Managing Smart List Rules in iOS 15 Reminders

Apple's iOS 15 introduced significant updates to the Reminders app, allowing users to build and manage custom Smart Lists using dynamic rule-based criteria. This update shifted Reminders from a basic checklist app into an automated productivity tool, enabling users to automatically aggregate tasks across all lists based on tags, dates, locations, flags, and priorities. The following breakdown covers the specific updates and rule-management capabilities introduced in iOS 15.

Creation of Custom Smart Lists

Prior to iOS 15, Smart Lists were limited to default, unchangeable categories: Today, Scheduled, Flagged, and All. With iOS 15, users gained the ability to create their own custom Smart Lists. When creating a new list, users can select the "Make into Smart List" option to access an array of rule-building parameters.

Tag-Based Filtering

A major addition in iOS 15 was support for hashtag organization (#tag). Smart list rule management incorporates tags heavily:

  • Include Specific Tags: Users can choose one or multiple specific tags to include in the list.
  • Any vs. All Selection: When selecting multiple tags, rules can be configured to match tasks containing "All Selected" tags (AND logic) or "Any Selected" tags (OR logic).
  • Include All Tags: A blanket rule that pulls in any reminder that has at least one tag attached.

Multi-Parameter Filter Rules

Beyond tags, iOS 15 expanded Smart List rule sets to include five additional metadata categories that can be combined to narrow down tasks:

  • Date: Filter tasks due Today, on a Specified Date, or within a Relative Range (such as the next 7 days or past week).
  • Time: Set conditions based on time-of-day categories, including Morning, Afternoon, Evening, or Night.
  • Location: Filter reminders triggered by arrival or departure from specific locations (e.g., Home, Work, or a custom address).
  • Flag: Filter exclusively for flagged or unflagged items.
  • Priority: Filter by priority level: None, Low, Medium, or High.

Combining Multiple Rules

Rules in iOS 15 custom Smart Lists are cumulative across different parameters. For example, a single Smart List can be configured to display tasks that meet all of the following criteria simultaneously:

  • Tagged with #work
  • Due Today
  • Marked as High Priority

If a task does not satisfy all combined category conditions, it will not populate in the Smart List.

Editing Existing Smart List Rules

iOS 15 made managing existing rules straightforward:

  1. Open the custom Smart List.
  2. Tap the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner.
  3. Select Show Info.
  4. Tap Manage Smart List to modify, add, or remove existing rule filters.

Changes apply immediately, dynamically updating the contents of the list across all synced devices running iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or macOS Monterey.