Tasks

Google Tasks

Tasks is your own, simple, personal task list. On your computer you can get to it only via the right side panel in Gmail or Drive (or a Docs/Sheets/Slides file). On a phone or mobile device you can install an app. The instructions below are for the PC/Mac interface, not the mobile app. (But fear not! Google provides excellent instructions for all interfaces!)

When you create tasks you are creating a personal checklist--to indicate a task is complete, check the box and it disappears.

If you edit a particular task you can also add subtasks to it. Be mindful, though: you only get one level of subtask. While you're editing the task you can also specify a due date and time to get a reminder.

You can also create multiple discrete task lists for yourself if you find that helpful. Again, consider: one of the advantages of task lists is actually being able to see them, and if you have multiple task lists you'll only be looking at any one of them at any given time. So maybe you have daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, and you have a habit of checking those at specific times. Great! Use multiple task lists. But if you're working on four or five projects at any given time and haven't reserved time to dedicate to any one of them, Google Tasks may not be robust enough for you.

In the silent video on this page, Susie creates and completes a few tasks.

Collaborating and Tasks

If you want a system that lets you assign tasks to other people or collectively manage work towards a project, Tasks is not your best solution, but you have options.

Google Docs/Sheets/Slides

You can use the comments feature of Google Docs/Sheets/Slides to assign tasks to others. In a comment, type @ and start typing the person's email address. When it appears, click it and check the "Assign to <person>" box in the comment. Then submit your comment.

Rooms

If you're more into informal collaboration or project-based collaboration, you can create a Google Room. (Rooms is Google's rudimentary answer to Slack.) In a Room you can add documents related to that room and have a shared task list so everyone knows what everyone else is supposed to do.