Integrations

The Integrations settings card is where you connect PrimeTask to macOS's built-in Calendar and Reminders apps. Once connected, your tasks can flow out to Calendar events and Reminders entries, and edits you make in those apps flow back into PrimeTask - so you can schedule a task in Apple Calendar on your Mac, tick off a reminder via Siri on your Apple Watch, or reschedule an event in the Calendar app, and PrimeTask stays in sync automatically.

Both integrations cover everything in the Apple Calendar Integration and Apple Reminders Integration feature articles - this settings card is where you turn them on, configure how they behave, and check the connection status.

macOS only

This settings card appears on macOS. The integrations rely on Apple's system frameworks that don't exist on Windows, so the card is not shown there. On Windows, PrimeTask has no equivalent Calendar or Reminders integration.

Both integrations are in active development

Apple Calendar and Apple Reminders sync are marked Beta. They work well for day-to-day use, and the first time you enable either one, PrimeTask shows a short explainer confirming what the integration does before it connects. Keep a backup if you're about to sync a large Space for the first time - see Data Management.

What you can do

Connect PrimeTask to Apple Calendar

pick which Space's tasks are eligible for calendar sync

Choose which Apple Calendar

PrimeTask writes its tasks to

Turn on bidirectional Calendar sync

so reschedules in Apple Calendar flow back to your tasks

Connect PrimeTask to Apple Reminders

with auto-created PrimeTask list

Map a Space's tasks to a specific Reminders list

Turn on bidirectional Reminders sync

so completing a reminder (from anywhere in your Apple ecosystem) marks the PrimeTask task as done

Import new reminders as PrimeTask tasks

anything you ask Siri to remind you of becomes a real task

Sync manually with a Sync Now button

when you want to catch up immediately

Choose how reminder deletions are handled

preserve the task or delete it alongside the reminder

How to open Integrations settings

Settings card: Open Settings from the sidebar, then open the Integrations card.
Settings search: Open Settings and type integrations, calendar, reminders, apple, or sync.
Command palette: Press ⌘+K, type integrations or apple, and pick the entry.

The card has two sections, one per integration: Apple Calendar and Apple Reminders. Both are off by default.

Things worth knowing

Turning an integration on for the first time

Both integrations follow the same pattern when you flip the master switch for the first time:

Step 1

Pick a Space. PrimeTask asks which Space's tasks should be eligible for the integration. Only tasks in that Space sync.

Step 2

Confirm the Beta explainer. A short dialog explains what the integration does and that it runs locally on your Mac - Apple Calendar and Apple Reminders never leave your device. You confirm and move on.

Step 3

Grant macOS permission. The operating system shows its standard permission prompt for Calendars or Reminders. Click Allow to grant access, and PrimeTask's card updates to show the integration is active.

If you click Don't Allow (or later revoke permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security), the integration can't reach Apple's data and its sync stops. The card has a Request Permission button you can use to prompt macOS again without turning the integration off and on.

Integrations are per-device

Each Mac has its own Integrations settings. Turning Apple Calendar sync on for your Work Mac doesn't enable it on your Home Mac - each machine talks to its own local copy of Apple Calendar and Apple Reminders via macOS. If you use PrimeTask on more than one Mac, configure the integration on each machine where you want it to run.

The tasks themselves still sync between your Macs through whatever Space sync you've set up (see File Sync Settings or Spaces Overview). Only the Calendar/Reminders connection is device-local.

The target Space matters

When you turn on an integration, you pick one Space as its target. Only tasks in that Space are eligible for sync. Tasks in other Spaces are untouched - even if you have Apple Reminders running in the background, PrimeTask only mirrors the Space you pointed the integration at.

If you want to change the target Space later, the card has a warning step that tells you how many tasks are already synced to the current list before it lets you switch. This prevents surprise orphans.

Apple Calendar - what you can configure

Once Apple Calendar is connected, the card gives you four groups of options:

Background sync - PrimeTask periodically checks Apple Calendar for changes. You can turn this off or leave it running at the default cadence.
Bidirectional sync - off by default. Turn it on and any changes you make to a synced event in Apple Calendar (reschedule, retitle, notes edit) flow back to the PrimeTask task. Without this, sync only pushes from PrimeTask outward.
Sync on startup - runs a full sync every time you open PrimeTask, so events you changed while PrimeTask was closed are caught immediately.
Task sync to Calendar - the direction from PrimeTask out. When on, tasks in the target Space become calendar events. You pick the target calendar (PrimeTask auto-creates a PrimeTask calendar the first time), whether to sync only tasks that have a due date, whether to sync subtasks as their own events, and whether edits to a task trigger an immediate calendar update.

