The Tiny Mac Plugin That Gives Apple Reminders a Big Promotion
Reminders MenuBar
Apple’s Reminders app is underrated.
It’s fast, built-in, syncs flawlessly across devices, and gets the job done for most people. But despite all that, it has some weaknesses.
One of those weaknesses is a quick access feature on Mac.
Unless you want to summon Siri, keep the full app open all day, or use specific Shortcuts, there’s no fast way to glance at your to-dos or add something new without breaking your flow.
Reminders MenuBar fixes this.
This small plugin for Mac brings your Reminders lists straight into the macOS menu bar, so your tasks are always one click away — no app launch required, no context switch, no excuses.
It’s lightweight, free, and does exactly what it promises: makes Reminders more accessible and more useful.
Here’s why it’s worth installing.
What Is Reminders MenuBar?
Reminders MenuBar is a lightweight macOS utility that lets you view, check off, and create reminders directly from your menu bar — without having to open the full Reminders app.
And best of all, it feels native, which makes me wonder why Apple hasn’t thought of this yet.
You get:
A dropdown menu of your current lists and tasks
The ability to mark reminders as complete
A quick entry field to add new reminders on the fly
Seamless syncing with Apple’s Reminders app (because it actually uses the native Reminders framework)
Again: It’s simple. It’s fast. It’s free.
Why This Exists
Apple’s built-in Reminders app is good. Not great. Not game-changing. But good.
It’s clean, it syncs across devices, and it gets the job done for everyday task management.
And it is pretty easy to quickly interact with the app if you use Siri on iOS or Mac, for example.
You can also add Reminders widgets to your Mac home screen. They show one list.
It’s not bad, but Reminders MenuBar fills a gap that’s still there. It turns the Reminders app into a single-click menubar item that you can use quickly without interrupting your workflow.
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What It Can (and Can’t) Do
Let’s manage expectations. Reminders MenuBar isn’t trying to be Todoist, Things 3, or some productivity cult wrapped in minimal design.
You won’t get bombarded with features. For me, that’s a plus.
It can:
Show all your Apple Reminders lists
Display tasks from each list in a readable dropdown
Let you tick things off like the grown-up you’re pretending to be
Add new reminders instantly, right from the menu bar
It can’t (yet):
Set locations or subtasks
Customize priority or due times in detail
Cook dinner, solve existential dread, or help you decide what to watch on Netflix
But honestly, for something that weighs practically nothing and costs exactly zero dollars, it punches way above its weight class.
Who Is This For?
If you’re someone who:
Lives in the Apple ecosystem (Mac, iPhone, iCloud, the whole fruit basket)
Uses Reminders casually but wants faster access on Mac
Prefers simple tools over complex project management setups
Loves the idea of a to-do list in the menubar
Works a lot with menubar items in general
Then Reminders MenuBar is basically made for you.
It’s also a great pick for people who’ve tried bigger tools like Todoist, TickTick, or Notion but keep coming back to the good ol’ Apple Reminders out of loyalty, habit, or sheer inertia.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes productivity comes down to removing just enough friction to do the things you need to do.
Reminders MenuBar is that kind of tool.
It doesn’t change your life, but it might just help you remember to.
And in a world where forgetting to cancel a free trial means an accidental $99 subscription to something you used once, that’s a win.
Where to Get It
Reminders MenuBar is available for free on GitHub (shoutout to open-source developers).
Download the .zip file there, unpack it, move it to your applications folder, and launch. That’s it.
Most importantly, Reminder MenuBar doesn’t try to upsell you a Pro plan that unlocks “adding more than three tasks.”
We need more tools like this.
TL;DR
Reminders MenuBar puts Apple’s Reminders in your menu bar
Lets you view, add, and complete reminders instantly
Doesn’t have advanced features, but doesn’t need them
Perfect for minimalists, Apple fans, and people who forget stuff
Free, open-source, and delightfully unintrusive
Install it. Forget less. Smile more.