Which App To Use: Calendar vs. Reminders

You can schedule notifications of important items at specific times using eithe the Calendar app or the Reminders app on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. So why are there two apps that seem to do the same thing? These apps do overlap somewhat, but they also have their own unique functionality. When you need to schedule something, however, it can be hard to decide which app to use. But there are good reasons to choose one over the other in most situations.

Comments: 17 Responses to “Which App To Use: Calendar vs. Reminders”

    Claude
    5 years ago

    Hi Gary: How can I send myself can e-mail as alert as you did in the video?

    Claude

    Marc
    5 years ago

    Hi Gary : I only use Calendar. If i dont't have a specific time on a subject, in calendar i mark it for all day long, with no time specified. And i can add as many of things to do with no time specified as i want !

    5 years ago

    Claude: In the Calendar app on Mac, choose the time for the event, then set the Alert to "Custom" and choose "Email."

    Ed
    5 years ago

    I use Calendar all the time to schedule events that include a time. I like the location feature, and the 30 minutes or 1 hour reminder feature of calendar. I use Reminders only when I need to create a list. I like the check box feature and theft that one can enlarge the fonts.

    Will
    5 years ago

    I use calendar when I have something to share with family members. And as you demonstrated on your video, I specially like the way reminders can be set to come up at particular but uncertain times e.g. when I get home.

    Karl
    5 years ago

    I use calendar for yearly or monthly things, such as birthdays, meetings, appointments, paying bills.

    I use reminders for tasks (like you stated in the video) for things such as reminding me to take or do something on a daily basis or one time event.

    Reminders will pop on your lock screen and will remain there until you mark it complete or you clear it, so if you ignore it or forget about it, it will be there the next time you look at your lock screen.

    jpf55
    5 years ago

    Unfortunately and since iOS 13, I can only use reminders on the iPhone, they no longer sync with my older mac(pre-Catalina). I could use iCloud but certain functionalities, like setting a time, do not exist in iCloud. Not cool at all on Apple's part.

    Karen Brown
    5 years ago

    Reminders is one of my favorite apps and I use it extensively to remind myself of deadlines, payments due, billings to be sent, even that I promised to make my friend Doris lemon bars for her birthday! For example, I pay a yearly subscription to the Washington Post, to Microsoft, etc. I set a reminder about 2 weeks before the subscriptions are due, not only to remind myself that the bill will come through, but also in case I might want to cancel. I also use Calendars—and Notes for lists.

    Bruce Anschutz
    5 years ago

    Why is it that reminders on iOS for the phone will not work in the repeated mode? I have reminder set for every night that NEVER notifies me. The notifications are set right. If I delete and re-enter the reminder, it will work for one time only ... why?

    5 years ago

    Bruce: Not sure why it isn't working for you, sorry. Check all the settings for that reminder, etc.

    Bill
    5 years ago

    Gary, I use Calendar the most. I created a shared calendar that both my wife and I use as our default calendar. My wife does not like to learn and use a lot of different apps so I only use Notes and Reminders for myself. We are retired and the shared calendar helps up stay in sync.

    ROBERT LEAVITT SR
    5 years ago

    gary I use reminders and use info button to set time and day and repeat if necessary

    Tom
    5 years ago

    I use Reminders for the following situation:
    I get an Invoice the 1st Monday of every 2nd month. I set up a Reminder for the *next* Invoice date (choose Remind me --> On a Day), I choose Every Day for Repeat, and Never for End. This way, I'm reminded daily (via e.g. a Notification) after I receive the Invoice that my Invoice is due for payment. When I finally pay the Invoice, instead of marking the Reminder as Done, I simply change its On a Day field to the next Invoice date.

    George Hammond
    5 years ago

    I use reminders for daily tasks. Things that I need to remember such as to take my vitamins after I eat. I use the calendar for longer term scheduling.
    I also use my reminders and my calendar to remind me of really important items such as giving my dog his heart worm medicine once a month and his flea and tick medicine every 6 months.

    George Gauthier
    5 years ago

    I use reminders for a whole set of shopping lists: Safeway, Harris Teeter, Drug Store, Target, Hardware store, etc.
    I have a checklist of tasks I must do before leaving on a trip: e.g. hold mail, charge devices, laundry, plus a separate packing list including not only all manner of garments but also medications, CPAP machine, chargers, extra glasses, kits for recording blood pressure and blood sugar.

    Gene
    5 years ago

    I use Reminders more than Calendar. In Reminders I create a shopping list with the "circle" (done) button and collaborate it with my wife. If she thinks of something when I am enroute or at the market she can update the list in near real-time. I use the Calendar App for things that actually have a time period associated with them like an investment webinar (I am retired) or doctor's appointment. I like Calendar's ability to put an alert out a week before, a day before, and hour before.......

    Tim Woolmer
    5 years ago

    I use calendar for things that I need my phone for.
    I have a vintage iMac and can only run on High Sierra. The reminders app doesn't sync with my iPhone XS

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