Search
2Do for Android has a rich search engine that can look across every task property. Pair it with Search Presets and you can turn the searches you run most often into one-tap views. The same search language also powers Smart Lists, so anything useful enough to keep can be promoted into a permanent list.
Reaching Search
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Tap the search icon in the top toolbar.
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Or pull down on the task list. Type to filter by:
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Title
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Notes
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Tags
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Action target (phone, email, URL)
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Location By default search runs in the current list. Tap the scope toggle to search All Lists.
Search Options
Tap the gear icon in the search bar to open Search Options:
- Match titles only vs. titles + notes + tags + action.
- Full Text Search — precise matching with exclusions, capital
OR, and wildcards. Reach for this when you want exact control over the results. - Soundex matching — typo-tolerant matching. plumver can still find plumber, Steven can find Stephen, and Catherine can find Kathryn.
- Date range — narrow results to a specific window.
- Show completed — include or exclude completed tasks.
Full Text and Soundex
2Do offers two matching styles, and each shines in a different situation:
- Full Text Search is the right pick when you want exact words, exclusions,
OR, or wildcards. - Soundex is the right pick when you roughly know what something sounds like but can't quite remember how it's spelled.
To take advantage of Full Text operators, turn Soundex off in Search Options. Soundex intentionally widens the match — that's great for names and typos, but it's less useful when you want strict search syntax.
Full Text Examples
Imagine you have these tasks:
- Get a haircut one day
- Buy a new car some day
- Find a new job
- Call: Mum, tell about my new job
- Call: Tim
| Search | Finds | Why |
|---|---|---|
new job | Find a new job, Call: Mum, tell about my new job | Both words are required. |
new job -find | Call: Mum, tell about my new job | The word find is excluded. |
a day | Get a haircut one day, Buy a new car some day | Both words appear in the matching tasks. |
Call OR new | Buy a new car some day, Find a new job, Call: Mum, tell about my new job, Call: Tim | Capital OR matches either word. |
new* | Words like new, newer, and newest | The * wildcard matches anything starting with those letters. |
* | Tasks with indexed text | Handy as a broad text match when combined with structured filters. |
You can also combine text searches with structured filters — for example, plumber type: starred tags: builders.
Soundex Examples
| You type | 2Do can still find |
|---|---|
plumver | plumber |
Steven | Stephen |
alexnder | Alexander |
Catherine | Kathryn |
For the complete syntax — including type:, tags:, locations:, groups:, created:, and modified: — see Smart Lists, Smart Filters, and Search.
Search Presets
Once you've dialled in a useful search, tap Save as Preset. Presets sync between devices.
Search vs. Smart Lists
- Search Presets are quick saves accessed from the search panel.
- Smart Lists are first-class lists pinned to the drawer with their own color and icon. If you find yourself opening the same preset every day, promote it to a Smart List — open the preset and tap Convert to Smart List.