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How do I import data from OmniFocus?

On Mac, 2Do imports directly from OmniFocus. If OmniFocus is installed, choose File > Import > From OmniFocus… and 2Do reads your local OmniFocus 4 database directly (read-only, without changing anything in OmniFocus) — projects become lists, actions and groups become tasks and sub-tasks, and tags, flags, defer/due dates, durations, and repeats all come across. OmniFocus doesn't need to be running. It's a best-effort, one-time copy: once imported, the tasks are ordinary 2Do tasks you're free to rearrange. See Importing and Exporting for the full mapping. (2Do can also import from Things and from calendar .ics files the same way.)

Why read the database? OmniFocus doesn't sync over an open standard such as CalDAV or two-way Apple Reminders (both supported by 2Do), so live sync between the apps isn't possible; a direct read is the reliable way to extract your tasks. Once imported, they stay portable: sync onward over CalDAV or Reminders, or export everything as CSV at any time.

On iPhone, iPad, and Android there's no direct OmniFocus import. The community route is via Toodledo:

  1. Export your data from OmniFocus in CSV format.
  2. Create a free account at www.toodledo.com and import the CSV there.
  3. Open 2Do → Settings > Sync → set up sync with that Toodledo account.
  4. Sync. After the data lands in 2Do, consider switching to Dropbox sync for the long-term setup. Dropbox carries more 2Do features than Toodledo does.

Learn more: Dropbox sync on Mac, Dropbox sync on iOS, Dropbox sync on Android.