timely

Manage Apple Reminders from the command line with geofencing support. Use when creating reminders on macOS with optional location-based triggers (arrive/depart), due dates, or time-based alerts. Works with iCloud-synced reminder lists.

halbotley@halbotley

Install

openclaw skills install @halbotley/timely

timely

A CLI for Apple Reminders with geofencing support. Create location-aware and time-based reminders without UI interaction.

Why timely?

Location triggers — Remind when arriving at or departing from a place
No UI prompts — Works silently via EventKit
iCloud sync — Reminders appear on all devices

Installation

bash

brew tap halbotley/tap
brew install timely

First run prompts for Reminders access (System Settings → Privacy → Reminders). One-time only.

Commands

List reminder lists

bash

timely lists

View reminders

bash

timely show Reminders        # Show all in list
timely show Reminders 10     # Show last 10

Create time-based reminder

bash

timely add Reminders "Call mom" --due "tomorrow 3pm"
timely add Reminders "Submit report" --due "friday 5pm"

Create location-based reminder (arrive)

bash

timely add Reminders "Buy milk" \
  --location "Trader Joe's" \
  --address "123 Main St, Santa Barbara, CA" \
  --arrive

Create location-based reminder (depart)

bash

timely add Reminders "Text wife leaving" \
  --location "Office" \
  --address "456 Work Ave" \
  --depart

Combined (time + location)

bash

timely add Reminders "Pick up prescription" \
  --due "today" \
  --location "CVS" \
  --address "789 Pharmacy Rd" \
  --arrive

Due Date Formats

Natural language parsing:

"today", "tomorrow"
"monday", "next friday"
"tomorrow 3pm", "friday 5pm"
"2025-03-15", "2025-03-15 14:30"

Geofencing Notes

--location is the display name (what you see in Reminders)
--address is used for geocoding (must be a real address)
--arrive triggers when entering the location
--depart triggers when leaving the location
Default geofence radius is ~100 meters

Shared Lists

For shared iCloud reminder lists, use the exact list name as it appears in the Reminders app. The list syncs across all family members' devices.

Examples

bash

# Simple reminder
timely add Reminders "Water plants" --due "saturday 9am"

# Reminder when getting home
timely add Reminders "Take out trash" \
  --location "Home" \
  --address "123 My Street, My City, CA" \
  --arrive

# Reminder when leaving work
timely add Reminders "Pick up kids" \
  --location "Office" \
  --address "456 Work Blvd" \
  --depart