I liked Apple Reminders’ ease of use, but the data is stuck in the app. I have to open the app to see the data. The shallow problem is I’d like to see the data in other places, to keep the tasks in mind. The deeper problem is that Apple Reminders switched its database in Catalina so that no other app could work with it. Doesn’t help that Thunderbird really is designed for the user to use its local calendar for Tasks; then the Tasks aren’t visible on the phone. I think I’ve tried my Gmail account for Tasks, but in eM Client, and I really screwed them up there setting them up. I don’t know how I did that.
Bought TickTick Premium (warning: they don’t have a trial period). TickTick Premium can send an email as a task, and can integrate with Spark. I’ve never liked the attachment philosophy of Apple Mail, although Apple Mail is quite sufficient for my needs.
Switched my email to Spark, keeping Spark Desktop free to see if Integrations (with TickTick) will stay active. I think they will (Integrations are free if the account was created before 2022). I had a Spark Premium subscription with Apple that’s going to end in 2025, but Spark is saying my free trial period ended in 2023 and I think I know why: I’m using a different master email account than the one I used previously. Fortuitous mistake at the beginning of setup again.
Master backup of email locally with Thunderbird on my Windows test computer. Don’t really need my calendar connected; I have so many appointments and long tasks that I want to track visually with my job that paper is better.
Google Calendar can by connected either way with TickTick (pull calendar or push tasks); that might be a better way, and possibly I can go back to Thunderbird on the Mac laptop (This post brought to you by my new Black Friday 16 GB M2 Air bought for the price of an 8 GB. Woohoo! I don’t have to worry about memory usage anymore.)
EDIT: The other visibility problem is Inactive and Pending work Tasks; lists of jobs that might never get done and jobs that are taking longer to finish or the client isn’t responding after asking for help. I have them listed in my paper planner and have tabbed them with a folded labeled label for visibility. There’s the problem of running out of space, too.
I understand that the Reminders data is in a standard SQLite database which you or any app can access. Access via standard SQL queries. If apps don’t do this, it’s probably not because it’s impossible. BusyCal links to Reminders.
Good to know; I just haven’t seen many apps that have taken the work on and revealed the Reminders database. My accounting software is backed by a MySQL database; I’ve tried looking at that in an SQL reader, and I couldn’t make sense of it.
I looked at the Reminders schema a while back, out of curiosity. I concluded it could be figured out, but for sure requires some knowledge of and experience in database schemas and SQL … increasingly something that I think fewer people take time to learn. Even during my non-IT career, it was something I learned with much benefit to me. My guess is that the schema for Reminders is much simpler than an accounting schema. Accounting much more complicated than a list of tasks. I wouldn’t draw conclusions about comparing those differences. Google (or other) “macOS reminders database schema” for ideas.
Edit: I just remembered and have confirmed that Reminders has a published Apple Script Library. Probably enables many things for those interested.
You didn’t say what device you’re looking for this on.
Calendar widgets don’t show Tasks, Apple treats each app as separate. However a Widget for your reminders would serve to keep them top of mind whenever you see your home screen or desktop.
An app like Fantastical will allow you to show Reminders tasks on your calendar, I don’t think you need to sub to get this basic view.
Two other habits could help you.
At the start of your day (or at the end of the previous day), review what tasks you need to complete and add time on your calendar to complete them
Write the tasks you need to complete onto an analogue To Do list each day.
I prefer the first as, if I need to complete the tasks, I need to set time aside to do that.
Latest versions of iOS and MacOS show reminders on calendar. In list of calendars you will now see “scheduled reminders” there. You can add cal widgets, app, etc. (sorry if misunderstanding)