Creating and maintaining shared to-do lists

Now you can get organized with features that help with creating and collecting tasks, setting deadlines and sending reminders.

There are plenty of cool customization options out there, too: Change the background image or color to your liking, work in dark mode, add stars to your most critical tasks, integrate your to-do lists with an online calendar, and sync lists across every device and platform.

Here are six great ways to make shared to-do lists work for you.

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1. Start a grocery list.

Not too long ago, families pinned handwritten shopping lists to their fridges. Nowadays kids and their insatiable friends can beg for ice cream and soda by making requests on a shared shopping list. Digital to-do lists will update in real time, even if the designated shopper is already at the store.

Want your spouse to grab steaks at the butcher on the way home from work, or your teen to pick up oat milk at the supermarket? Now you can assign them specific tasks with step-by-step instructions or detailed notes. When they’ve completed said task, they can cross it off the list and it’ll automatically update for all parties to see.

And hey—if you do miss the old-fashioned way of shopping, you can always print out a physical list from the app or save it as a PDF and send it to yourself as an attachment.

2. Delegate household chores.

Nobody loves chores but getting them done makes the world go round. And for some teens and tweens, checking off those chore boxes is how they earn an allowance. Prioritize tasks and set clear expectations for family or roommates by sharing a household to-do list. Washing dishes, emptying the garbage, changing the kitty litter—it’s all there, with built-in reminders for missed deadlines. You can even “pencil in” rewards (ice cream float, perhaps?) for an added incentive.

3. Make a budget.

Scrimping and saving to meet a big goal—or just to make ends meet—is easier when the whole family is on board. Digital to-do lists enable you to share those goals with others and collaborate on the steps needed to meet them. Say you’re saving up to buy a new car and must cut $300 a month from your current expenses to afford the payment. Tallying up how much you’re spending every month and flagging areas for potential savings can be a group effort—and a good learning experience for your littlest spenders.

4. Throw a party.

From a backyard happy hour to a black-tie dinner party, online to-do lists streamline the process of event planning. Sync-up calendars with friends and family to puzzle out the best date for the event, and then invite your hivemind to weigh in on party themes, food, decor, and playlists. Planning something more elaborate like a wedding? No problem. A digital to-do list can help you draft the guest list, track RSVPs, assign venues to research, draw up a seating plan for the reception, share ideas with your caterer or florist, and more.

5. Plan a vacation.

Jackson Hole, Jamaica, Japan… wherever your next trip takes you, a shared to-do list is the perfect tool for organizing it because you can break down complex tasks into bite-sized steps or subtasks. Invite your travel companions to make (or veto) itinerary suggestions, including hotels, restaurants, museums, and kids’ activities. One person can map out a potential driving route, while another digs into flight research. As the trip grows nearer, a few people can divide and conquer the packing list while another sorts out pet and plant sitters. Once you’re on the road, use shared lists to track your expenditures—or just hash out the damage after you get back. (It’s supposed to be a vacation, after all.)

6. Go wild ‘n’ crazy with your bad, list-making self.

Though often associated with work, list-making doesn’t have to be tedious. Make and share lists of your favorite movies, TV shows, and podcasts. Circulate recipes or names of local restaurants you can’t wait to try. Lay out a bucket list of 100 places you want to visit before your 100th birthday and challenge your pals to do the same. Then see how many you can knock out at the end of each year. As any Type A list-maker can attest, dreaming up the boxes is almost as fun as checking them off.