able to sync your tasks straight to macOS without having to download anything extra is super handy.

Our top equipment picks

For this tutorial, we used the latest MacBook Air from Apple, but any macOS device that runs the latest version can follow this guide.

Thanks to Dominic Maas for the tip about this!

Microsoft today revealed that Microsoft To-Do will now allow file attachments for your tasks. The update comes less than a week after the feature first arrived for beta testers and is available across all platforms.

When you're setting up or editing a task in To-Do, you can now attach any file or photo up to 25MB in size. However, the feature is limited to personal tasks, so you won't be able to attach files to shared lists. That doesn't rule out the possibility that attachments will be added for shared lists later, but it isn't available for now.

Whether you're already a To-Do user, or you have yet to try the app, you can give the latest update and file attachments a try across Android, iPhone, and Windows 10.

• See at Microsoft
• See at App Store
• See at Google Play

Microsoft To-Do integration with Cortana has been in testing with Windows Insiders for weeks, but now its ready for everyone. Microsoft announced the rollout today, adding that tasks will now stay in sync between Cortana, Outlook Tasks, and Microsoft To-Do.

You'll now be able to simply ask Cortana to add a task to your to-do list, and it will appear across Microsoft To-Do and Outlook Tasks as well across all of your devices. If you get granular with specific times, like asking Cortana to remind you of something you need to do at noon, To-Do will send you a notification at the correct time.

For now, Cortana integration with Microsoft To-Do is only available in English in Australia, India, the U.S., and the UK. Those in other regions who want to give it a try, however, can change their region and language settings to do so. Otherwise, just make sure that you're signed into the To-Do app and Outlook with the same personal or enterprise account you have connected to Cortana, and you'll be good to go.

See at Microsoft

Microsoft this week has pushed out an update for To-Do beta testers, bringing the highly requested ability to attach files to your tasks. The features is available with the latest updates to the Microsoft To-Do preview on iOS and Android, along with Insiders on Windows 10.

The highlight feature allows you to attach any file or photo to a task, up to 25MB in size. The only limitation, for now at least, is that you can't add attachments to shared tasks.

For Android users, Microsoft has also added a few fixes to the mix and an easier way to add details to your tasks. Here's a look at the full Android release notes:

• New: Introducing file attachments! Now you can attach any photo straight from your phone to a task on a personal list (we're working on shared lists).
• New: Add a task easily with our new To-Do tile (Android 8.0+) in the notification bar.
• New: We've made it easier for you to add all the details to your task with our rich entry bar—add due dates, reminders and recurrences while you create your task.
• Fixed: If you have a small screen and your device font size is set to big then we will no longer cut off your list names.
• Fixed: We will now hide the keyboard on the sign-in screen if you move the app to the background.
• Fixed: We've made a whole bunch of accessibility fixes, including improving the metadata announcement, announcing if the due date is overdue, properly announcing search results, announcing the sort order, and, finally, announcing that Add Step is clickable.

The iOS release notes are much shorter, only including the file attachment feature, improvements to the iPad search UI, and some bug fixes:

• New: Introducing file attachments! Now you can attach any file (up to 25MB) or photo straight from your phone to a task on a personal list.
• Improvement: We've improved our search UI for the iPad as well as fixing a few small bugs.
• Fixed: If your smart lists weren't keeping your settings when you launched the app, you'll be happy to know that we've fixed that bug.

If you want to give any of the new features a shot, you can sign up to be an Android beta tester, opt into the Windows Insider program, or find directions on joining Apple's TestFlight program at Microsoft.

• See at Google Play
• See at App Store
• See at Microsoft

Microsoft To-Do is making it easier to view all of your tasks at a glance not only on Windows but also for iPad users. Through updates on both platforms, Microsoft has added the ability to pin multiple lists as Live Tiles along with an expanded three-column layout on iPad.

On Windows, in addition to being able to pin any list or smart list to the Start menu, To-Do will now confirm whether you're sure you want to delete a to-do while inking. Microsoft has also bolstered accessibility for expanding and collapsing groups in smart lists. Here's a full look at the release notes:

• Not satisfied with just seeing one list on your Live Tile? We have good news for you—you can now pin any list or smart list to the Windows start menu.
• Have you tried out our ink gestures yet? If so, you might have noticed that we didn't ask twice if you wanted to delete a to-do when you scratched it out. Now we'll ask if you're sure, if you're really, really sure.
• Do you have too many overdue tasks that you just don't want to deal with today? We've improved our accessibility so that collapsing and expanding the different groups in the smart lists are now accessible.
• We briefly took away the ability to move a task into any list while in search. We're gifting that ability back to you.
• We were doing funny things with your list order when you tried to reorder multiple tasks. We've fixed that bug now.

