Auto-Prioritize with Apple Intelligence
Auto-Prioritize uses Apple Intelligence to help you decide what needs attention first. Select a group of tasks, and 2Do sets their priorities to None, Low, Medium, or High, based on their details.
What You Need
Auto-Prioritize requires a Mac that supports Apple Intelligence, running macOS 26 or later, with Apple Intelligence turned on.
The command is hidden on unsupported Macs. If Apple Intelligence is turned off or still getting ready, 2Do explains what to do when you choose the command.
Auto-Prioritize is also available on iPhone and iPad. See Auto-Prioritize for iOS.
Using Auto-Prioritize
- Select the tasks you want prioritized.
⌘-click adds tasks one at a time and⇧-click selects a range. See Multi-Task Actions. - Right-click the selection and choose Edit Priority > Auto-Prioritize, the first item in the submenu. The same command is in the menu bar under Task > Edit Priority.
- The first time, 2Do explains what the command does. Click Continue to start.
Select Do not show this message again to skip the prompt next time. To restore it, click Clear next to Confirmation warnings in Settings > General.
A progress sheet shows how many tasks have been processed. Click Cancel to stop without changing priorities. Afterward, Edit > Undo (⌘Z) restores all previous priorities; Edit > Redo reapplies the result.
What Auto-Prioritize Uses
For each selected task, 2Do considers:
- Its title and notes.
- Its start date and due date, including whether it is overdue.
- The list it belongs to and its tags.
- Its current priority.
Only the priority changes. Other task details stay as they are, and completed tasks are skipped. If you select a project or checklist, its sub-tasks keep their priorities unless you select them too.
If you change a task's priority, complete it, or its list becomes read-only during processing, 2Do leaves that task alone. A summary appears if any tasks were skipped or processing could not finish.
Existing Priorities
Auto-Prioritize can add a priority or raise one you've already set.
- Tasks without a priority get one when their details suggest a reason. Routine tasks with no date may stay at None.
- Existing priorities are kept or raised. An undated task described as an optional wish or someday idea may return to None, unless its details give a stronger reason to keep a priority.
- A task may keep the same priority if no change is needed.
Examples
2Do considers when a task is due and the importance or consequences described in its title and notes. These examples start with no priority set.
| Task | Priority |
|---|---|
| "Renew car insurance before the policy lapses", due tomorrow | High |
| "Pay the credit card bill today to avoid the late fee", due today | High |
| "File tax return to avoid financial penalties", no date | Medium or higher |
| "Reset the leaked password right away", no date | High |
| Anything due today or tomorrow | Medium or higher |
| Anything tagged urgent | Medium or higher |
| "Buy milk", no date | None |
| "Fold the laundry", no date | None |
| "Maybe learn Italian someday" | None |
An important task or one with serious consequences gets High when it is overdue, due today or tomorrow, or its wording makes clear that it needs attention now. A nearby deadline alone gives at least Medium. Routine tasks with no date can stay at None.
Sort the list by Priority to review the results. See Stars and Priorities.
When to Use It
- After adding several tasks. Capture your ideas in the Inbox, then review their priorities together. See Quick Entry.
- During a weekly review. Select tasks in Today or a Smart List to review what needs attention.
- After importing tasks. Review priorities in a list brought over from another app. See Import and Export.
- When planning a project. Write the steps, then use their details and dates to help set priorities.
For help organizing tasks into sections, see Auto-Create Sections and Auto-Name Section.
Privacy
Auto-Prioritize runs on your Mac using Apple Intelligence. It does not send your task details to Apple or another AI service, and it needs no separate account or subscription.
Larger selections take longer to process.
Troubleshooting
- The command is missing from Edit Priority. Check that your Mac supports Apple Intelligence and runs macOS 26 or later.
- The command is dimmed. Check whether the selection includes a task in a read-only list. You can only change priorities in lists you can edit.
- Apple Intelligence is unavailable. Turn it on in System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, and wait for it to finish downloading before trying again.