Microsoft To Do: 12 tips to boost productivity on Windows 11, 10

Microsoft To Do is a cross-platform task management system that allows you to create, organize, and track all your tasks. The To Do app is available on Windows 11, 10, Android, iOS, and the web, and it allows you to create tasks with a due date, reminder, note, and other options.

Also, it’s possible to add steps to a task, organize tasks into different lists, sync lists across devices, and even share lists with others.

Here are 12 Microsoft To Do tips to make you more productive on Windows 11, Windows 10, and across devices.

• 1. Create subtasks on Microsoft To Do
• 2. Schedule a task on Microsoft To Do
• 3. Attach file to task on Microsoft To Do
• 4. Create task list on Microsoft To Do
• 5. Convert email to task on Microsoft To Do
• 6. Share task list on Microsoft To Do
• 7. Pin task list to Start on Microsoft To Do
• 8. Sort tasks on Microsoft To Do
• 9. Organize day of tasks on Microsoft To Do
• 10. Change color mode on Microsoft To Do
• 11. Add multiple accounts on Microsoft To Do
• 12. Keyboard shortcuts on Microsoft To-To

1. Create subtasks on Microsoft To Do

Although the point of a task management system is to create a task for every step, sometimes you may need to break a task into subtasks to remind you of the steps of a topic or to control the workflow of a project better.

To create a subtask with Microsoft To Do, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do on Windows 11.

2. Click on Tasks from the left navigation pane.

3. Click the “Add a task” to create a new item.

4. Select the newly created task.

5. Click the Next step button.

   

6. Repeat step 4 to add subtasks as necessary.

Once you complete the steps, the remaining steps will be displayed under the task in the main list.

As you create a new task, you can also include the date and time to allow the app to create a reminder automatically.  

2. Schedule a task on Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do can also help you stay on top of your tasks with options to set a reminder, a due date, and repeat a particular task.

To set a schedule for a task, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Click on Tasks from the left navigation pane.

3. Click on “Add a task” and create a new item.

4. Select the newly created task.

5. Click the Remind me button.

6. Select one of the suggested schedules or click the “Pick a date & time” option to set a custom schedule.

   

7. Click the “Add due date” button.

8. Select one of the suggested dates or click the “Pick a date” option to set a due date.

   

9. (Optional) Click the Repeat button.

10. Select the how often to repeat the task.

    

After you complete the steps, Microsoft To Do will remind you about a task depending on your specified settings.

3. Attach files to tasks on Microsoft To Do

You can also attach files and images to your tasks, which is a great way to organize your project involving documents and pictures.

To attach files to a task, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Click on Tasks from the left navigation pane.

3. Click the Add a task to create a new item.

4. Select the newly created task.

5. Click the “Add a file” button.

   

6. Select the file (for example, image, text, or word processing document).

7. Click the Open button.

Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the steps to add more files.

You can only attach files or images of up to 25MB, and you can only attach files to your list, as file attachments are unavailable for shared lists.

4. Create task list on Microsoft To Do

Tasks can quickly become overwhelming if every one of them is on one list. For this reason, Microsoft To Do allows you to create lists to organize your tasks.

To create a list on Microsoft To Do, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Click the New list from the left navigation pane.

   

3. Right-click the newly created list and select the Rename list option.

   

4. Specify a descriptive name for the list—Work, Personal, Shopping, etc.

Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the steps to create additional lists as necessary. If you have tasks in other lists you want to move, drag and drop them into the new list, or right-click the task and select the “Move task” option to move the task to the list you want.

Microsoft To Do also includes an option (next to “New list”) that allows you to create groups to organize lists into sections, similar to “Sections” for OneNote.

5. Convert email to task on Microsoft To Do

If you use a Microsoft email account, you can enable an option to create a task for emails you flag as important automatically.

To enable the Flagged Email feature on Microsoft To Do, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Click the account button on the left navigation pane.

3. Select the Settings option.

   

4. Under the “Connections” section, turn on the Flagged Email toggle switch.

   

After completing the steps, emails you flag in your Microsoft account will appear as tasks in the Flagged Email list.