Over on iPad, the list of changes is a whole lot smaller, but they take advantage of the tablet's extra screen real estate to make dealing with your tasks a lot less onerous. Here's a look at what's new:

• New: We've just made productivity a whole lot easier on the iPad—we now support a three pane layout! Huh? We hear you say, what does that mean? It means that you can see your lists, your tasks, and the steps for a particular task all at the same time. You will no longer need to dismiss the sidebar in order to get back to ticking off your tasks.
• Fixed: We had an accessibility issue where VoiceOver wouldn't let you edit a note. We've fixed that one now.

Both updates are up for grabs now on the Microsoft Store and Apple's App Store.

• See at Microsoft
• See at App Store

Microsoft To-Do today is getting a big boost in terms of keeping your reminders organized in one place. Microsoft has announced the task app is now integrated with Cortana, which will let you keep tasks and reminders synced from Cortana to To-Do and vice versa.

All of the hard work that holds this together happens behind the scenes. According to Microsoft, lists and reminders will be synced across To-Do, Cortana, and Outlook, no matter which device you're working from. Add a task on To-Do from Android? It'll be synced to your Cortana lists as well. Sitting at your PC? You can ask Cortana to remind you to pick up milk at the store, and that will be added to your To-Do tasks.

For now, the integration requires a PC to be running Windows 10 Insider preview build 18267 or higher. It's also limited by language and region, only working in English throughout Australia, India, the US, and the UK.

To get started, you'll have to make sure you set up Outlook or Office 365 as a connected service through Cortana on your PC. To do so, you can head to your Cortana Notebook, select "Manage Skills, and then click "Connected services. From there, you can select Outlook for a personal Microsoft account, or Office 365 for an Enterprise account.

Simply make sure that you're signed into the To-Do app or Outlook with the same personal or enterprise account you've connected to Cortana, and you're good to go.

It's worth noting that there are some known issues to be aware of with the current implementation while it's in testing. Here's a rundown:

• Works best when you disconnect Wunderlist from Cortana.
• Location-based reminders can only be created in Cortana, while you can view them in your Microsoft To-Do app.
• Attachments added with Cortana are only accessible in Cortana (won't sync to Microsoft To-Do)
• A list shared between multiple people in the Microsoft To-Do app will only appear in Cortana for the person who shared it. All members of the list can still access the list in Microsoft To-Do.
• You may see duplicate notifications for a single reminder — from Cortana, Microsoft To-Do, and Outlook apps on your Windows 10 PC or iOS phone. Learn how to change notification settings in Windows 10
• You may get "Too many reminders" error while setting up reminders using Cortana on a Windows phone. Delete some of the completed reminders as a workaround. Go to Cortana > Notebook > Reminders > History > Completed either on PC or Windows phone.

Microsoft is shipping out a relatively small update for To-Do on Android today, but it's likely to be a welcome one for anyone juggling work and personal tasks. The app now supports signing in with multiple accounts, making it easier to keep them separate and averting the possibility of sharing a potentially embarrassing set of tasks with your boss.

Switching between accounts works much as it does in Microsoft's other apps. You'll be able to see which account you're currently viewing from the hamburger menu, thanks to your profile icon and email address appearing at the top of the menu. Simply tap the drop-down menu, and you'll be able to select from any other account that you're signed into and switch views to the tasks associated with it.

You can also add more accounts and manage the ones you're signed into from the same drop-down menu.

This update is rolling out on Android with To-Do version 1.45, which should be available on Google Play relatively soon.

See at Google Play

Outside the U.S., there is no Cortana smart speaker, but in many places there is Amazon's Alexa, instead. And thanks to its developer community, you can use your Amazon Echo to add tasks and shopping lists to your Microsoft To-Do account.

Products used in this guide

• Amazon: Amazon Echo ($100)
• Amazon: Wonder Do It Alexa skill (Free)
• Microsoft: Microsoft To-Do (Free)

(For the purposes of this guide we're referencing the standard Amazon Echo, but the process is identical for all Echo products, and it also works just fine with the devices with screens, such as the Echo Show and the Echo Spot.)

How to sync your Amazon Echo to Microsoft To-Do

The process is very simple, requiring you to only add the third-party Alexa skill that makes it all happen and link your Microsoft account. At this time it only works with a personal Microsoft Account, and school or business Office 365 accounts cannot be used. Just follow these steps:

1. Open the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone or in your browser.
2. Open the skills and games section.
3. Search for the Wonder Do It skill in the search box.

4. Tap enable to add the skill to your Amazon Echo.
5. Log in to your Microsoft account from the web browser window that pops up to link your account to the skill.

No Microsoft Account login information is added to the skill directly, and it uses a standard OAuth process for authenticating your account.

How to add tasks and shopping lists to Microsoft To-Do

The skill will automatically just add things you tell Alexa to your Microsoft To-Do lists without you needing to set anything up. Every time you add a task it will go into the "Tasks" list. Any items you tell Alexa to add to your shopping list will go into a new list in Microsoft To-Do called "Alexa Shopping List."

