How to Use iPhone Reminders & Surprising Use Cases
If you think the Reminders app is just for to-do lists, think again. It’s your digital assistant for everything — remembering to pay bills, tracking workouts, planning meals, even sharing grocery lists with family.
In this guide, we’ll show you some of the best features and use cases in Reminders, how to export and print reminders using your computer, and even how to recover deleted reminders.
Quick jump to any of the sections in the guide:
4. Best Practices for Managing iPhone Reminders
Conclusion
1. Everyday Uses of iPhone Reminders
You may be surprised by the sheer range of things you can do with this versatile app! Here’s a list of the most helpful ways you can use Reminders on your iPhone:
1.2 Scheduled Reminders
To schedule, set a time and/or date when creating a reminder, as well as whether the task will reoccur each day, week, year, etc. Scheduled reminders will also show in your iPhone Calendar app, on the date you’ve specified.
Best use cases: Scheduled Reminders
- Tracking monthly bill payments.
- Ensuring you cancel a subscription in time to avoid unwanted charges.
- Periodic reminders like medication schedules or when to water your plants.
Top Tip: Set an "Early Reminder" for before an event takes place, so you can book your car’s MOT before it is actually due!
1.3 Templates
If you find yourself doing the same type of task multiple times, try creating a reminder template. Simply create a new reminder list with all the sections and reminders which are common whenever you take on such a task. Then, tap the menu at the top of your screen, and choose “Save as Template”.
Now, when you take on a new task, open the Reminders app on your iPhone, tap the 3-dot menu and then “Templates”. Choose your template and enter a new name to create a new reminders list from your template.
Best use cases: Reminder Templates
- Packing lists for travel — the essentials remain the same.
- Recurring multi-part work tasks that you can break down with a list of reminders.
Top Tip: If using reminders for projects, try splitting your reminders into sections, then organize those sections in column view. This further helps visualize and break down a larger project into smaller chunks.
1.4 “Remind Me Later”
With Reminders, you can get a notification when you actually need it, based on your circumstances. When setting up a new reminder, tap “Details”, and choose “Location” or “When Messaging”. You’ll get a notification when you arrive/leave your chosen location, or when you’re messaging your chosen contact.
Best use cases: “Remind Me Later”
- Important location-based tasks — remind yourself to send an email when you arrive at the office or to take out the trash when you get home.
- Site access — get a reminder of a code for a door/gate when you arrive at a location you rarely visit.
- Contact check-ins — remind yourself to ask about a family member’s birthday party or health appointment next time you are messaging them.
1.5 Creative & Personal Uses
The possibilities are endless! Reminders can really help improve your organization and productivity, avoiding future stress and time management issues. So, if you need a bit of help or want to gain a headstart on future tasks, make a Reminder. Check out some of our favorite creative uses for your personal life...
Best use cases: Personal/Creative Reminders
- Gift ideas and wish lists — be prepared for Christmas by adding to a list of gift ideas for your family throughout the year.
- Media list — when a new movie, TV series, book or album drops, add it to your list and check it off once you’ve completed it.
- Health and Fitness — create a template for your favorite workouts and tweak those weights or durations as you progress. Or a weekly menu to help with meal prep and have your favorite recipes all in one place.
- “Waiting for” lists — track packages you’ve ordered, calls you’re expecting, or similar.
2. Backing Up iPhone Reminders
Backing up your iPhone Reminders ensures you never lose important lists, tasks, or schedules if your phone is lost, reset, or synced incorrectly. By exporting reminders to your computer, you’ll benefit from safe copies of your lists, easier access for work or record-keeping, and the option to print them out if you need a physical checklist.
TouchCopy is a helpful and trusted tool which can save and print iPhone Reminders via your PC or Mac — no iCloud or complicated syncing required.
2.1 How to Export iPhone Reminders to PC with TouchCopy
- Download and install TouchCopy on your computer.
- Connect your iPhone via USB.
- Click Reminders and select the reminder list(s) you want to export.
- Save as PDF, HTML or Plain Text.
TouchCopy can access and save all the important information for your reminders, including sections, notes, tags, completed items, flagged items and important items. Find out more about saving iPhone reminders with TouchCopy.
You can also access and save your scheduled reminders in calendar format by using TouchCopy’s Calendar feature. Simply select the “Scheduled Reminders” calendar and save as iCal or CSV!
2.2 Why choose TouchCopy?
- Supports both Windows and Mac.
- Backs up reminders securely and locally, without using iCloud.
- Can export entire reminder lists in a choice of formats.
- Prints out reminders for use as a physical checklist or archive.
3. How to Recover Deleted iPhone Reminders
Even the most organized users can accidentally delete a reminder or entire list. Thankfully, there are a few ways to recover your lost iPhone Reminders — from Apple’s built-in tools to third-party recovery software.
3.1 Restore from “Recently Deleted” on iPhone
Your iPhone automatically keeps deleted reminders in a Recently Deleted folder for 30-days. To restore them:
- Open the Reminders app.
- Tap Recently Deleted under your lists.
- Recover reminders:
- Single: Tap an individual reminder to move it to your default list.
- Multiple: Open the menu at the top of your screen > Select Reminders. Tap all the reminders you want to recover, tap Move, and choose the list you’d like to move them back to.
3.2 Recover Deleted Reminder Lists with iBackup Extractor
For users who need to recover entire deleted lists or need access to lists which cannot be recovered from Recently Deleted reminders, iBackup Extractor can help.
You can use iBackup Extractor to access and extract reminders (and more) from your local iPhone backups on your Windows or Mac computer. Here’s how:
- Download and install iBackup Extractor on your computer.
- Select your iPhone backup.
- Click Reminders to view all the reminders stored in your chosen backup.
- Select the reminder list(s) you want to export.
- Save as PDF, HTML or Plain Text.
This is ideal if you’ve previously backed up your iPhone with iTunes, Apple Devices or Finder, and need to retrieve reminders that are no longer on your device.
4. Best Practices for Managing iPhone Reminders
Use Tags for Better Organization
Add tags to group reminders by theme or project (e.g., #work, #bills, #health). This makes searching and filtering faster, especially if you manage many lists.
You can add tags as part of creating a new reminder; or select an existing reminder, tap the hashtag (#), and enter your tags.
Create Smart Lists
Smart lists automatically collect reminders that share certain criteria — like tags, due dates, priorities, or locations.
To create a Smart List, open the Reminders app and tap the “new list” icon at the top of your screen. Then, tap “List Type” > “Smart List” > “Edit Filters” to select which reminders to include in your smart list.
Clear Out Completed or Outdated Tasks
Regularly review and delete old reminders to keep your app clutter-free. A tidy reminders list makes it easier to stay on top of active tasks.
- Delete individual reminders by swiping them left.
- Delete a list by opening the menu at the top of your screen, then tap “Delete List”.
Export Periodically with TouchCopy
Back up your reminders to your computer every so often using TouchCopy. Exporting them as PDF, HTML, or Text ensures you always have a secure, accessible record of your completed and ongoing tasks.
Conclusion
iPhone Reminders can do far more than make checklists — it’s a powerful tool for managing everything from household chores and work projects to health goals and personal plans. By taking advantage of features like shared lists, templates, tags, and smart lists, you can keep every part of your life organized and stress-free.
Just as important is protecting that data. Backing up your reminders with TouchCopy ensures your information stays safe, accessible, and ready to use whenever you need it — whether you’re archiving past projects, printing out for checklists on paper, or simply like having a secure copy on your computer.