6. Share task lists on Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do allows you to collaborate with other users. You can’t share tasks individually, but you can give other users view and edit access to a list.

To share a To Do list with other people, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Right-click the newly created list and select the Share list option.

   

3. Click the “Create invitation link” button.

   

4. Click the Copy link button to copy the link to the clipboard.

   

5. Send the link to the people you want to share the list with, for example, via email.

Once the users sign in with the link, they’ll be prompted to join the list, and then they’ll be able to see the shared list and interact with tasks.

Stop sharing list

To stop sharing a list, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Right-click the newly created list and click on Share options.

3. Click the Manage access button.

4. Click the Stop sharing button.

   

5. Click the Stop sharing button again.

After you complete the steps, users can no longer view or edit a particular list.

7. Pin task list to Start on Microsoft To Do

The Microsoft To Do app makes it easy to stay on top of your tasks and quickly jump to a particular list with the ability to pin an index to the Start menu.

To pin a list to the Start menu, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Right-click the newly created list and select the “Pin to Start” option.

   

3. Click the Yes button.

Once you complete the steps, a tile will be created in the Start menu. You can always make the title larger by right-clicking the tile, selecting “Resize,” and choosing the Large option to view a live preview of your tasks.

8. Sort tasks on Microsoft To Do

If you’re dealing with many tasks in a list, the Microsoft To Do app also includes options to sort tasks using different filters.

To sort tasks with To Do, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Select a list.

3. Click the menu (three-dotted) button and select the Sort by menu.

4. Select the sort method, including “Importance,” “Due date,” “Completed,” “Alphabetically,” or “Creation date.”

   

   Quick tip: If you don’t want to see completed tasks in the list, click the “Hide completed tasks” option.

After you complete the steps, the tasks in the list will be filtered according to your specified criteria.

9. Organize day of tasks on Microsoft To Do

If you use the To Do app daily, you’ll probably find the My Day list especially useful. The My Day list allows you to focus on the tasks for the current day. You can create new tasks and add tasks from other lists, but the list will always reset the next day.   

To organize your day of tasks, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Click on My Day from the left navigation page.

3. Click the Today (bulb) button from the top-right (if applicable).

4. Click the Plus button to add recently added tasks to your day.

   

After you complete the steps, you’ll have a clear view of the tasks you need to focus on today, but tomorrow, you’ll need to repopulate the list again.

10. Change color mode on Microsoft To Do

To change the color mode of Microsoft To Do, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Click the profile button on the left navigation pane.

3. Click the Settings option.

   

4. Under the “Theme” section, select the color mode, including “Light,” “Dark,” or “Windows,” to change the color automatically when you change the system personalization preferences.

   

After you complete the steps, the app will switch to your selected color mode.

Customizing background

To change the task list background, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Select a list.

3. Click the menu (three-dotted) button and select a theme for the list.

   

Once you complete the steps, the changes will be reflected in the list header. However, the change will only apply to the current list, and you’ll need to repeat the steps to customize other lists.

11. Add multiple accounts on Microsoft To Do

To add multiple accounts in the To Do app, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft To Do.

2. Click the profile button on the left navigation pane.

3. Click the Manage Accounts option.

   

4. Click the Add account option.

   

5. Select the account type and click the Continue button.

6. Sign in using your credentials.

Once you complete the steps, the new account will be added, and you can always switch between accounts by clicking the profile option in the top left and selecting the account you want to manage.

12. Keyboard shortcuts to manage tasks on Microsoft To Do

Alongside the ability to manage your tasks using a keyboard and mouse, Microsoft To Do also includes several keyboard shortcuts to create and manage your tasks:

• Ctrl + N: Adds a new task.
• Ctrl + L: Creates a new list.
• Ctrl + T: Adds task to My Day.
• Ctrl + D: Completes task.
• Ctrl + F: Search.
• Ctrl + V: Paste.
• Ctrl + R: Sync now.
• Ctrl + Number 1: Opens sidebar.

Microsoft To Do is a free service available through the Microsoft Store for Windows 11 and 10. You can also download the app for macOS, iOS, and Android.