Apple Reminders (remindctl)

Manage Apple Reminders via the remindctl CLI. Use for time-anchored or place-anchored tracking that doesn't belong on the calendar.

Use this skill when Luis wants to track, capture, or check on time-anchored or place-anchored items that don't warrant a calendar event.

When to use this vs other stores

• Reminders — actions tied to a time, place, or recurrence. "Remind me to..."
• Google Calendar — events with a fixed time block and duration. "Schedule..."
• Open Brain — durable facts, context, decisions, patterns. "Remember that..."

If an item belongs in two stores (e.g. "remind me to take Mounjaro every Wednesday" is both a recurring reminder AND a protocol fact worth knowing), create the reminder first, then capture a thought in Open Brain referencing the reminder by its ID prefix in the format reminder:4A83.

Most reminders are ephemeral ("grab milk") and do NOT belong in Open Brain. Only mirror when the item is durable context Luis will want to reason about later.

Hard rules

1. Default write target is the Kaidan list. Never write to other lists unless Luis explicitly names one ("add this to Shopping").
2. Never use delete. Use complete instead — it's reversible via --incomplete. Completed reminders auto-purge per Reminders' own settings.
3. Never use list-level mutations — no list --rename, no list --delete, no list --create without Luis explicitly asking.
4. Always pass --json on read commands (show, list). Parse the output, present a human summary back.
5. Always pass --no-input to ensure non-interactive execution.
6. Use ID prefixes (e.g. 4A83), not indexes (1, 2), for any operation that spans more than one command. Indexes shift between show runs; ID prefixes are stable.

Priority mapping

Use Luis's A/B/C mode framework when setting --priority:

• high — A-mode floor (protocol, non-negotiable)
• medium — B-mode (important, can flex)
• low or none — C-mode (nice-to-have)

If priority isn't obvious from context, ask or default to none.

Common patterns

Check today's reminders:

text

remindctl show today --json --no-input

Check Luis's Kaidan list:

text

remindctl list Kaidan --json --no-input

Check all lists at once:

text

remindctl list --json --no-input

Add to default Kaidan list:

text

remindctl add "Title here" --list Kaidan --no-input --json

Add with due date:

text

remindctl add "Take Mounjaro" --list Kaidan --due "2026-05-13 09:00" --no-input --json

Add recurring:

text

remindctl add "Water garden" --list Kaidan --due tomorrow --repeat "every 3 days" --no-input --json

Add location-based (geofence):

text

remindctl add "Grab the mail" --list Kaidan --location "<address>" --radius 100 --no-input --json

Complete by ID prefix:

text

remindctl complete 4A83 --json --no-input

Edit (change title, move list, set due, etc.):

text

remindctl edit 4A83 --due "2026-05-14 18:00" --json --no-input

Clear a due date or recurrence:

text

remindctl edit 4A83 --clear-due --no-repeat --json --no-input

Filters available on show

today | tomorrow | week | overdue | upcoming | open | completed | all | <YYYY-MM-DD>

Default to today for "what do I have today" questions. Use overdue proactively when Luis hasn't checked in a while.

Failure modes

• Authorization revoked: remindctl status returns not-authorized. Tell Luis to run remindctl authorize from a terminal at the Mac Mini.
• List not found: Reminders requires the list to exist. Don't auto-create — ask Luis whether he wants the Kaidan list created or whether he meant a different list.
• Ambiguous ID prefix: If edit/complete returns an ambiguity error, run show --json and use a longer prefix or the full ID.
• Quiet output is misleading: Always parse --json output to confirm success rather than assuming silence means success.

Notes on scope

• remindctl is installed via Homebrew: brew install steipete/tap/remindctl
• Requires macOS Reminders Automation permission (granted)
• All operations target the user's iCloud Reminders, so changes are visible on iPhone, Watch, and other Apple devices within seconds