Repeating Tasks
Real life is full of things that come back. 2Do has flexible recurrence rules for both fixed schedules and chores that should restart when you actually finish them.
Adding Recurrence
Open a task and tap the Repeat button in the editor's bottom toolbar, or press ⌘; with a hardware keyboard. The task does not need a date first: if it has neither a start nor a due date, 2Do gives it a due date of today as soon as you set a rule.
The panel opens with a summary of what the task repeats by, and when it stops, so you can see the whole rule at a glance.
For a new task you can type the rule instead, in phrases such as every day, every weekday, every Monday, every 2 weeks, every month on the 15th, or every year on September 5. Put a date in the title too when the rule needs something to count from, as in Take vitamins tomorrow every day. See Natural Language Input.
Presets
A row of one-tap rules covers the common schedules:
| Rule | Repeats |
|---|---|
| Never | Not at all |
| Daily | Every day |
| Weekly | Every week, on the same weekday as the task's date |
| Biweekly | Every second week |
| Monthly | Every month, on the same date |
| Yearly | Every year, on the same date |
Tapping one sets the whole rule and closes any custom form you had open.
Custom Rules
Under the presets sit three custom shapes. Tap one to open its controls:
- On every given period: every 1 to 99 Days, Weeks, Months, or Years.
- On some days of the week: any combination of Monday through Sunday, so a Monday, Wednesday, Friday rule or a weekdays-only rule is a couple of taps away.
- On a day of each month: the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or Last of a chosen weekday, for rules like the second Tuesday of every month.
The current shape carries a checkmark, so you always know which one the rule is using.
There is no single-tap Weekday or Weekend rule. Build either with On some days of the week: tick Monday through Friday, or tick Saturday and Sunday.
Ends
The Ends control finishes the rule:
- Never: the task keeps repeating.
- On date: pick the last date the rule may reach.
- After: pick a number of repetitions, from 1 to 99.
Repeat From Due Date vs. Completion
This one is worth understanding clearly. The Repeat from completion date switch at the bottom of the panel decides which it is.
- Off (repeat from the due date): the next occurrence is counted from the previous due date, whenever you actually completed the task. Best for fixed schedules such as paying rent on the 1st, or a weekly status report.
- On (repeat from completion): the next occurrence is counted from the day you marked the task complete. Best for chores and maintenance where the cycle restarts when you finish: changing the car's oil every 3 months, watering the plants every few days, or going to the gym every other day.
The switch is unavailable until the task actually repeats, since there is nothing to count from yet.
Examples:
- A task due on the 1st of every month and completed on the 3rd still repeats from the 1st when the switch is off.
- A task to change the car's oil every 3 months repeats 3 months from the day you complete it when the switch is on, so finishing a couple of weeks late shifts the next one with you instead of stacking them up.
Use repeat from the due date for promises tied to the calendar. Use repeat from completion for maintenance, chores, exercise, reviews, and anything where the next cycle should begin when you finished the last one.
What Happens When You Complete One
When you complete a repeating task and another occurrence remains, 2Do keeps a completed copy for your history and moves the active task to the next occurrence. Your Done list still shows the completed occurrence, while the task you carry on with becomes the next one.
If the task has reached its After count or its On date, the final occurrence simply completes.
The dates move forward using the same shape you gave the task:
| Original task | Next occurrence |
|---|---|
| Only a due date | The due date moves to the next due date. |
| Only a start date | The start date moves to the next start date, and the task stays Scheduled until then. |
| Start date and due date | The due date moves forward, and 2Do keeps the same gap between start and due. A task that starts 2 days before it is due keeps that 2-day planning window next time. |
| Due time | The same due time is kept on the next occurrence. |
| Duration | The same duration is kept, so lead-time reminders keep working. |
For projects and checklists, the next occurrence starts fresh so you can work through the sub-tasks again. The completed occurrence stays in your history with the work you already checked off.
Changing the Dates of a Repeating Task
A repeating task is one task that moves forward each time you complete it. There is no separate series to edit: a date change applies to the task, and the next occurrence is counted from the new date. This is true whether you change the date in the editor or with Today, Tomorrow, Pick, Defer, or Schedule in the touch-and-hold menu.
With Repeat from completion date off:
- Due date changed: the next occurrence is counted from the new due date. Move a monthly task from September 21 to September 22, and its next occurrence is due October 22.
- Start date changed, and the task also has a due date: the due dates keep their schedule, but the new gap between start and due carries into future occurrences.
- Start date changed, and there is no due date: the start date is what the task repeats from, so the next occurrence moves with it.
With Repeat from completion date on, the next occurrence is counted from the day you complete the task, so a date change affects only the current occurrence. The gap between start and due date still carries forward.
To put off an alert without touching the task's dates, use Snooze on the notification. See Alerts and Nagging.
What Carries Over
Each new occurrence inherits the details that make the recurrence useful: title, notes, tags, location, action, alerts, the recurrence rule, priority, and duration. Completion state, alert fire history, and per-occurrence sub-task progress are reset.
Add an alert to a repeating task once and every occurrence keeps it. See Alerts and Nagging.
Skipping an Occurrence
To skip a single occurrence without breaking the cycle, mark the current task complete. The next occurrence takes its place as scheduled.
To put a recurring task on hold without breaking the cycle, give it a status tag such as @on-hold and pause that tag in the Tags panel. The active occurrence steps out of view; resume the tag to bring it back. See Tags.
Examples
- Weekly review: Weekly, due Friday at 4:00 PM, repeating from the due date.
- Change car oil: every 3 months, repeating from completion.
- Pay insurance premium: every 3 months, ends Never.
- Stand-up: on some days of the week, Monday through Friday, due at 9:30 AM.
- Board meeting: on a day of each month, the 1st Thursday.
- Passport renewal: Yearly, ends after 1 repetition.