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Getting Started with 2Do for Android

Start with a list and a few tasks, then add dates, reminders, and organization as you need them. This guide takes you through the first steps and links to the full instructions for each feature.

Introduction​

Use lists for areas such as Home and Work, projects for outcomes with several steps, and checklists for items you complete together. Tags, Smart Lists, and the built-in Focus Lists help you find the tasks you want to work on without moving them out of their lists.

You can also divide a list into named sections, write Markdown notes, see calendar events above your tasks, and share a list through iCloud. The layout changes with your phone, tablet, foldable, or split-screen window.

Android has its own share-sheet capture, launcher shortcuts, Quick Settings tile, Sticky Alert, and widgets. For Apple-specific features, see the separate guides for Mail to 2Do and Siri and Shortcuts.

First Launch and Permissions​

The first launch includes a Walkthrough Tutorial. You can reopen it from Settings > Walkthrough Tutorial.

Allow the access needed for the features you use:

  • Notifications let 2Do show task alerts, Nag Me reminders, and Sticky Alert. Android 13 or later has a notification permission prompt.
  • Location supports nearby tasks and proximity alerts.
  • Calendar access lets Calendar Events read appointments from calendars on the device.
  • Camera, photos, and microphone are used when you add the related attachments.
  • Android's file and folder pickers let you choose backup files and folders.

Review access later in Android Settings > Apps > 2Do > Permissions. Some features also have their own system controls, such as exact alert scheduling.

Choosing Your Sync Method​

If you already use 2Do on another device, set up sync before entering your tasks again. Open Settings > Sync setup > Sync Method, then choose a service:

  • iCloud is the recommended option for 2Do devices that support it. Sign in with your Apple Account on Android. This is separate from iCloud CalDAV and Apple Reminders.
  • Dropbox also works with older versions of 2Do and does not need an Apple Account.
  • Todoist connects 2Do with your Todoist account. Read its guide for the properties and options it supports.
  • Toodledo connects to an existing Toodledo account.
  • CalDAV connects to services such as Fastmail, Fruux, Synology, ownCloud, and Nextcloud. iCloud CalDAV has its own entry and needs an app-specific password.
  • None keeps tasks on this device if you do not need sync.

Use the same service and account on the devices you want to keep together. If both this device and the service already have tasks, read the first-sync choices before replacing or combining their data. Sync is a Pro feature after the trial.

Android cannot join Apple Reminders sync. Choosing iCloud in 2Do syncs your 2Do data; it does not put those tasks in the Reminders app.

Create Your First Task​

  1. Swipe the task list to the right to reveal Lists, then select a list of your own. To make a new one, tap the + at the bottom of Lists, choose New List if a menu appears, enter a name such as Home, and tap Save.
  2. Tap the floating + below the task list. This opens a new task in the full editor.
  3. Enter a title, such as Buy milk tomorrow. With Natural Language Input enabled, 2Do recognizes tomorrow as the due date. Check the destination list and date before saving.
  4. Tap the Save checkmark at the top of the editor. The task appears in its list.
  5. Tap the task to add more details later. When you finish the task, tap its checkbox in the task list.

A due date helps you plan when to finish. Add an alert when you also want a notification at a particular time.

To capture several tasks in succession, touch and hold the floating + for Quick Add.

The Main Screen​

The main areas are Lists, Tasks, the task editor, and the side panel for Tags and Locations.

On a phone, swipe the task list right to reveal Lists, or left to reveal the side panel. The editor opens in a draggable sheet over your tasks. The title at the top opens Quick Open; Search and Batch Edit are beside it. Sorting and Focus controls are on the bar below.

On tablets and wider foldable or split-screen windows, more panels can remain visible together. The right pane can show the selected task beside its list, recently accessed tasks, a month calendar, and task counts. A narrower window returns to sliding panels. See The 2Do Screen for the full layout.

