iOS 15 Reminders Flag and Priority Filter Updates

Apple's iOS 15 update introduced significant organizational upgrades to the Reminders app, transforming it into a much more capable task manager. This article details the specific enhancements made to flag and priority sorting filters, including the introduction of custom Smart Lists, granular priority-level filtering, and flexible list sorting parameters that allow users to view and organize their tasks more effectively.

Custom Smart Lists Based on Flags and Priority

The most substantial update in iOS 15 is the ability to build custom Smart Lists that automatically collect tasks based on defined rules. Flags and priority levels gained dedicated filter controls within this system:

• Priority Filtering: When building a Smart List, users can select Priority as a parameter and filter by specific levels: None, Low, Medium, or High. Users can choose to include only tasks of a specific tier (such as only "High" priority tasks) or select multiple priority tiers.
• Flagged Status Filtering: The Flag filter can be toggled to automatically pull in tasks that have been flagged across any existing reminder list, ensuring high-importance items are tracked in dedicated views.
• Combined Criteria: Flags and priorities can be combined with other parameters—such as tags, due dates, and locations—to create hyper-focused lists (e.g., tasks marked both "High Priority" and "Flagged").

Native List Sorting by Priority

Prior to iOS 15, sorting options within custom lists were limited. With iOS 15, Apple added direct sorting controls inside individual reminder lists:

• Sort by Priority: Users can open any standard list, tap the More button (three dots), and select Sort By followed by Priority.
• Ascending and Descending Order: The app allows sorting from High to Low or Low to High, ensuring the most critical tasks remain visible at the top of the screen.
• Persistent Views: Sorting preferences remain applied until changed, keeping lists structured automatically as new tasks are created.

Upgraded Default "Flagged" Smart List

The built-in "Flagged" Smart List on the main dashboard received under-the-hood performance and filtering improvements:

• Tasks flagged in shared lists or custom tag-based lists immediately sync to the primary Flagged view.
• Within the Flagged Smart List itself, users can apply secondary sorting, such as sorting flagged items by their assigned priority levels, due date, or creation date.