Create location based reminders in macOS Reminders app

The Apple Mac Reminders app is useful for creating lists, like as tasks, jobs, projects, even shopping lists. Go further and use Reminders to notify you to do tasks at specific locations.

You can easily enter one or more items in Reminders and then tick them off when they are done. If you need to do tasks when you arrive at or leave a location, Reminders pops up and shows you the task or tasks so you will not forget.

Location-based reminders are really useful and they can be used by people that travel with a MacBook, so you can remind yourself to do something when you get home, arrive work, or wherever you are travelling to.

They are also useful for people with more than one Mac, such as one at home and one at work. Reminders are synced through your iCloud account, so providing you sign in to iCloud with the same account at home and at work, you will see the reminder when you start your Mac.

The benefits are even greater when you have an iPhone because any you create on your Mac are synced with your phone and so you will see the reminder whether you have your Mac with you or not. you may fnd it easier creating reminders on the Mac with its mouse, keyboard and big screen than on the iPhone. It doesn't matter where you create them.

Location suggestions

Start by opening Reminders from the Dock or the Applications folder and select a Reminders list on the left. Click the plus on the right and type in the reminder. Notice that Add Location appears below. Click in the box and several suggestions appear in a list below.

Your current location, home address, and maybe work address are suggested and it is just one click to accept one. Notice also that you can be reminded when you get into or out of your car. Obviously you Mac won't do that, but any reminder created on the Mac is synced to your iPhone and that will notify you.

Enter a location

Start typing into the location box and suggestions appear below. You can enter a full address or a partial one and then click the suggestion. Here I entered the name of a hotel I will be visiting and the reminder will pop up either on the Mac when I turn it on or my iPhone.

After typing the location, notice that it automatically says Arriving. What if you want the reminder when leaving a location? In this case you need to click the i on the right of the reminder.

Arriving or leaving

A panel opens with extra options and you can choose whether to be notified when you arrive at or leave a place. Change it to Leaving if that is what you want.

Precise or approximate locations

See the blue circle around the location? If your Mac (or iPhone) is within this circle, the location reminder is triggered. Click and drag the blue dot on the edge of the circle and you can make it bigger or smaller.

If you are going to a hotel, place of work or your home, then a small circle is appropriate and a reminder is only triggered when you are acually there. If you are attending a large arena, outdoor event, airport or something else that covers a large area, then widen the circle to cover the whole area.

If you have not used location reminders before, you will see a message asking if Reminders can use the location services provided by macOS. Click OK. (You’ll see a location/GPS arrow in the menu bar.)

Location reminders is a very useful feature and you can use it to remind you to do something when you arrive and leave places. Don't forget that Reminders syncs with iCloud and with your iPhone, so you will see reminders even when your Mac is switched off.