How-To
Capture and manage tasks on Apple Watch
Use the Watch dashboard for capture, completion, search, projects, Rituals and calendar commitments.
Before you start
- Install and open the Watch app using the linked setup guide.
- Free provides today's reminder-focused view and iCloud status. Premium unlocks the full task dashboard, capture, search and Ritual reference. Study has separate access and does not require Premium.
Check today's tasks
- Check today's workOpen myDailyTasks on Watch. Free shows reminder-enabled items; Premium shows the Today dashboard. Use the separate completion control to complete or reopen an occurrence, confirming when prompted.
Capture by voice, keyboard or Scribble
Choose Add with Voice, or Add Task in Capture Task. Use the input methods offered by watchOS for your model and language. Try a fictional task such as Call Sam tomorrow 9am A1 #Work; the tag must already exist. Check the saved task and date after submitting the text.
Edit without losing the schedule
Open an ordinary task, change its title or details in Edit Task and choose Save. The compact Watch editor preserves the existing scheduling fields. Use iPhone, iPad or Mac for the full editor.
Find and group work
Open Search Tasks to search retained work across dates while the search screen is open. Open Projects & Clients to browse the catalogue and assigned tasks using native Watch choices. Search and project views use the original records.
Review Rituals and goals
Open Rituals to read cadence, next occurrence, time, tag and priority. Complete a dated Ritual from Today. Where a Daily Quest is shown, use its Start, Complete, Snooze or Stuck controls for that goal task; this is separate from the Task Timer.
Connect the Watch calendar
In the Calendar section choose Connect Calendar, allow full access, choose Calendars and enable Show Events. Choices are local to the Watch. Read the current and next commitment; edit the event and perform full calendar planning on your larger device.
Check appointments and sync
Use Task Settings → Show Appointments in Task Lists if you want appointments among tasks. In iCloud, use Sync with iCloud to save and check account status, then verify the changed item on another device. A successful check does not guarantee immediate delivery.
Open Study separately
Choose Study even without Premium. Select a subject and its coursework. Existing work remains editable and completable after Study expiry; creating new coursework requires active Study access.
Confirm the setup is working
- A text edit preserves the original schedule and completion history.
- Voice capture appears on its detected date, which may be tomorrow rather than Today.
- Watch calendar events stay separate from task counts and completion.
For missing tasks check the date, Free/Premium access, appointment visibility and iCloud state. For unavailable input methods use another method offered by watchOS. Reopen the app after installing an update; the phone and Watch can have different installed builds.
Keep going
Your next useful step
Continue with a related guide or explore how the feature fits your plan.