Repeating tasks: daily, weekday, weekly and custom routines
In Alcove, type the rhythm into quick add, like "Water the plants every 3 days", or pick a repeat from the task's details. When you tick a repeating task, it rolls to its next date and tells you when it's due again, with Undo if you ticked too soon. On the Mac, a repeat can also run on schedule or after completion, and end on a date or after a set number of times.
Some tasks are never really done: the plants, the rent, the weekly sync. Repeating tasks let you set them once and let them come back on their own, so your list only shows what's due now.
How do you make a task repeat?
There are two ways.
Type it. In quick add (⌥ Space on the Mac), write the rhythm into the sentence:
Water the plants every 3 days #homeTeam sync every monday 10am /WorkPay rent every month !high /HomeStand-up every weekday 9:30 15m /Work
Pick it. Open a task's details and choose a repeat. The menu offers the common ones:
| Preset | Repeats |
|---|---|
| Every day | Daily |
| Every weekday | Monday to Friday |
| Every week | Weekly, on the same day |
| Every 2 weeks | Fortnightly |
| Every month | Monthly, on the same date |
| Every year | Yearly, on the same date |
Anything finer is quicker to type than to click, like "every tuesday and thursday" or "every other week".
What happens when you tick a repeating task?
It rolls straight to its next date, and a message tells you when it's due again, for example "Due again 29 Sep 2026". If you ticked it by mistake, Undo is right there in the message. In lists, repeating tasks carry a small circular-arrows icon so you can spot them.
On schedule or after completion?
Every repeat follows one of two rules:
- On schedule keeps a fixed rhythm. A report due every Monday stays on Mondays, even if you finish this week's on Wednesday.
- After completion counts from when you actually finish. If you water the plants every 3 days and do it a day late, the next time is 3 days after that.
Choose it in the repeat settings of the task's details on the Mac. On iPhone and iPad, a task's details offer the presets above, and quick add understands every typed rhythm.
Can a repeat end?
Yes. On the Mac, Ends in the repeat settings can be:
- Never, for routines that go on for good
- On date, for something that stops at a known point, like a course that ends in June
- After a number of times, like six physio sessions
Tips for routines that stick
- Put the time in.
every weekday 9:30puts the stand-up in the right place in Today. - Give it a length.
15mor1hshows how much of the day a routine takes. - Use tags for areas of life.
#homeon chores makes them easy to find together. - Let widgets do the ticking. The list widgets on your Home Screen have rings, so daily routines can be finished without opening the app. See the widgets guide.
Questions people ask
What happens when I tick a repeating task?
It rolls to its next date straight away, and a small message tells you when it's due again. Undo is right there if you ticked it by mistake.
What's the difference between on schedule and after completion?
On schedule keeps a fixed rhythm, so a task due every Monday stays on Mondays even if you finish it late. After completion counts from when you actually finish, which suits things like watering plants.
Can a repeat stop by itself?
Yes, on the Mac. In a task's repeat settings, set Ends to a date or to a number of times, or leave it on Never.
Which repeats can I type in quick add?
Phrases such as every day, every weekday, every week, every monday, every 3 days, every other week, every 2 weeks, every month and every tuesday and thursday.