Why I Built My Own Task App: Where Apple Reminders Falls Short

I just launched a new task app for all your Apple devices. It is called Kan Do. I built it to be the ultimate Kanban-style project manager across your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. The best part is there is no subscription. It is a one-time purchase of $3. Let's dive into why I built it and how it can supercharge your workflow.

Where Apple Reminders falls short

I actually really like Apple's Reminders app. It is fast and responsive. It even has a built-in column view. I used it to manage my video projects for years. But it has a fatal flaw for my specific workflow.

You can only add a single URL to a task. The notes section is confined and completely lacks rich text. You cannot attach PDFs or documents. You are even limited to just one image per task.

My typical process involved creating a task in Reminders and a separate note in Bear just to hold my sponsor reads, rich text, and research PDFs. I wanted one place to do both. I needed a beautiful column view for my tasks, plus the ability to attach rich Markdown text, PDFs, and multiple images directly to those items. That is exactly what Kan Do does.

Rich Markdown and unlimited attachments

Kan Do is focused entirely on Kanban boards. It is built natively in Swift. This keeps the app lightning fast whether you are swiping across columns or dragging tasks up and down.

The biggest difference is what happens when you tap a task. It expands into a full rich text editor.

Here's how to use it

1. Tap any task to open the detailed note screen.
2. Type directly in Markdown or use the formatting menu to add Bold, Italic, or a Checklist.
3. Add a subtitle and a header image that will appear directly on your main column view.

You are not limited to a single file. You can drag PDFs, documents, and images directly into the note attached to every task. Everything syncs to all your devices over iCloud. When you are ready to review a document, just double-click it. It opens right there in Quick Look.

Supercharged Shortcuts actions

One thing that always bothered me about Apple Reminders is the Shortcuts integration. If you use the New Reminder action, you can set a list and an alert. You cannot specify a column. To put a reminder in a specific column, you have to open the app and drag it manually.

I wanted Kan Do to let you automate everything.

Give it a spin

1. Open the Shortcuts app and add the Add Task action for Kan Do.
2. Choose your Project.
3. Select the exact Column where the task belongs.
4. Set your tags, due dates, and priority directly from the shortcut.

You can also use actions to Complete Task, Open Project, or Open Task. This makes it incredibly easy to build templates for recurring projects and automatically sort them into the right columns.

Customizing your workspace

Every brain works a little differently. I added a ton of settings so you can make the app behave exactly how you want.

• Themes: Choose from Multicolor, Ocean, Forest, or Sunset. You can also switch to a single-color monochrome mode if you prefer a cleaner look.
• Default Views: Set your projects to open in a Kanban board or a standard list view.
• Task Completion: Choose whether completed tasks stay on the board or automatically move to your archive.
• Typography: Adjust the text size globally directly from the settings menu.
• Mac Gestures: Use your Magic Mouse to swipe left-to-right to quickly dismiss a task note.

Building with Claude

I will be honest with you. I do not know how to code in Swift. I did web development years ago, but native app development is totally new to me. I built Kan Do entirely by using Anthropic's Claude.

I opened Xcode, created a new project, and connected the Claude agent. I gave it instructions and built the app. Then I ran it on my Mac and sent it to my iPhone. When I hit bugs, I just talked to Claude to figure them out.

I even used Claude to build an import feature that pulls your existing lists straight from Apple Reminders. Just a quick heads-up on that feature. Apple's API prevents importing images and URLs, but all your text and tasks come over perfectly.

Over to you

Building an app from scratch is hard. Getting exactly the tool you want is incredibly rewarding. Kan Do is available in the App Store right now. It is a one-time $3 purchase with no hidden fees. Grab it, set up your first board, and let me know what you think.