time

we know: it’s a todo app, not a tax form. here’s the short version, for people with todos to do.

end the line with @ and what you want.

a length (25m, 1h30) gives the todo a timer; a clock time (15:00, 3pm) gives it a time of day.

only the last word counts; anything else stays part of the title.

a time that has already passed today means tomorrow.

yatoda is coming soon, and these rules may still change before release.

what you can do

a timergrill chicken @25m: adds “grill chicken” with a 25 min timer
hours and minutesdeep work @1h30: adds “deep work” with a 1 h 30 min timer
your default timercall mom @: adds “call mom” with the default timer
a time of daycall anna @15:00: adds “call anna” at 15:00
am / pmcall anna @3pm: adds “call anna” at 15:00
a timer from the listt, then 1:10: sets a 1 h 10 min timer
a time from the lista, then 3pm: sets 15:00

what doesn't work, and what to type

a number without a unitgrill chicken @25: @25 isn't a timer · type @25m
more than a daygrill chicken @25h: @25h · a timer is 24 h at most
decimalsgrill chicken @1.5h: @1.5h · type @1h30
@ inside a wordmail [email protected]: stays text
@ not at the endcall anna @25m today: stays text

reading a row

−12:30 time left · 12:30 time spent · +03:12 over time · 1h10 an hour or more

all the rules

each line shows what you type and what happens. when something doesn't read, nothing is added and the status line says why, as shown here in bright.

a timer on a new todo

end the line with @ and a length: minutes, hours, or both, from 1 min to 24 h.

grill chicken @25m:adds “grill chicken” with a 25 min timer
grill chicken @90m:adds “grill chicken” with a 1 h 30 min timer
deep work @1h:adds “deep work” with a 1 h timer
deep work @1h30:adds “deep work” with a 1 h 30 min timer
grill chicken @1h10:adds “grill chicken” with a 1 h 10 min timer (hours and minutes)
grill chicken @1h10m:adds “grill chicken” with a 1 h 10 min timer
grill chicken @1h5:adds “grill chicken” with a 1 h 5 min timer
grill chicken @1H10M:adds “grill chicken” with a 1 h 10 min timer (units in any case)
grill chicken @1m:adds “grill chicken” with a 1 min timer (the shortest timer)
grill chicken @24h:adds “grill chicken” with a 24 h timer (the longest timer)
grill chicken @1440m:adds “grill chicken” with a 24 h timer
call mom @:adds “call mom” with the default timer (a bare @ uses the default length)
buy milk @25m :adds “buy milk” with a 25 min timer (spaces around are trimmed)
grill chicken @15:00 @25m:adds “grill chicken @15:00” with a 25 min timer (only the last word counts)
grill chicken @25:adds nothing · @25 isn't a timer · type @25m (a number needs a unit)
grill chicken @1h60:adds nothing · @1h60 · minutes go up to 59
grill chicken @1441m:adds nothing · @1441m · a timer is 24 h at most
grill chicken @25h:adds nothing · @25h · a timer is 24 h at most
grill chicken @0m:adds nothing · @0m · a timer is 1 min at least
grill chicken @1.5h:adds nothing · @1.5h · type @1h30 (decimals suggest the length)
grill chicken @0.5h:adds nothing · @0.5h · type @30m
grill chicken @2.25h:adds nothing · @2.25h · type @2h15
grill chicken @1H60:adds nothing · @1H60 · minutes go up to 59 (the notice quotes what you typed)
grill chicken @1h2h:adds nothing · @1h2h isn't a timer · type @1h10
grill chicken @1.33h:adds nothing · @1.33h isn't a timer · type @1h10 (not whole minutes)

a time of day on a new todo

end the line with @ and a time, 24 h or with am/pm, and yatoda reminds you then.

call anna @15:00:adds “call anna” at 15:00
call anna @9:05:adds “call anna” at 9:05
call anna @3:00:adds “call anna” at 3:00 (without am or pm it's 24 h)
call anna @3pm:adds “call anna” at 15:00
call anna @3:30pm:adds “call anna” at 15:30
call anna @3p:adds “call anna” at 15:00
call anna @3a:adds “call anna” at 3:00
call anna @12am:adds “call anna” at 0:00 (midnight)
call anna @12pm:adds “call anna” at 12:00 (noon)
call anna @3PM:adds “call anna” at 15:00 (any case)
call anna @25m @15:00:adds “call anna @25m” at 15:00 (only the last word counts)
call anna @24:00:adds nothing · @24:00 · hours go up to 23
call anna @15:60:adds nothing · @15:60 · minutes go up to 59
call anna @13pm:adds nothing · @13pm · type @13:00 or @1pm
call anna @13:30pm:adds nothing · @13:30pm · type @13:30 or @1:30pm
call anna @24pm:adds nothing · @24pm · hours go up to 12
call anna @0pm:adds nothing · @0pm · type @12pm
call anna @15.00:adds nothing · @15.00 · type @15:00 (a colon, not a dot)
call anna @3.30pm:adds nothing · @3.30pm · type @3:30pm
call anna @3:0:adds nothing · @3:0 isn't a time · type @15:00 (minutes need two digits)
call anna @3apm:adds nothing · @3apm isn't a time · type @15:00

what stays plain text

an @ that isn't the last word after a title, or isn't a length or time, stays in the title.

