Add a task from any app on your Mac with one shortcut
In Alcove, press Option-Space in any app to open quick add. Type the task in plain words, like "Call Sam friday 4pm 30m /Work #team", and Alcove picks out the day, time, how long it takes, the list and the tag as you type. Press Return and it's saved.
The fastest to-do list is the one you can add to without stopping what you're doing. That's what quick add is for: one shortcut, one sentence, done.
How do you open quick add?
Press ⌥ Space (Option-Space) from any app, even a full-screen one. A small panel appears in the middle of the screen with the cursor ready. Type, press Return, and you're back where you were.
If what you want to write down is a thought rather than a task, ⌥ ⌘ N opens a quick note instead.
Write it the way you'd say it
You don't fill in fields. You write a sentence, and Alcove turns the parts it recognises into chips underneath as you type:
"Stand-up every weekday 9:30 15m /Work" becomes a task called Stand-up, in the Work list, at 9:30, taking 15 minutes, repeating every weekday. The words it used disappear from the title, so the task reads cleanly.
The quick add cheat sheet
| To set | Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Day | A day word | today, tomorrow, tonight, friday, next week, next month |
| Time | A time | 4pm, 9:30 |
| How long | A number and m or h | 15m, 30m, 2h, 1 hour |
| List | / and the list name | /Work, /Home |
| Tag | # and the tag | #team, #finance |
| Priority | ! and a level | !low, !med, !high, !urgent, or !1 to !4 |
| Repeat | every and a rhythm | every day, every weekday, every monday, every 3 days, every other week, every tuesday and thursday |
A few sentences that work:
Pay rent every month !high /HomeWater the plants every 3 days #homeReview Maya's pull request tomorrow 11am 45m /Work #teamBook train to Porto next week /Travel
Change anything with a key
If Alcove read something differently from what you meant, you don't need to retype it. While the panel is open:
| Key | Does |
|---|---|
| ⌘ L | Pick the list |
| ⌘ T | Add a tag |
| ⌘ 1 to ⌘ 4 | Set the priority |
| ⌘ D | Pick the date |
| ⌘ E | Set how long it takes |
| ⌘ R | Set the repeat |
Tick Add another to keep the panel open for the next task, and use Attach to add a file.
Quick add in other apps
Most Mac to-do apps have a shortcut that adds a task from anywhere, and most read a date out of what you type. I make Alcove, so weigh that; this table comes from each app's own help pages, checked in October 2026.
| App | Shortcut from any app | What it picks out as you type |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Reminders | None built in. Give a shortcut that adds a reminder its own key in the Shortcuts app, or use the free, open-source Reminders MenuBar, whose Option-Command-R works once you turn it on | On iOS 27, with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro and later), describe a reminder and it takes the details you mention. Reminders MenuBar reads due dates, lists and tags |
| Things 3 | Control-Space opens Quick Entry; you can change it in Things' settings | Dates in the When and Deadline fields, such as "tues 8am" or "17d", rather than in the title |
| Todoist | A global Quick Add shortcut, set in Settings, Desktop | Dates and times, including repeats, plus deadline, project, section, labels, priority and reminders |
| TickTick | A global add shortcut, set in Settings, Hotkeys | Dates and times, with Smart Recognition |
| Alcove (I make it) | Option-Space, which you can change in Settings, Shortcuts | Day, time, length, list, tag, priority and repeat, with built-in rules and no Apple Intelligence needed |
If your tasks already live in Reminders, a Shortcuts key or Reminders MenuBar is the free route. Todoist reads the most fields; Alcove's difference is that one sentence also sets how long a task takes and how it repeats, ready for time blocking.
Quick add on iPhone and iPad
The same words work in the new task sheet on iPhone and iPad. There are a few more ways in, too:
- Siri. Say "Add a task to Alcove". Every phrase needs the app's name, or Siri hands it to Apple's Reminders instead.
- Control Center. On iOS 18 and later, add Alcove's Quick Add control to Control Center, the Lock Screen or the Action Button.
- Widgets. The small Quick add widget opens the new task sheet from your Home Screen. The widgets guide covers the rest.
- Your voice. Speak tasks turns a ramble into separate tasks. See speaking your to-do list.
Quick add is also the fastest part of a morning plan: see how to plan your day in 10 minutes.
Sources
Checked in October 2026:
- Adding to-dos from anywhere on your Mac through Quick Entry and Using natural language input, Cultured Code
- Use Task Quick Add in Todoist, Todoist
- Add Tasks, TickTick
- Run a shortcut while working on your Mac, Apple Support
- Reminders MenuBar on GitHub
- Reminders just got more powerful, here's what's new in iOS 27, 9to5Mac
Questions people ask
Can I change the Option-Space shortcut?
Yes. Both the quick add shortcut and the quick note shortcut can be changed in Alcove's settings, under Shortcuts.
Does quick add work in full-screen apps?
Yes. The shortcut works in any app, including full-screen ones, and the panel appears over it.
Can I add several tasks in a row?
Tick Add another in the quick add panel and it stays open after each task, ready for the next one.
Does quick add need Apple Intelligence?
No. Alcove reads your sentence with rules built into the app, on your device, so quick add works the same on any Mac with macOS 14 or later and any iPhone or iPad with iOS 17.4 or later, with or without Apple Intelligence.
What's the keyboard shortcut to add a task in other apps?
Things 3 uses Control-Space for Quick Entry. Todoist and TickTick each have a global add shortcut you set in their settings. Apple Reminders has none built in, so give a shortcut a key in the Shortcuts app or use the free Reminders MenuBar app. In Alcove it's Option-Space.
Does the same typing work on iPhone and iPad?
Yes. The new task sheet on iPhone and iPad reads the same words, so "friday 4pm /Work" fills in the day, time and list there too.