Over the years, I have tried dozens of todo/task-management/reminder apps — nearly every such app I came across. Or so I thought, until I discovered the Due app a couple of weeks ago.
When John Gruber wrote that he’d been using the app for 15 years(!) and had high praise for it, I had to give it a try — he has good taste in apps.
I instantly loved it! The app interface is fairly unique, very slick, and fast. The font felt a little strange at first, but I’ve since gotten used to it.
Due’s standout feature is its intentionally persistent (read as “super-annoying”), and therefore highly effective, notifications. Let me explain: once a reminder becomes due, it sends a notification every 5 minutes; marking it as done or postponing it stops the notifications. The app can also send iOS critical notifications, which make a sound even when the phone is on silent (as all phones should always be). All of this is customizable for all reminders, or individually for each one.
I’ve moved all my personal short-term and recurring (weekly/monthly) reminders to Due. I’ve also set up daily reminders like Daily Planning , which has helped me stick to my habits much better (than any habit tracking app I’ve tried). So far, I’m really enjoying it.
I still use the Apple Reminders app for shared lists with my spouse (Grocery list, Home Improvement list).
And I continue to use Things 3 for my work-related tasks. Features like Areas, Projects, Tags, quick entry into Inbox, and scheduling as Today/Anytime/Someday are all essential for my workflow. I’ll write about my Things 3 workflow some other day.
If you find yourself setting lots of reminders but not really getting them done, give Due a chance.
Oh, one last word: all that I said above is about the iOS app. The Mac app is kind of meh; the only value I see is the desktop widget.