mail [email protected]:adds “mail [email protected]” as typed, no timer (an address)
ping anna@25m:adds “ping anna@25m” as typed, no timer (no space before @)
call anna@15:00:adds “call anna@15:00” as typed, no timer
meet @25m tomorrow:adds “meet @25m tomorrow” as typed, no timer (not the last word)
call anna @25m today:adds “call anna @25m today” as typed, no timer
@25m:adds “@25m” as typed, no timer (no title before it)
@15:00:adds “@15:00” as typed, no timer
@:adds “@” as typed, no timer
buy milk @abc:adds “buy milk @abc” as typed, no timer (not a number)
call anna @3:30 pm:adds “call anna @3:30 pm” as typed, no timer (a space inside)
buy milk @3pmx:adds “buy milk @3pmx” as typed, no timer

the timer picker's own length

in the t picker, type a length without @: a bare number is minutes, h:mm works too.

opens with ⌘T while typing or t on a row

70:sets a 1 h 10 min timer (a bare number is minutes)
70m:sets a 1 h 10 min timer
1h:sets a 1 h timer
1h10:sets a 1 h 10 min timer
1h10m:sets a 1 h 10 min timer
1:10:sets a 1 h 10 min timer (hours:minutes)
0:05:sets a 5 min timer
24:00:sets a 24 h timer
1H10:sets a 1 h 10 min timer
1:75:1:75 · minutes go up to 59
1h75:1h75 · minutes go up to 59
24:01:24:01 · a timer is 24 h at most
1441:1441 · a timer is 24 h at most
0:0 · a timer is 1 min at least
1.5h:1.5h · type 1h30
0.5h:0.5h · type 30m
1:5:1:5 isn't a timer · type 1h10
1.5:1.5 isn't a timer · type 1h10

the time field

press a on a todo and type a time without @.

opens with a on a row

15:00:sets 15:00
9:05:sets 9:05
3pm:sets 15:00
3:30p:sets 15:30
12am:sets 0:00
24:00:24:00 · hours go up to 23
15:60:15:60 · minutes go up to 59
13pm:13pm · type 13:00 or 1pm
0pm:0pm · type 12pm
9:9 isn't a time · type 9:00 (a bare hour suggests it on the hour)
15:15 isn't a time · type 15:00
3:0:3:0 isn't a time · type 15:00

what a timer shows

mm:ss under an hour, then hours and minutes; − for time left, + for overtime.

12 min 30 s left:−12:30 (countdown: time left)
12 min 30 s spent:12:30 (count-up: time spent)
3 min 12 s over:+03:12 (past zero)
59 min 59 s spent:59:59
59 min 59 s left:−59:59
1 h spent:1h00 (from an hour on)
1 h 59 s spent:1h00 (count-up rounds down)
1 h 1 min spent:1h01
1 h 5 min spent:1h05
1 h 1 s left:−1h01 (countdown rounds up)
1 h left:−1h00
1 h 10 min left:−1h10
1 h 10 min spent:1h10
1 h 59 s over:+1h00 (overtime rounds down)
1 h 10 min over:+1h10
24 h left:−24h00
100 h 3 min 20 s spent:100h03

time left to a time of day

the marker counts down to the time with no sign.

59 min 12 s until its time:59:12
59 min 59 s until its time:59:59
1 h until its time:1h00 (from an hour on)
4 h 58 min 1 s until its time:4h59 (minutes round up)
4 h 59 min until its time:4h59
1 s until its time:00:01

how a time reads

times follow your mac's 12 or 24 h clock.

15:00:15:00 on a 24‑hour clock, 3:00p on a 12‑hour one
9:05:9:05 on a 24‑hour clock, 9:05a on a 12‑hour one
0:00:0:00 on a 24‑hour clock, 12:00a on a 12‑hour one
12:30:12:30 on a 24‑hour clock, 12:30p on a 12‑hour one
23:59:23:59 on a 24‑hour clock, 11:59p on a 12‑hour one