To add items from your Amazon Echo, simply speak to Alexa as follows:

• "Alexa add (insert task here) to my to-do list."
• "Alexa, add (insert item here) to my shopping list."

Both are standard Alexa voice commands and will add to your respective Alexa lists. The Wonder Do It skill will then sync both to your Microsoft To-Do account so you can access them on all your devices, wherever you are.

What you can't do is use Alexa to see what's on your Microsoft To-Do lists, and you're only able to add things using your Echo. It's also important to note that items added will be removed from the Alexa Shopping and To-do lists once synced to Microsoft To-Do.

Our top equipment picks

All you need is one of Amazon's Echo products to enjoy voice command bliss. We think the second-generation Amazon Echo is the one to go for.

The regular second-generation Echo is the best all-around choice in Amazon's range, mixing a great balance of stylish design, good sound quality and an affordable price.

Additional equipment

The Echo isn't the only product that's great to put around your home; there are some fantastic alternatives that cost less or even have a display.

Amazon Echo Dot ($50 at Amazon)

The third-generation Echo Dot is a huge improvement on its predecessor in both sound and looks, while remaining compact and extremely affordable.

Amazon Echo Spot ($130 at Amazon)

Alexa takes on a new dimension when you add a screen, and the Echo Spot is a perfect companion for the office or any room in the home.

Microsoft To-Do has been aggressive lately with multiple integrations and feature add-ons, and one we have heard about is finally coming to light: Cortana.

Specific Windows Insiders are getting picked to test the feature which lets people "use Cortana to add reminders and lists in Microsoft To-Do so that you can save time, stay organized, and keep all your reminders and lists in one place."

Adding To-Do as a managed skill to Cortana goes a long way to adding featuring parity with Wunderlist – the previous go-to app for reminders and lists. Wunderlist has worked with Cortana and even Microsoft Launcher for Android for some time, but now things are changing with both services getting integration with Microsoft's assistant.

While the current level of Insider testing is closed and invite-only we have heard of a general release for December is the goal. That means only a few weeks before everyone can get it on a broader scale.

Adding To-Do to Cortana breathes even more life into Microsoft's digital assistant, which has seen a whirlwind of integrations and features in 2018. Amazon Alexa integration is by far the biggest, but hardware like Surface Headphones and the new GLAS smart thermostat, plus deeper integration into Microsoft Launcher for Android 5.1 (due in a few weeks), new Cortana 3.0 apps for iOS and Android, and the ability to control the Xbox One have put the helper in more places than ever.

Hopefully, that trend continues in 2019.

Update: We've added a few screenshots of what To-Do looks like on Cortana for Android and Windows 10.

Thanks, William, for the tip and Zack for the images!

A small, handy update is now rolling out to Microsoft To-Do for Windows 10, bringing with it some new sorting options for your smart lists. In the update, you'll find new options to hide empty smart lists, theme colors for your "Planned" smart list, and other, more minor tweaks.

Of course, this update also brings the usual smattering of general performance improvements. Here's a full look at what's new in Microsoft To-Do:

• If you found that your Planned smart list seemed a bit out of sorts, we apologize for the confusion. We've got it all, well, sorted with this update.
• Use theme colors to keep your lists organised? Then you'll be happy to know that you can now add themes to your Planned smart list.
• We've also added the option to automatically hide your empty smart lists, so you won't see an empty Planned or Important list in the sidebar.
• Likewise, your smart lists can be hidden from the context menu.
• We've also continued to improve our performance and sync.

Each of these tweaks can be found in Microsoft To-Do version 1.43.13131.0, available now via the Microsoft Store.

See at Microsoft

Microsoft To-Do's "Planned" smart list has been gradually making its way out across various platforms, and iPhone and iPad are the latest to pick up the feature. With the latest update for iOS, you'll now be able to use the new smart list to get a quick overview of your tasks for the upcoming week.

The new "Planned" list lives alongside other smart lists like "My Day" and "Important." Tapping into it will show you what tasks you have on deck for the next five days, along with others that may be even further out.

This update also adds a new option to keep your sidebar tidy by hiding the Planned and Important smart lists.

It's a small addition, but it's one that could certainly come in handy if you're a heavy To-Do user. For more, you can grab the latest To-Do update now from the App Store.

See at App Store

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 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 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

Microsoft To-Do has been gradually rolling out its new "Planned" smart list feature across platforms, and Android is the latest on deck. The feature offers a quick overview of your tasks for the upcoming week, and it's rolling out now with the latest update to To-Do for Android (via OnMSFT).

The "Planned" list sits alongside your "My Day" and "Important" tabs within the To-Do menu. Tapping into it will show you what tasks you have coming up for the next five days, along with some that are even further out.

