How to set a reminder on Windows 11 and Mac
You don't need your phone to remember the dentist call. Here is how to set a reminder on Windows 11 and on a Mac, and then how to simply ask Key.
Sometimes you just need your computer to nudge you in twenty minutes, or tomorrow morning. Both Windows 11 and the Mac come with apps that do this. They are free and already installed.
Below, you will find the quick way for each. After that, we will look at asking Key instead, which is a little less clicking.
Which app should I use?
It depends on what you need to be told.
- Something soon, like "in 20 minutes": use a timer. On Windows, that is the Clock app.
- The same time every day: use an alarm in the Clock app.
- A task with a date and time: use Microsoft To Do on Windows, or Reminders on a Mac.
How to set a reminder on Windows 11
A quick timer or alarm in the Clock app
The Clock app is the fastest option when you only need a beep.
- Select Start and open Clock from the app list.
- Choose Timer for "tell me in so many minutes", or Alarm for a clock time.
- Pick one of the ready-made ones, or select the + button to make a new one.
- Set the time, give it a name you will recognize, and save it.
Microsoft says alarms and timers still work when the app is closed or the device is locked. Keep the volume up and the computer on, though. When one goes off, you can Snooze it (for 10 minutes) or Dismiss it.
A task with a reminder in Microsoft To Do
If your reminder is really a task, such as "send the form", Microsoft To Do is a better fit.
- Open Microsoft To Do and add your task.
- Select the task to open its details.
- Select Remind me.
- Choose a time such as later today, tomorrow or next week, or pick your own date and time.
To Do can also pick up the time from the words you type. If you write the task together with its date and time, it highlights them and adds them for you.
How to set a reminder on a Mac
The Mac has a Reminders app built in. It works much like To Do.
- Open Reminders and add a new reminder with the words you want to see.
- Hover over the reminder and click the Edit Details button.
- Turn on Date, then pick the day on the calendar or type it in.
- Turn on Time and enter the hour and minute you want to be told.
If you leave Time off, you get an all-day reminder instead. You can also set an early reminder, so you hear about it before the due time.
Apple also lets you make a reminder from the Calendar app, if you like to see everything in one place.
The small things that trip people up
- Check the time of day. A reminder set for 7:00 might mean the morning or the evening. Look at AM and PM.
- Check your sound. A muted computer will not make a sound, so you may only see the message.
- Name it clearly. "Call Dr. Lee about Tuesday" beats "call" every time.
How to ask Key to set a reminder
Key is a free personal assistant that lives on your computer. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, and on any Mac with macOS 11 Big Sur or newer. You can speak to it or type to it, and you get the same result either way.
For reminders, you tell it what and when, the way you would tell a friend. When the time comes, it speaks up. You do not need to open an app, find a button or work out which box to tick.
Half a sentence is enough. Key works out what you meant, does it, and checks the result before it tells you. If it could not check something, it says so.
KeyVoiceRemind me at 3 to call the dentist
Done. I will remind you at 3:00 PM to call the dentist.
While Key is working, it shows a small panel so you can see what it is doing, and you can stop it at any point. When it is idle, it just sits at the top of your screen.
Key can also help with meetings. When one turns up in your messages, it can put it in your calendar and remind you before it starts. You can also ask it to Join my 4 o'clock meeting when the time arrives.
Things you could say
- "Remind me at 3 to call the dentist."
- "Remind me tomorrow morning to send the form."
- "Remind me in half an hour to take the bread out."
Key is free to download, with no card and no trial. Every feature is in the free version.
Which way is best?
If you like to see all your tasks in a list, To Do or Reminders is the right place. For a quick beep, the Clock app is hard to beat. If you would rather just say it and get on with your day, ask Key.
Want to know more about what Key can do? Read What can an AI assistant on your PC do every day? or see how speaking to your computer works in A voice assistant for your PC. Mac users might like An AI assistant for your Mac.
Try Key free
Speak to it or type to it. It opens your apps, finds your files and changes your settings, then tells you what it did.
Free, no card. Windows 10 or 11, macOS 11 or newer.