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Alarms and Nagging

A task is only useful if you remember to look at it. 2Do supports multiple alerts per task, with full control over when each alert fires and whether it plays a sound.

Adding an Alarm​

In the task editor, click the Alerts field, or choose Task > Edit Alerts (⌘') with a task selected. Add an alert and configure:

  • Relative to Due Date — fire before or on the task's due date.
  • Relative to Start Date — fire before or on the task's start date.
  • Custom Date and Time — fire at a specific date and time.
  • Sound Alert — play a sound when the alert fires. Click Create to save the alert. You can add more than one alert to the same task.
The alarms field with multiple alarms

Relative vs. Absolute Alarms​

  • Relative — 15 minutes before due, 1 hour before due, 1 day before due. The alarm fires relative to the task's due date, due time, or start date. Most useful for tasks where the deadline or start date is what matters.
  • Absolute — fires at a specific date and time, independent of the task's dates. Useful for "remind me on Friday at 9am, even if this isn't due yet." A single task can mix relative and absolute alarms freely.

Repeating Sound Alerts​

Some tasks must not slip. In 2Do > Settings > Alerts, use Sound alerts repeat to choose whether sound alerts repeat until dismissed, repeat every few minutes, or don't repeat at all.

note

Repeating sound alerts are part of 2Do's own alert method. If you switch to macOS Notification Center alerts, 2Do disables the repeat-position controls, since macOS manages those notifications itself.

Automatic Alerts​

2Do can create alerts automatically every time you set a due date for a task. Two kinds are available, configured under 2Do > Settings > Alerts:

Alerts on Due Time​

When a task has a Due Time set, Remind me can fire an alarm at that exact moment. The dropdown lets you offset the alarm — 5 minutes before, 10 minutes before, 1 hour before, etc. — so you get the nudge before, not at, the deadline.

Alerts on Due Date​

For tasks that have a Due Date but no Due Time, Remind me can fire an alert on the due date or a chosen offset before it. Useful if you don't habitually set due times but still want a day-of nudge.

How "Due Date Only" Is Interpreted​

A due date with no due time has no specific clock time attached. If you use automatic due-date alerts, 2Do treats the beginning of the due day as the reference point for that alert. To give new dated tasks a preferred time automatically, set a Default Due Time under 2Do > Settings > Advanced.

Default Automatic Alerts​

If most of your dated tasks deserve the same reminder, set the automatic due-time and due-date reminders in 2Do > Settings > Alerts. You can still edit or remove alerts on individual tasks at any time.

Overdue Notifications​

When a task passes its due date without being completed, it becomes overdue and shows up in overdue sections and counts. If you want a reminder on the due date itself, use an automatic due-date alert or add a task-specific alert.

tip

If overdue tasks are making a list count feel too busy, open 2Do > Settings > General and review whether undone counts should include overdue tasks.

Notification Center vs the 2Do Alert Window​

2Do offers two alerting systems and lets you pick between them in 2Do > Settings > Alerts:

macOS Notification Center​

  • Alerts appear in Notification Center alongside notifications from other apps.
  • macOS controls notification style, sound, and visibility under System Settings > Notifications > 2Do.

Caveats:

  • Repeating sound alerts are not controlled by 2Do while using Notification Center.

2Do Alert Window​

A dedicated 2Do alert window, designed to grab immediate attention.

  • Choose where the alert appears on screen: top-right, top-left, or center.
  • Choose whether sound alerts repeat.
  • Alerts can fire even when 2Do isn't running, provided Launch 2Do Helper on System Startup is enabled in 2Do > Settings > General.

Pick whichever fits your workflow under Settings > Alerts.

Snoozing and Acting on an Alert​

When an alert fires, use the alert controls to open the task, dismiss the alert, or snooze it (where the chosen alert method supports snoozing).

Tips​

tip

Stack a 15 minutes before and a 1 hour before alarm on important meetings. The early warning gives you prep time; the late one gets you out the door.

tip

For deadlines that absolutely must not slip (filing a tax return, sending a contract), use 2Do's alert method and set sound alerts to repeat until dismissed.

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