Calendar Events​

Show appointments above your tasks with the Calendar Day Bar. Open Settings > Calendar Events, choose where to show it, and allow calendar access. Expand the bar to see a list of appointments or a day timeline.

To set aside time for a task, touch and hold it and choose Add to Calendar, or drag one selected task onto the day bar during batch editing. Your calendar app opens an event for you to review and save. Calendar Events is a Pro feature and uses calendars available on your Android device, separately from task sync.

Quick Open​

Tap the list title to find a task or list by name. Quick Open shows recently changed tasks and recently visited lists when its field is empty. Inside an opened project or checklist, tapping the title returns to its list instead.

Lists and List Groups​

Lists hold your tasks. Use list groups to organize related lists, such as a group for work and another for personal plans. Smart Lists appear alongside them but show tasks that match a saved search.

The optional Inbox is a real list for new captures. Turn on GTD® Inbox under Settings > Default Collection List if you want to collect tasks there before filing them. The same settings control where new tasks and Quick Add captures go.

Creating a List​

Tap + at the bottom of Lists and choose New List if a menu appears. Name it, choose its color and group, then tap Save. The + beside a list group creates a list in that group.

See Lists and List Groups for grouping, reordering, visibility, and the indicators beside list names.

Focus Lists​

The built-in All, Today, Starred, Scheduled, and Done lists collect tasks from your own lists. For example, Today brings together tasks that need attention today, while Starred gathers the tasks you mark with a star.

These views do not move your tasks. Their results also depend on dates, paused tags, visibility settings, and the options you choose for Today. See Focus Lists.

Capturing Tasks​

The Add Button and Quick Add​

Tap the floating + below your tasks to open the full editor. Touch and hold it to open Quick Add, type a title, and save. Quick Add stays open for the next task.

Check the destination shown inside Quick Add. You can change it before saving; Settings > Default Collection List also controls whether Quick Add always uses your collection list.

Natural Language Input​

Type Buy milk tomorrow and 2Do can fill in the due date. Natural Language Input recognizes dates, times, repeats, tags, and other details while you create tasks in Quick Add or the full editor. You can enable it separately for each under Settings > Natural Language Input.

Voice Input​

Use your keyboard's microphone button to dictate a title when your Android keyboard supports voice input.

Share Sheet Capture​

Share text, a URL, or an image from another app to 2Do, then review the task before saving. See Quick Add for capture outside the app.

Android Integrations​

Touch and hold the 2Do app icon for shortcuts such as New Task, Today, Starred, and Search. Add the Quick Add tile to Android's Quick Settings panel to capture while another app is open.

See Android Integrations for selected-text capture, create-note requests, opening backups, and other system actions.

Tasks, Projects, and Checklists​

  • A task is one item to complete. It can have notes, dates, tags, alerts, a location, an action, and attachments.
  • A project holds related tasks that can have their own dates and alerts.
  • A checklist holds items that you complete together under the parent's schedule.

Choose a type in the task editor. Projects and checklists live inside a list, alongside regular tasks. See Projects and Checklists.

Task Sections​

Divide a list into named sections such as Bookings, Packing, and Before Leaving. With an editable list open, choose New Section from the task toolbar's overflow menu, or from the + menu at the bottom of Lists.

The list's sort still applies within each section. Tap a named section's title to collapse it, or touch and hold it for actions such as adding a task, renaming, moving, or duplicating the section. See Task Sections.

The Task Editor​

Tap a task to open its editor. Start with the title, then add the properties you need: dates, tags, alerts, a location, an action, a repeat rule, or attachments. The destination control lets you choose where the task belongs.

On a phone the editor is a draggable sheet. In a wide layout, an existing task can remain open beside its list. See The Task Editor for each field and the save controls.

Notes, Markdown, and Task Links​

Use notes for instructions, reference material, or details that do not fit in a title. The notes editor has formatting shortcuts, Undo and Redo, and a Markdown Preview button so you can check headings, lists, emphasis, and links. See Notes and Markdown.

