Thinglist for iPhone review: A single place to remember all the things you always forget

Thinglist isn't your everyday task list or reminders app. Actually, it's neither of those things. At its core, Thinglist really functions as a way for you to jot down ideas and things to remember that aren't so time pressing. How about that time that you wanted to watch a movie your friend told you about but now can't remember the title? These are the types of uses Thinglist for iPhone is perfect for.

After you download Thinglist, the first screen you're brought to is the main menu which consists of a grid of circular icons with different categories to choose from. Tap on any category and you'll automatically be taken to the task entry screen. Type a title for what you want to remember and just tap done. It's as simple as that. It'll be added to your main list.

Thinglist also supports taking notes under each item. This is a good place to put recipes or information about a reminder that you may want to remember later. If you're getting a recipe from a friend, just title it and then type all the preparation instructions and ingredients under the notes section.

Tapping on the dotted icon in the upper right hand corner of the screen lets you sort your reminders and notes by category. Only the ones you have active things under will be able to be selected. It's just a convenient way to sort items once you've started to accumulate too many to weed through a combined list.

Once you're done with a note or reminder, there isn't technically a way to mark it as complete since the point of Thinglist is quite simpler than that. If you don't want it in your list anymore, just swipe sideways on it to delete it.

The good

  • Nice interface that's easy to navigate and makes adding notes quick
  • Sorting by categories helps find things faster

The bad

  • Title font is a little big for my taste and longer titles don't fit on the screen
  • No way to just mark as complete for reference later

The bottom line

If you're looking for a task manager with built-in reminders, categories, and tons of options, Thinglist isn't for you. If you have a dedicated task list already but want to keep personal items such as reminders for movies you'd like to remember to watch or recipes you'd like to try, Thinglist is perfect.

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.