**Tip - Leave Sync on startup on:** Unless you have a specific reason to delay the first sync of the day, leaving startup sync enabled avoids the "I rescheduled something last night and PrimeTask hasn't noticed yet" surprise. It's a small amount of work, once per launch.

Calendar events that come through the integration also appear in PrimeTask's Day Planner and Calendar views, alongside your tasks. See Day Planner View and Calendar Overview.

Apple Reminders - what you can configure

Once Apple Reminders is connected, the card creates a PrimeTask list in Apple Reminders automatically (or lets you pick an existing list instead), and then gives you:

Target list - the Reminders list that PrimeTask writes to and reads from. Renameable via an Edit control, with a warning if you try to switch lists while tasks are already synced.
Filter by due dates - when on, only tasks that have a due date flow into Reminders. Useful if you don't want every item in your Space becoming a reminder.
Auto-sync on task changes - when on, editing a task pushes the change to Reminders immediately. When off, changes sync on the next scheduled interval or manual Sync Now.
Sync Now button - force an immediate sync whenever you want.
Bidirectional sync - off by default. When off, PrimeTask only pushes tasks out to Reminders. When on, Reminders changes flow back: completing a reminder marks the PrimeTask task as done, editing a reminder updates the task, and optionally new reminders can appear in PrimeTask as brand-new tasks.

When bidirectional sync is on, three additional options unlock:

Import new reminders as tasks - when on, any reminder you create in Apple Reminders (from any Apple device signed into your iCloud, or via Siri) lands in PrimeTask as a new task on its next sync.
Sync on startup - same idea as the Calendar version; catches up reminders that were completed while PrimeTask was closed.
Delete task when reminder is deleted - off by default, and we recommend you leave it off. See the warning below.

**Warning - Delete task when reminder is deleted is destructive: If you turn this on, deleting a reminder in Apple Reminders (anywhere in your Apple ecosystem) will delete the matching task in PrimeTask** on the next sync. There is no confirmation dialog - the deletion is silent and applies immediately. Leave this off unless you have a specific reason to couple reminder cleanup to task deletion, and back up first (Data Management).

Capture from anywhere in your Apple ecosystem

Apple Reminders syncs across every Apple device signed into your iCloud account, so when bidirectional sync is on and Import new reminders as tasks is enabled, anything you add to Reminders from anywhere in your Apple ecosystem flows into PrimeTask.

In practice: say "Hey Siri, remind me to buy groceries tomorrow" on your Apple Watch. Siri adds a reminder to your default Reminders list on iCloud. That reminder arrives on your Mac via Apple's own sync. The next time PrimeTask syncs (either automatically in the background, on app startup, or via Sync Now), it appears in your target Space as a real task - with its due date, notes, and priority already set. You can then organise it into projects, add tags, start a timer, and treat it exactly like a task you created in PrimeTask directly.

Per the feature matrix, capture from iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Siri is an officially supported workflow on every PrimeTask license.

How Quick Add's `!rem` and `!cal` keywords connect to this card

Quick Add Settings mentions two keywords that push a task to an Apple app as you create it:

!rem - also create the task in Apple Reminders
!cal - also create the task in Apple Calendar

Both keywords only work when the matching integration is enabled here and targeting the active Space. If the integration is off, Quick Add ignores the keyword and treats it as plain text.

The `Reminder` system tag

PrimeTask uses a system tag called Reminder to mark which tasks should flow to Apple Reminders. You don't need to add or remove this tag by hand - the integration handles it - but the tag shows up in Category Management Settings and is listed as protected so you don't delete it by accident.

What gets synced - and what doesn't

Apple Calendar (task → event):

✅ Title, due date, description, completion status
✅ Subtasks (as separate events, if you turn that option on)
❌ Priority, tags, assignees, custom fields, status values (Calendar doesn't have those concepts)

Apple Reminders (task ↔ reminder):

✅ Title, due date, notes, priority, completion status (both directions)
❌ Subtasks (Reminders doesn't support nested subtasks)
❌ Tags beyond the Reminder system tag, custom fields, assignees, project links

If you're relying on a field that doesn't sync, set it in PrimeTask and don't expect it to appear in Apple's apps - that field only lives on the PrimeTask side.

