Microsoft To Do is an impressive to-do list application that offers creative solutions for organizing your life. When time is limited, having quick access to creating and amending tasks is key.

Luckily, this app provides just that—allowing you to create refined lists while reducing the time taken making them. Here are five tips for productive use of Microsoft To Do to stay on top of your day and win back time.

1. Add List Shortcuts to Your Home Screen

In any to-do list application, having an organized space for your tasks is a priority, especially if you're out on the go. Thankfully, Microsoft To Do makes this no issue. Using the home screen shortcut ability, you'll have superfast access to a neat, efficient display of all your lists directly from your home screen.

To set up a home screen shortcut, head to your chosen list's page and tap the three dots in the upper right corner. From the list of options that appear, tap Add shortcut to homescreen. Then drag the icon that appears to any available space on your home screen to add the shortcut.

Now you can access any created list with one tap.

2. Get Smart Suggestions for Your Tasks

Microsoft To Do's Suggestions feature is a great time-saver when it comes to making your daily to-do lists. This feature gives you smart task suggestions based on your history of recent and important tasks.

This can be found in the My Day tab, where you'll see a small light bulb icon. Tap on this to view your recommended tasks.

Suggestions are categorized into different sections:

  • The Yesterday section fetches any uncompleted tasks from yesterday's My Day list.
  • The Recently Added section displays smart suggestions from all of your lists.
  • The From Earlier section gives you a list of overdue tasks sorted by their due date.

With these options combined, you'll be able to generate your My Day list without hesitation.

To add a suggestion, tap the + icon next to the relevant task, or you can use the shortcut Ctrl + T if working from the Windows app.

adding suggested task in Microsoft To Do

Suggestions can be particularly helpful if you rely on routines. Having recommendations for tasks you commit to every week saves you from needing to recreate them, and they can also serve as handy reminders.

3. View a History of Tasks Made Across All Lists

As with any task management app, falling behind or being overwhelmed is not so difficult when faced with lots to do. While having access to unlimited lists is a productivity bonus, it does make it easier to miss a task.

This is solved with the All tab, which displays a list of every uncompleted task assigned across all lists. This saves time manually searching through each list to check what has and hasn't been done.

To preview an ordered history of all tasks:

  1. Navigate to the All tab.
  2. Press the three dots in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Sort by.
  4. Then select Creation date from the list of options.

You can also sort tasks by their due date or do an alphabetical sort according to your preference. With the All tab, you'll never have to fear missing something important again.

4. Manage Your Tasks Easily Using the Widgets Feature

The widgets feature in Microsoft To Do is one of the most advanced of its kind. Its customizable display allows you to view and edit various lists without needing to open the app—perfect for reducing phone usage.

The widget can be set up like any other widget on your mobile device. The default display is the My Day page, however, this can easily be changed by tapping the dropdown in the top banner, where you can select which list you'd like to preview.

Here, you can check off tasks as well as add new ones by tapping the + button shown below.

All this can be done without opening the application, making task management effortless when you're in a rush.

Further customization features can be found by tapping the gear icon in the top right corner of the interface. Here you can change the font size, opacity, and opt to turn on Show completed tasks, which gives you a clear perspective of what you have done against what needs to be done.

demonstrating advanced widget features in microsoft to do

5. Sync Tasks With Your PC

Thankfully, with this application, there is no need to rely on one device to view all of your tasks. The Microsoft To Do Windows app available on the Microsoft Store syncs all of your tasks and lists straight to your PC.

You can switch between lists via the sidebar panel, where you'll also find the options to create a new list or group, as seen in the mobile app. There's also the practical option of setting up desktop notifications using the Remind me function.

How to Set Up a Desktop Reminder

To create a desktop reminder, click on the task you'd like to be reminded of and select the Remind me option from the menu that appears. Here you'll be given a list of suggestions as well as the choice to set a custom time.

setting up desktop reminders in microsoft to do

With Microsoft To Do's cross-platforming and desktop notifications enabled, you'll never have to worry about remembering your tasks again.

Pinning Task Lists to Your Desktop

One smart feature of the desktop application is the option to view your tasks list as a pinned window, similar to that seen in these sticky note applications for Windows.

Using the keyboard shortcut Alt + Up will minimize the application to a small window displayed on top of your desktop outlining your tasks. This is useful both if you're a digital minimalist or an avid multitasker with an overflow of open windows.

Supercharge Your Productivity With These Tips

Microsoft To Do is one of the most versatile task management apps on the market. It's more than just a simple to-do list app—use these extended features for a watertight approach to task management without wasting your time.