Google Keep has been my go-to to-do app for almost a decade now. However, among the many excellent Google Keep features, I’ve relied on location-based reminders the most. Google has decided to kill this feature in favor of moving reminders from Keep to Google Tasks.
Instead of juggling two apps (Keep and Google Tasks), I finally decided to switch to Tasks.org. It’s an open-source task management app that syncs with Google Tasks and Microsoft To Do and offers location-based reminders. Above all, it’s a far superior alternative to Keep for task management.
Why Google Keep wasn’t enough for me
Growing beyond simple reminders
I started using Keep purely for its reminder feature. I can set a quick reminder, get notified, and mark it done. Over time, it became my default to-do app, and eventually, I started to use it for note-taking as well. However, as you add more tasks and notes, the lack of a task organization feature in Keep becomes increasingly clear.
I’ve now switched to Obsidian on both my phone and PC for note-taking and rich media. That means Keep went back to being just my to-do and reminder app.
Still, I needed proper hierarchical task management with subtasks, which Keep never offered, and Google Tasks still doesn’t handle well. To be fair, that’s not entirely Keep’s fault, as it isn’t designed to be a robust task management app.
What finally pushed me over the edge was Google’s announcement about migrating reminders to Google Tasks. This means I would need to use two separate apps and lose location-based reminders entirely. Google Tasks doesn’t support them, and apparently, there are no plans to add them.
Tasks.org offers better task management features
Robust task management hierarchies and structure
I have tried Tasks.org on and off over the past few years. Every time I used it, I liked its task-focused structure and robust reminder system. But I never fully committed because, well, Keep was good enough. However, with Keep losing its reminders feature, switching to Tasks.org was a no-brainer.
Tasks.org isn’t pretending to be an everything app. Built as the spiritual successor to the now-defunct Astrid app, it knows exactly what it is: a dedicated task manager that does that one job really well. The interface is clean and focused, explicitly designed around efficient task management.
It offers proper subtasks that you can nest however you want. You can also set priorities, add tags, attach files, and even track time spent on tasks. Each task can have multiple reminders, including the all-important location-based reminder Google is abandoning.
You can also add the Tasks.org widget to your home screen to manage your tasks quickly. This lets you check off items, add new tasks, and view different filtered lists without opening the app. The transparency and colors are customizable to match your wallpaper, too.
Switching from Keep to Tasks.org
Sync, create, and manage new tasks
Making the switch was surprisingly easy. Tasks.org syncs with both Microsoft To Do and Google Tasks, so you don’t have to abandon Google’s ecosystem entirely. I set it up to sync with Google Tasks, which means any basic reminders I create in Tasks still show up in Tasks.org.
Since I was already familiar with the working of Tasks.org, setting up my daily workflow didn’t take much effort. I recreated my regular lists, set up my location reminders for places like the grocery store and gym, and organized everything with tags.
I use the My Tasks page in the hamburger menu as my daily dashboard, where I can filter by tags, lists, and due dates. You can also sort and filter tasks in any list view. The search function works as it should and brings up correct matches.
Location-based reminders work as you’d expect. Create a task, tap Add reminder, select the location option, and either search for a place or pick a spot on the map. You can set reminders for when you arrive, leave, or both. The app creates a geofence around your chosen location and pings you accordingly.
While the app is free to download from the Play Store, there’s a Pro version that unlocks extra features like additional sync services (DAVx5, CalDAV, EteSync) and more customization options. If you grab it from F-Droid instead, you get all features unlocked from the start.
Moving forward with Tasks.org
After a month with Tasks.org, I am happy with my decision to make the switch. My tasks are nicely organized, reminders work reliably, and I’m not worried about Google randomly killing features I depend on. The open-source nature means that even if development slows, the community can fork it and keep it alive.
Tasks.org might not have Keep’s visual appeal or tight integration with other Google services. But for managing tasks and reminders, it reliably does what you need, and does it better.