Type @{ in a note to find and link another task. Tap the link to open its editor, or use Open Links > Linked from to see which tasks link to the one you are viewing. Backlinks appear even when its own note is empty. See Linking Tasks.

To open these links from the task list, touch and hold a task and choose Links. The command appears for tasks with note links or backlinks. See Open Links from a Task.

Dates, Repeats, Stars, and Priorities​

Use a start date for when work becomes available and a due date for when it must be finished. A duration describes the working time needed before the deadline. See Dates and Durations.

Set a repeat rule for regular chores or reviews, choosing whether the next occurrence follows the due date or completion. See Repeating Tasks.

Use a star to collect tasks in Starred and priority to rank them. See Stars and Priorities.

Tags​

Swipe the task list left to reveal the side panel, then choose Tags from the selector at the top. Tap a tag to filter your tasks. A wider layout can keep more of the task list visible while you browse tags.

Tag Groups​

Group related tags so they are easier to find. For example, make groups for people, places, or work status. See Tag Groups.

Pausing a Tag to Hide Its Tasks​

Pause a tag to hide its tasks while you put that work aside. Use the paused-task control on the sort bar when you want to reveal them temporarily. See Tags for pausing, resuming, and the views affected.

Nearby and Locations​

Attach a place to a task, then choose Locations in the side panel to review tasks near you. Proximity alerts can remind you after you arrive and remain near a place. You can also open a task's location in a maps app. See Nearby and Locations for setup and permissions.

Focus Filter and Smart Lists​

The Focus Filter narrows the list you are viewing. Tap the Focus control on the sort bar to toggle it; touch and hold it to choose its conditions.

Smart Lists save a search as an entry in Lists, so you can return to a view such as high-priority work due this week.

Tap Search in the toolbar to filter tasks by text or more specific rules. Search can use titles, notes, tags, dates, actions, and other properties. Full Text supports precise matching and Soundex helps find words by sound. See Search for scope, operators, and saved searches.

Batch Editing and Drag and Drop​

Tap Batch Edit in the top toolbar to select several tasks and change them together, such as moving them to a list or assigning tags. See Batch Editing.

Drag tasks to move them between lists or into sections. Use manual sorting and batch editing when you want to change their order. See Drag and Drop for the available targets and selection rules.

Notifications and Alarms​

Give a task more than one alert when you need both an early reminder and one near the deadline. An alert can be relative to the due date or set for a fixed date and time.

Nag Me repeats reminders, and Sticky Alert keeps today's tasks in Android's notification drawer. See Notifications and Alarms for these options, notification permission, sound, and exact alert scheduling.

Sharing a List​

Share a list with other 2Do users through iCloud so each person can see its tasks and changes. Touch and hold an eligible list in Lists and choose Share via iCloud…, or open Settings > iCloud Shared Lists to create or join a shared list.

Sharing uses an Apple Account and is separate from the sync method for your other lists. A shared list uses iCloud even when your ordinary lists use another service. See iCloud List Sharing for invitations, access, and ending sharing.

Widgets​

Keep a task list, Focus List, Smart List, or undone counter on your home screen. Touch and hold an empty part of the home screen, choose Widgets, then find 2Do. See Widgets for the task-list, transparent, and counter styles.

Backups​

2Do can make local backups automatically. Use Settings > Manage Backups to review, export, or restore them and choose a backup folder. See Backups for what a backup includes and how to restore it.

Password Protection​

Protect selected lists, set when 2Do asks for the password again, and choose whether protected content can appear in widgets or notifications. See Password Protection.

Themes and Appearance​

Choose a color theme in Settings > App Appearance. Set a theme for your device's Light appearance with the sun button and for its Dark appearance with the moon button. Choose the same theme for both to keep one look throughout the day.

See Themes for the settings screen and steps. You can also change how much detail appears in task rows.

Adjusting Settings​

Tap the Settings gear at the bottom of Lists to change appearance, display mode, your default collection list, notification behavior, sync, and backups. See Settings for the full reference.

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