This update also introduces multiple widget support, along with improvements to the dark theme. Here's a look at the full release notes:

• The Planned smart list is now available on Android! Just open Planned for an overview of your scheduled tasks for today, tomorrow, the next 5 days and beyond.
• Dark theme is now more consistent across the app with support in search results and the widget!
• We've also added multiple widget support.

To check out all of what's new, you can grab the latest update to Microsoft To-Do for Android on Google Play now.

See at Microsoft

After a short bit of testing with Insiders, Microsoft has brought its "Planned" smart list feature to its To-Do app for Windows 10. The feature, which offers an overview of your upcoming week, initially debuted alongside the revamped web version of To-Do.

The new section sits alongside your "My Day" and "Important" tabs on the left-hand menu. Clicking or tapping into it will give you a look at upcoming tasks for the next five days, along with those that may be a little further down the road.

Here's the official look at all of what's new from the release notes:

• The Planned smart list is now available on Windows! Just open Planned for an overview of your scheduled tasks for today, tomorrow, the next 5 days and beyond.
• We've made our tiles a bit tidier with better formatting when the small size is selected.

If you're a heavy To-Do user, you can pick up the latest updates with version 1.41.12741.0 from the Microsoft Store now.

See at Microsoft

Windows Insiders are getting a taste of an upcoming feature for the Windows 10 version of the Microsoft To-Do app today. Initially debuted alongside the web revamp of To-Do, a new "Planned" smart list feature is now available in the Windows 10 app for Insiders (via Aggiornamenti Lumia).

To recap, the "Planned" section sits right alongside you "My Day," "Important," and "Tasks" smart lists in the left menu. The section gives you a brief overview of your upcoming tasks for the next five days, along with a look at tasks that are scheduled later down the road.

In addition to the new section, the update packs a fresh settings icon, along with a link to pen settings for adjusting your inking experience. Of course, the usual smattering of bug fixes and improvements are also tagging along here.

The Insider update follows an update that was recently pushed out to the release version of the apps, which brought with it support for inking. Microsoft To-Do also recently picked up closer integration with Outlook on the web and Skype, allowing you to send To-Do tasks from both apps.

If you're a Windows Insider, you should be able to check out the new sections, settings icon, and pen settings now by upgrading to version 1.41.1810.1001 from the Microsoft Store now.

See at Microsoft

Updated September 17, 2018 Microsoft has now made the update official, announcing the Live Tiles are now rolling out to To-Do for Windows Insiders. The original story follows.

Microsoft hasn't shied away from packing To-Do with a slew of new features over the past several months, but it's set to support one of the more iconic aspects of Windows 10 soon: Live Tiles. In an update hitting preview testers and Insiders today, To-Do is adding in full Live Tile support, along with background sync to make sure your list and tasks stay up to date at all times.

As you'd expect, all Live Tile sizes are supported here, allowing you to pin them in multiple configurations on your Start menu. The tiles will cycle through important information on the tasks you have set out for the day, including a look at the tasks set out in the "My Day" section of the app and a short message telling you how many tasks you've completed for the day. You can see some examples in the image below:

This is just the start for Live Tiles; in the future, Microsoft tells us that it plans to support pinning specific lists to the Start menu as well.

The addition of background sync simply means that To-Do should stay updated with your progress in the background, rather than requiring a refresh when you open the app up on Windows 10. If you tick off some tasks on your phone while you're out and about, for example, those tasks should be updated more quickly when you return to your PC.

All of these updates should be rolling out with To-Do version 1.40.12541.0 for Insider and preview testers starting today on Windows 10. This also follows a whirlwind couple of days for To-Do, in which the web app got a visual overhaul, and the mobile apps were updated with faster syncing and several UI tweaks. Most recently for the Windows 10 app, Microsoft added inking support, so you can start listing tasks in your own handwriting.

See at Microsoft

Microsoft's To-Do apps on mobile aren't the only ones getting some love this week. The company debuted a new look for its web app, sporting a simplified design and a new feature: "Planned" smart lists.

The most notable change is that new design, which eschews some of the design elements found in the other To-Do apps in favor of a more simplified look. Overall, it's quite a bit cleaner, but also blander than its prior iteration. But for an app that's meant to help you focus on your tasks for the day, that's probably not a bad thing.

In addition to the new look, you'll also find a new "Planned" section grouped alongside your "My Day," "Important," and "Tasks" smart lists in the left-hand menu. The new section is meant to give you a quick overview of your upcoming tasks for the next five days, along with a further look at thing coming later down the line.

The new "Planned" section isn't yet available in the other To-Do apps, but it's likely not far off.

To check out all of what's new, you can head to To-Do on the web. Today's refresh also comes alongside updates to the Android and iOS apps, which bring a much smaller set of features to the table, like faster syncing and UI tweaks.