Your first steps with Microsoft To Do

1 DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL TO DO

The Microsoft To Do app is available for free download in the Microsoft Store. Launch the Store app from the Start menu or taskbar shortcut, search for “Microsoft To Do” and click the Install button. You should be automatically signed into your Microsoft account the first time you launch the app, but if not you can do it manually – this helps with synchronisation between devices.

2 CREATING LISTS

Lists are at the heart of To Do, and you can create one by clicking the New list button label in the left-hand panel. Type a name for the list to make it easier to identify when you later create more. Click the ‘…’ button to the upper right, and you can choose a colour theme which not only changes the main background colour, but also the text in the list of lists.

3 ADDING TASKS TO LISTS

A blank list is of little use, so you’ll need to add items. To Do refers to items on a list as a task, and you can start building up your list by clicking the Add task button that appears at the bottom. Add as many items to the list as you need. You can use the Star icon to the right to mark something as important, and click the checkbox to the left to mark it as complete.

4 OTHER LIST OPTIONS

If you right click on an item on a list, you can do things such as moving it to the My Day section for increased visibility, and set a due date. In the Settings menu you accessed in the previous step, you can opt to re-order the list based on the due dates assign to entries, and also choose to hide completed items – this can be particularly handy when it comes to shopping lists.

5 GROUPING LISTS

Sometimes it makes sense to group lists together, perhaps to break a large project down into smaller components, but still keep them linked. It’s a great idea for things you may be working on at work, a building project, or an event. Click the button to the right of the New list label to create a new group which you can then name. You can create and drag new sub-lists into the group.

6 SHARING LISTS

In the case of shopping lists or larger projects, it can be helpful to have collaborators – and To Do enables you to share lists with others. In the upper right-hand corner of a list, next to the ‘…’ Settings button, you’ll see the ‘Share list’ button. Click it, and you get an invitation link you can send to people. If they accept, they will be able to not only see, but also edit the list.

7 CREATING TASKS

Tasks are rather more versatile than lists for a number of reasons. Tasks can be made up of multiple steps, and you have the option of attaching files and notes to them – all perfect for larger, more complicated projects. It is also possible to assign reminders to tasks so you don’t miss an important deadline. Click Tasks to the left and then click Add task.

8 ADDING TASK STEPS

Click the task you have created, and a panel will appear with further options. By clicking ‘Add step’ and ‘Next step’ in this panel, you can add sub-tasks to a task which can be ticked off one by one. You’ll notice that the main task entry indicates how many steps it has, and how many have been completed. Tasks can also be customised with coloured backgrounds like lists.

9 REMINDERS AND ATTACHMENTS

If you need to complete tasks to a deadline, To Do lets you add a reminder. In the right-hand panel, use the ‘Remind me’ option to add an alert, or just set a due date. You also have the option of making tasks into recurring items. Towards the bottom of the panel you will find the option to add notes and even attach files which you may need in the course of working on the project.

10 MICROSOFT TO DO ONLINE AND ON MOBILE

The beauty of To Do is that you can access it from just about anywhere. You set things up on your desktop or laptop, but the Microsoft To Do website (to-do.microsoft.com) is essentially identical to the downloadable app. There are also versions of To Do for Android and iOS, so you can use your smartphone to check your shopping list when you’re in the supermarket.