How to Use Microsoft To Do for Personal Task Management

Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Microsoft To Do, Outlook, Teams, Planner)
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-05-17

Summary

This article shows you how to use Microsoft To Do to organize personal tasks, manage your day with the My Day view, create custom lists, sync flagged emails from Outlook, and see team assignments from Microsoft Planner — all from a single task management app.

Prerequisites

• A Microsoft 365 account (To Do is included in all Business and Enterprise plans).
• An active internet connection for sync features.
• The Microsoft To Do app installed on your device (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, or web at https://to-do.microsoft.com).
• No admin rights are required for any step in this article.

Instructions

1. Open Microsoft To Do

You can access To Do from multiple entry points across Microsoft 365.

1. From the web: Navigate to https://to-do.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.
2. From the Microsoft 365 app launcher: Click the App launcher (grid icon) in the top-left corner of any Microsoft 365 page and select To Do. If not visible, click All apps and search for To Do.
3. From Windows: Open the Start menu and search for Microsoft To Do. The app is pre-installed on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
4. From Outlook: Click To Do in the left navigation pane of Outlook (desktop or web) to see your tasks alongside your email.

Verification: The To Do app opens with your task lists in the left sidebar and the My Day view in the main pane.

2. Plan Your Day with My Day

The My Day view is a daily focus list that resets every morning. Use it to choose the tasks you want to accomplish today.

1. Click My Day in the left sidebar.
2. Click + Add a task at the bottom of the list and type a task name (e.g., Review Q3 budget draft).
3. Press Enter to add the task.
4. To add an existing task to My Day, click Suggestions (lightbulb icon) in the top-right corner of the My Day view. To Do suggests tasks based on:
   • Tasks due today or overdue.
   • Tasks you added to My Day previously but did not complete.
   • Recently created tasks.
5. Click the + icon next to any suggestion to add it to your My Day list.
6. To remove a task from My Day without deleting it, right-click the task and select Remove from My Day.

Tip: Tasks in My Day are not deleted when the day resets — they return to their original list. Use My Day as a daily planning tool, not a permanent list.

3. Create and Organize Task Lists

Lists let you group tasks by project, category, or area of responsibility.

1. Click + New list at the bottom of the left sidebar.
2. Enter a list name (e.g., Project Alpha, Personal Errands, or Weekly Reports).
3. Press Enter to create the list.
4. Click the list name to open it, then click + Add a task to add tasks to this list.
5. To add detail to a task, click on the task to open the Detail pane on the right:
   • Due date: Set a deadline using the calendar picker.
   • Remind me: Set a reminder notification for a specific date and time.
   • Repeat: Create a recurring task (e.g., Every weekday, Every month).
   • Steps: Break a task into sub-steps (e.g., ☐ Gather data, ☐ Write summary, ☐ Send to manager).
   • Notes: Add additional context or instructions.
   • File attachment: Attach a file from your device.
6. To group lists, create a list group by right-clicking any list and selecting Create group. Name the group (e.g., Work Projects) and drag related lists into it.
7. To reorder lists, drag and drop them in the left sidebar.

Verification: Your new list appears in the left sidebar and tasks display within it when selected.

4. View Flagged Emails from Outlook

Emails you flag in Outlook automatically appear in To Do, so you never lose track of follow-ups.

1. In Outlook (desktop or web), flag an email by clicking the flag icon next to the message.
2. Open Microsoft To Do.
3. Click Flagged email in the left sidebar.
4. The flagged email appears as a task. Click on it to see a link back to the original email.
5. When you complete the follow-up, mark the task as complete in To Do — the flag is automatically cleared in Outlook.

Verification: Flag a test email in Outlook, then open To Do and check the Flagged email list. The email should appear within a few minutes.

5. View Planner Assignments in To Do

Tasks assigned to you in Microsoft Planner automatically appear in To Do under a dedicated list.

1. Open Microsoft To Do.
2. Click Assigned to me in the left sidebar.
3. All tasks assigned to you across every Planner plan appear here, grouped by plan name.
4. Click on a task to view its details, including the plan name, bucket, due date, and priority.
5. You can add the task to your My Day list by right-clicking and selecting Add to My Day — this helps you plan team assignments alongside personal tasks.

Note: Changes you make to Planner tasks in To Do (such as marking them complete) sync back to Planner in real time. Your teammates see the updated status.

6. Sync Tasks Across Devices

Microsoft To Do syncs automatically across all your signed-in devices.

1. Install the Microsoft To Do app on your mobile device from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
2. Sign in with the same Microsoft 365 account you use on your computer.
3. All lists, tasks, and due dates sync automatically within seconds.
4. Enable push notifications on your mobile device to receive reminders and deadline alerts on the go.

Verification: Create a test task on one device and confirm it appears on your other devices within a minute.

7. Use Keyboard Shortcuts for Speed

These shortcuts help you manage tasks faster without reaching for the mouse.

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + N	Create a new task
Ctrl + L	Create a new list
Ctrl + D	Mark task as complete
Ctrl + T	Add task to My Day
Ctrl + F	Search tasks

Troubleshooting

TIP

If you are unsure whether to use To Do, Planner, or Sticky Notes, here is a quick guide: Use To Do for personal tasks, daily planning, and flagged email follow-ups. Use Planner for team project boards with assignments and progress tracking. Use Sticky Notes for quick, temporary reminders.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
Flagged email list is empty	Outlook sync delay or not signed into same account	Open Outlook and verify the flag is set. Ensure you are signed into To Do with the same Microsoft 365 account. Allow up to 10 minutes for initial sync.
Assigned to me list is missing	Feature not enabled by organization	Ask IT to enable the Planner integration for To Do — it is a tenant-level setting you cannot switch on yourself.
Tasks do not sync between devices	Sign-in mismatch	Verify you are signed into the same Microsoft 365 account on all devices. Sign out and back in if needed.
Reminders not appearing	Notifications disabled on device	Open your device notification settings and ensure Microsoft To Do notifications are enabled.
My Day still shows yesterday's tasks	App not refreshed	Close and reopen the app. My Day resets at midnight — uncompleted tasks return to their original lists.

Related Articles

• How to Use Microsoft Planner for Task Management
• How to Use OneNote for Note-Taking and Organization
• How to Create Email Rules in Outlook
• How to Use Focused Inbox in Outlook
• How to Use Sticky Notes on Windows
• Understanding Microsoft 365 Apps — What Each App Does and When to Use It
• Understanding Task Management in Microsoft 365 — To Do vs. Planner vs. Lists

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