SingleThread
Your brain does one thing at a time — your list should too.
SingleThread shows one Apple Reminder at a time for calm, focused momentum.
Your task list should match how your brain actually works — one thing at a time.
SingleThread turns your Apple Reminders into a single, calm, focused list. Instead of an intimidating wall of everything you "should" do, you see one clear reminder at a time, in order, and you process it — complete, skip, or delete — before moving to the next. It's built for people who feel overwhelmed, who are neurodivergent, or who simply want their to-dos to stop feeling like noise.
Why it helps
- One at a time. Your human brain does one thing at a time — your task list should reflect that. Just one reminder fills the screen, so every task gets your full attention.
- Order that makes sense. Sort by priority, by due date (soonest first), or alphabetically. Pick whichever removes the most thinking.
- No decision paralysis. See the reminder, act, move on. Fast. Smooth. Calm.
Everything you need, nothing you don't
SingleThread stays out of your way, but it's as full-featured — or as bare — as you want. Every capability can be turned on or off in one simple Settings screen:
- Complete, Skip, or Delete each reminder with a tap, a swipe, or the action buttons.
- Hide reminders from projects you don't want to see (with "Excluded Projects").
- Hide undated (someday) reminders, or show them when you're ready.
- Show or hide reminder dates — keep the screen as minimal as you like.
- Fast add by voice: dictate a reminder, complete with due date and recurrence, right from the microphone button (or hide it with one switch).
- Change how it looks: System, Light, or Dark appearance, plus larger text sizes across the whole interface.
Thoughtful by design
- Works with your existing Apple Reminders — everything you've already captured stays right where it is. Two-way, in place.
- Calm visual design that gets out of the way. Big, legible text. Nothing flashing at you.
- Accessible — designed with clear hit targets, complete descriptions and labels, and full support for Apple's rendering commands.
Built for quiet productivity
Whether your to-do list is a source of anxiety or just a source of clutter, SingleThread gives you a smaller, softer way through it. One item at a time, in an order you choose, at the pace that feels right. Enable the features that help, hide the ones that don't.
SingleThread works with your existing Apple Reminders and syncs across your devices. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with a matching Apple Watch app and macOS widget; install on any one to get going. No account to create — your reminders stay in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting started
How do I get the app?
Download SingleThread from the App Store on your iPhone and iPad. It reads your existing Apple Reminders — no import, no setup, no account. Open the app and you'll see your first reminder right away. From there, tap Complete, Skip, or Delete, and the next one appears.
Is SingleThread free?
SingleThread is free to use until you reach 100 reminder completions, and then there is a small $USD 2.99 one-time unlock fee to enjoy unlimited usage.
Features
Do you support the Apple Watch?
Yes! This is a top priority for me and installing this app on your iPhone also installs an accompanying app on your Apple Watch.
Are you going to create an Android version?
I'm not against the idea, but there are no current plans to do so. If this is something that you would like, send me an email!
Are you planning on supporting other task managers?
I have been toying with the idea of supporting more task managers, please let me know if this is something that you desire and for which task manager.
Why can't I see some of my reminder details?
Apple doesn't give third-party apps access to everything in Reminders. I show the title, notes, due date, list, priority, and whether it repeats or has an alarm, but links, location, start dates, alarm times and sounds, completion times, time zones, and custom repeat schedules are not shown, and tags, flags, and file attachments stay behind Apple's doors — if they ever open, I'd love to show them all.
Why don't you have dictation on the watch?
Because the functionality is already built in! I hold down the crown and say something along the lines of "Remind me to get the milk today" and it will create a reminder with today's date on it.
My reminders don't seem to be syncing very quickly, how can I speed it up?
Open up your Apple Reminders apps on the two devices that are experiencing the delay, this often triggers them to sync immediately (when they are in the background it can take longer)
Does this app work off-line?
It sure does! The changes to your reminders are stored on your device and will be synced to iCloud when you're next online. During this time, you will not be able to fetch new wallpapers, but the app will degrade gracefully in this case.
Privacy
Where is my data stored?
Your Reminders are stored on your phone and on iCloud in Apple Reminders. Your settings are stored on your device and in iCloud. I do not store any of your information myself. The only way that I will find out anything about you is if you email me.
What network requests does this app make?
I only have the app perform network requests to fetch new wallpapers.
Do you collect or sell my data?
Absolutely not. I do not retain, store, use, or sell any information about you.
Other
Why did you choose Apple Reminders?
I chose Apple Reminders because it is free, has first class support on Apple devices, and is a pragmatic choice for many Apple users. I recommend using both Apple Reminders and SingleThread alongside each other because they both have different use-cases.
Where are the wallpapers from and how do you select them?
The wallpapers are from Unsplash. My server at vardy.cc fetches random nature wallpapers from their service and caches them. The app then gets the wallpapers from my server using no identifying information about you. This allows me to obscure my API key and keep the number of requests to Unsplash to a reasonable level.
Pulp or no pulp?
I try not to be too picky, but I definitely prefer pulp.
Can I contact you with questions, bug reports, or feature requests?
I would appreciate it! Please use my contact form and I will read your email personally.
Why can't I filter reminders by flagged reminders?
Apple unfortunately doesn't expose flags to outside apps, if they ever do I will support it!
Shortcuts
Does SingleThread support Apple Shortcuts?
Yes! SingleThread ships with three shortcuts you can invoke with Siri, from the Shortcuts app, from your Home Screen, or via Spotlight: What's Next, Complete Current Task, and Skip Current Task.
What does the "What's Next" shortcut do?
It speaks (and returns) the title of your current next task. Ask Siri "What's next in SingleThread" or "What is next in SingleThread".
What does the "Complete Current Task" shortcut do?
It completes the first visible task. Say "Complete the current task in SingleThread" or "Mark my current task done in SingleThread".
What does the "Skip Current Task" shortcut do?
It skips the first visible task, and the skip is durable — it survives relaunching the app. Say "Skip the current task in SingleThread" or "Skip my current task in SingleThread".
Where can I find the SingleThread shortcuts?
Siri understands the phrases above, and in the Shortcuts app, search for "SingleThread" and all three shortcuts appear under their short titles. Long-press the SingleThread icon on your Home Screen and the shortcuts appear in the top section, and Spotlight finds them by shortcut name.
Why can't my shortcuts see my reminders?
The shortcuts never ask for Reminders access themselves — they only act when SingleThread already has permission to see your Reminders. Open SingleThread and grant Reminders access in Settings first.
What do the shortcut responses mean?
No access to Reminders means "Enable access in Settings to see your reminders." A genuinely empty list means "There's nothing to do right now." Everything being skipped, excluded, or hidden means "Everything is skipped for now." Reaching the free tier's limit means "You've reached the free limit. Upgrade to keep going." A failed update means "Couldn't update that task. Please try again."
Your reminders. One at a time. In order. At your pace.