Let Things remind you of anything that you need to do every few days, weeks, or months.

Repeating to-dos help you manage your daily, weekly, and monthly routines by automatically creating new to-dos for you. You set their schedule once, and then leave the rest to Things – the app will remind you when the day comes by putting a new to-do in your Today list.

Create a repeating to-do

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Click File → New Repeating To-Do.
  3. Set the pattern: to-dos can repeat according to a fixed schedule or after the previous to-do has been completed.
  4. Click OK to save it.

You can also make an existing to-do repeat. Select it, and then in the menu bar at the top of your screen, click Items → Repeat.

iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Tap to create a new to-do.
  3. When you’re done creating the new to-do, tap the button in the upper right to dismiss the keyboard.
  4. At the bottom of your screen, tap → Repeat.
  5. Set the pattern: to-dos can repeat according to a fixed schedule or after the previous to-do has been completed.
  6. Tap Save.

You can also make an existing to-do repeat. Tap it, and then at the bottom of your screen, tap → Repeat.

iPad users with a hardware keyboard can also use a keyboard shortcut.

Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

When you set up a repeating to-do, you have two additional options:

  • Add a Reminder if you want to be notified at a specific time on the days the to-do repeats.
  • Add a Deadline if you want each copy to have a deadline. You can also choose how many days before the deadline you want the to-do to appear in Today.

Make a project repeat

If you have a list of to-dos which need to be repeated, you could create a repeating to-do with a checklist – or you could create a repeating project. If a repeating project better suits your needs, here’s how to create one:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. In the sidebar, click one of your Projects.
  3. At the top of the window, next to the project’s title, click → Repeat.
  4. Set the pattern: projects can repeat according to a fixed schedule or after the previous to-do has been completed.
  5. Click OK to save it.
iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Tap one of your Projects to open it.
  3. At the top of the screen, next to the project’s title, tap → Repeat.
  4. Set the pattern: projects can repeat according to a fixed schedule or after the previous to-do has been completed.
  5. Tap Save.

iPad users with a hardware keyboard can also use a keyboard shortcut.

Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

Repeat on certain days only

If you want to repeat something only on certain days – only weekdays, for example, or only weekends – here’s how to set this up:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Click File → New Repeating To-Do.
  3. Set Repeat to weekly.
  4. Use the + button to add all the days on which you want the to-do to appear.
  5. Click OK.
iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Tap to create a new to-do.
  3. When you’re done creating the new to-do, tap the button in the upper right to dismiss the keyboard.
  4. At the bottom of your screen, tap → Repeat.
  5. Select Regularly.
  6. Make sure the value for Every is set to week.
  7. Tap On and select all the days on which you want the to-do to appear.
  8. Tap Back and then tap Save.
Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

Edit or stop repeating to-dos/projects

When you create a repeating to-do or project, a template is created. Future copies of the repeating item that appear in the Today list are all based on this template. If you ever want to modify its schedule or change what the to-do will look like in the future, you will need to edit this template. Here’s how:

Mac
  1. On your Mac, open Things.
  2. Locate the template.
    In Quick Find, type “repeating” and select Repeating from the results.
  3. Double-click your template to make any of the following changes:
    • Edit its title, notes, tags, or checklist. Going forward, all future copies will include these changes.
    • Change its repeating pattern: click Repeat → Change.
    • Pause it: click Repeat → Pause. It will stop generating new to-dos until you resume it.
    • Resume it: click Repeat → Resume.
    • Stop it: click Repeat > Stop. This will turn your template into a regular to-do.
iPad & iPhone
  1. On your iPad or iPhone, open Things.
  2. Locate the template.
    In Quick Find, type “repeating” and select Repeating from the results.
  3. Tap your template to make any of the following changes:
    • Edit its title, notes, tags, or checklist. Going forward, all future copies will include these changes.
    • Change its repeating pattern: tap Repeat → Change.
    • Pause it: tap Repeat → Pause. It will stop generating new to-dos until you resume it.
    • Resume it: tap Repeat → Resume.
    • Stop it: tap Repeat > Stop. This will turn your template into a regular to-do.
Vision

In Things for Vision, please follow the same steps as described in the iPad & iPhone tab above.

FAQ

Can I complete a repeating to-do early?
At this time, it’s not possible to complete a repeating to-do ahead of its schedule, but we are working on improving this down the road.
Can I see all repeating to-dos in one place?
Yes, there is a dedicated list for this. Just invoke Quick Find and type “repeating”. Learn more.
My changes to a repeating to-do don’t stick.
If you are making changes to a repeating to-do but the next time the to-do appears those changes are gone, you have edited the copy of the repeating to-do, not the template. In order for changes to stick and appear in future copies, you must edit the repeating template. Here’s how.
Why can’t I check off the checklist in my repeating to-do?
You can’t complete checklist items inside the repeating template, only inside the copy that appears in your Today list.
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