How to Get Outlook Tasks on iPhone and Mac

Quick Tips

• You can always use the Microsoft To-Do app for that, but the Outlook integration with Apple Reminders offers more features such as Siri support, iOS widgets, and more.
• Open Settings on iPhone > Password and Accounts > Select Outlook > Enter your account details > Enable access to the Reminders app.
• Open Settings > Reminders > Default List > Change the default list to any Outlook list.

Add Outlook Account on the iPhone

First, you need to add an Outlook account to your device. So that, you can sync contacts, mail, and reminders to the respective Apple apps.

Step 1: Open iPhone Settings > Passwords & Accounts > Add Account.

Step 2: Select Outlook and then log in using Microsoft account credentials. After the successful authorization, you will find the account name on the same menu.

Step 3: Tap on the Outlook account and then switch-on the sync for Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders.

Now, open the Reminders app and you will see the section of Outlook under the iCloud menu in the app.

Change the Default Location of Tasks in Reminders App

By default, Apple uses its iCloud platform to save tasks. However, you can change that to Outlook. Follow the steps below to change the default list in the Apple Reminders app.

Step 1: Open device Settings and then navigate to Apple Reminders.

Step 2: Tap on the Default list option.

Step 3: Change the default list to any Outlook list.

So, what exactly is the benefit of changing the default list on the iPhone? The answer is Siri integration.

If you add a task via Siri voice assistant, then the task gets added to the default list in the Apple Reminders app. For example, you can say, Hey Siri, remind me to write a post, and it will save the task in the selected Outlook list in the Reminders app.

Consumers can also use the iOS widget menu to quickly complete and add to-do in Outlook lists, something that Microsoft To-Do app doesn’t offer.

Use Siri Shortcuts

Unsurprisingly, Siri Shortcuts works better with the default Apple apps. Using Siri, you can create Shortcuts to open the default list, add tasks, and more. Let’s create a Siri Shortcuts to open the default task list.

Step 1: Open the app and then tap on the Plus symbol.

Step 2: Tap Add Action and then select Apps.

Step 3: Choose the Reminders app, and it will open the default shortcuts for the app.

Step 4: Select Show Reminders List and then tap on the list name to select the relevant list for the shortcut to open.

Step 5: Tap on Next, give the shortcut a relevant name, and hit Done.

Now you can just ask Siri to open the list or use the Siri Shortcuts widget to open the list in the Apple Reminders app directly.

Access Outlook Tasks on Mac

Sadly, using the same tricks above, you can’t access the Outlook tasks on the Mac Reminders app. So how can you create, modify, and use Outlook tasks on the macOS?

Method 1: Use Microsoft To-Do App

Microsoft recently released the To-Do app for the macOS platform. You can download the app from the Mac store and sign in using the same Microsoft account.

From there, you can access all the Outlook lists, create new tasks, and even delete the irrelevant ones from the app. The app also supports the dark theme.

Method 2: Use Outlook Web

Microsoft has done an excellent job of integrating its services such as Mail, Contacts, To-Do, and Skype in one place.

Visit Outlook web on the Mac browser and then sign in using the Microsoft credentials. It will open the Outlook mail by default. You can switch to the To-Do section from the bottom left corner. It will switch to the Microsoft To-Do web version and here you will see the Outlook Tasks, Lists, and more.