If something stops working

"The integration toggle is on but nothing is syncing." macOS probably revoked permission. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Calendars (or Reminders), confirm PrimeTask is allowed, and then use the Request Permission button on the card.
"My PrimeTask Reminders list is gone from Apple Reminders." If the target list was deleted in Apple Reminders, PrimeTask can't sync to it. Re-create a list with the same name (or pick a different one via the Edit control), and sync resumes.
"I reassigned the target Space and lost sync for old tasks." The warning step should catch this. If you went through with the change anyway, the old tasks are still in PrimeTask and still in Apple's apps - they're just no longer linked. You can turn the integration off, point it at the old Space again, and sync resumes for that Space.

Common questions

"I use PrimeTask on my Mac and my Windows PC. Will my integrations sync to both?"

No. Apple Calendar and Apple Reminders are macOS-only integrations because they rely on Apple's system frameworks. On your Mac, the card is visible and you can configure the integrations. On your Windows PC, the card doesn't appear and there's no equivalent feature - Windows has no Apple Reminders or Apple Calendar to connect to. Your tasks themselves still sync between the two machines if the Space uses File Sync or iCloud Sync, but the Reminders and Calendar sync only runs on the Mac.

"Can I use Apple Reminders as my mobile capture tool even though PrimeTask doesn't have a mobile app?"

Yes - that's exactly what the integration is designed for. Connect Apple Reminders on your Mac, turn on bidirectional sync, and enable Import new reminders as tasks. Any reminder you create from Siri, Apple Watch, or the Reminders app on any Apple device signed into your iCloud will land in PrimeTask on your Mac the next time sync runs. This is the closest thing to "mobile capture" PrimeTask offers today.

"Do both Macs need the same Integrations settings?"

No - each Mac's Integrations settings are independent. You can have Apple Calendar sync on at your desk and off on your laptop, or point each machine at a different target Space, or have one running bidirectional and the other one-way. Every change to a task still flows between Macs via the Space's own sync, so the outcomes converge - but the Integrations settings themselves don't travel.

"What if I want to stop using Apple Reminders but keep the reminders I've already synced?"

Turn off the Apple Reminders integration from the card. PrimeTask stops writing to the Reminders list, stops reading from it, and doesn't touch the existing reminders. The reminders you've already synced stay in Apple Reminders exactly as they are - they're just no longer linked to PrimeTask tasks. If you turn the integration back on later, pre-existing entries don't automatically re-link; you'd need to recreate the connection manually for anything you want re-synced.

"I don't want PrimeTask to touch one specific task."

Every task has a per-task sync toggle for Calendar and Reminders. Open the task's details and turn off sync for that task individually, without affecting any other task in the Space. The integration keeps running as normal for everything else.

"Why does the card warn me so much before changing the target reminder list?"

Because switching the target list while tasks are already synced breaks the connection between those tasks and their existing reminders. The warning tells you how many tasks are affected so you can make an informed call - either finish moving the relevant items first, or proceed knowing the old reminders will become orphaned entries in your old list. It's a safeguard against silent data drift, not a bug.

"Can I have Apple Reminders and Apple Calendar pointing at different Spaces?"

Yes. The two integrations are configured independently. You could have Apple Calendar targeting your Work Space (so work-meeting-events flow to your calendar) while Apple Reminders targets your Personal Space (so Siri capture lands in your personal task list). Pick whichever mapping fits how you use each Apple app.

"Does PrimeTask keep running the sync if the app is closed?"

No. PrimeTask syncs while it's running. When the app is closed, no sync happens - the integrations pick back up the next time you open PrimeTask. This is why Sync on startup is a useful option to leave on: it runs a catch-up pass as soon as you launch the app so you don't miss anything from the time it was closed.

Where to go next

If you want to…	Read this
Go deep on Apple Calendar sync as a feature	Apple Calendar Integration
Go deep on Apple Reminders sync as a feature	Apple Reminders Integration
See calendar events alongside your tasks	Day Planner View
Understand the Calendar views PrimeTask offers	Calendar Overview
Use `!rem` and `!cal` keywords in Quick Add	Quick Add Settings
Manage the `Reminder` system tag	Category Management Settings
Pick which Space each integration targets	Spaces Settings
Set up MCP, deep links, and Apple Shortcuts	External Integrations Settings
Back up before a big sync	Data Management
Browse all settings cards	Settings Overview