Your most requested feature is here – list groups!
Published Aug 12 2019 09:10 AM 89.9K Views
Microsoft

Here at To-Do we like to think that you can have lists for everything: books you want to read, restaurants you want to check out, chores your kids need to do, and that big work project that you’ve been tackling each week. In fact, you can have a list for every aspect of your life. But once you start to add a lot of lists and your holiday packing plans mingle with your work tasks, it becomes easier to lose focusMeet list groups, one of your most requested features ever, now rolling out across all platforms (version 1.63). 

Create a list group to organize your listsCreate a list group to organize your lists

 Focus on what matters with list groups 

List groups are a simple way to organize your lists. Heading off on a holiday? Create a group by clicking or tapping on the icon next to New List, name your group, and you’re ready to go. You can drag your packing list, your summer books to read, the list of things you need to organize, and those restaurants you want to check out into your Vacation list groupNeed to concentrate on work and forget about the upcoming vacation? Close your Vacation group and open your work list group. Heading home for the evening? Open up that home list group to get your grocery, movies, or favorite recipes list. List groups will help you get even more stuff done by letting you focus only on those lists you need, when you need them.  

Create an archive list groupCreate an archive list group

Archive those lists you no longer need 

Don’t use a list anymore but not quite ready to delete it yet? Create an Archive group and drag all those lists into the group. Now you can hide them from view, but they’re still there when you need them. And if they’re work projects that you’ve finished, why not keep them in a list group so you can quickly access all your accomplishments when review time rolls around 

Create a template list group for lists you want to duplicateCreate a template list group for lists you want to duplicate

Templates for the lists you use time and time again 

We all have a packing list, right? But you might not take the same things for a weekend in New York versus a week holiday in the tropics. Create a list with all the basics – the chargers, the passport, and your essential clothes - and put it in your Templates list group. Once you’ve booked that plane ticket you can head to our web app or Windows app, right-click on your template packing list, and duplicate it. Then move it into that New York Vacation list group and get packing. 

Templates aren’t just for the holidays though. You can use them for workschool, or just about anything. The possibilities are endless 

 

Now that one of your most requested features has arrived, we want to hear from you. What do you think of the update? What groups will you be making? Tell us in the comments below, or over on Twitter or Facebook 

69 Comments
Copper Contributor

This looks promising and I'm anxious to use it.  One thing though, I removed a lot of 'lists' that I created because those lists showed up as tasks in my Outlook application.  I don't know if there is a way around that, but for now, OneNote will continue to be my 'list' app and ToDo will be my 'gitterdun' app.

Brass Contributor

Any chance of getting a better-placed "sync" button than digging through the settings and scrolling way down for it?  Ideally the app should always be synced, but it would be nice to force a sync when it's not for whatever reason.

Silver Contributor

As i only use To-do for work, i don't need groups (yet). But i must add a folder to hide some obsolete or future stuff. Don't see it yet in a web version. Hopefully it appears soon. And then hopefully you can swich to some other popular requests :)

Brass Contributor

I would like to have all completed task in a separate category down the list with a count of how many tasks completed . The completed task category should be in order of completion. This to remove clutter from the actionable list and have a way of reviewing what is completed and how much is accomplished. Same behavior should occur to subtasks. I also would like to attach an image or a cover to a task, not as an attachment to the image but an actual viewable image inside the task. There should also be more colors available or backgrounds. Also starring an item should have a behavior to push it to the top, without changing list view, I should be able to manipulate tasks order in the list on the fly based on what I deem Important and not have to manually move Completed task the bottom of the list and manually move starred items to the top of the list. Also list order is a priority so changing list view takes away from the flexibility of the list. Thanks I hope to make Microsoft Todo my default Todo list. Not only catch up with Wunderlist features but surpass it.

Brass Contributor

Finally, groups! One suggestion (and I'll add to the uservoice board as well) would be the ability to focus on a specific group. This could be by right clicking on the group and choosing "focus" or "work" or whatever, or using a key command. The other folders and tasks would disappear - or perhaps you could open the group in a new window and keep it up front while you're working thorough the tasks and lists.

Silver Contributor

xmido, you should post these in UserVoice https://planner.uservoice.com/forums/330525-microsoft-planner-feedback-forum

Btw, starred icon do move to the top automatically for me (web business version).

Copper Contributor

So... sounds great, but I do not see 1.63 available for the windows application.  Also, not working for the web application.

Microsoft

Perfect! 
Thanks @Polly Davidson and team! Now i can migrate my lists! :D

Copper Contributor

I always love how these blogs say It's here! but... it... isn't... here.  Where is it?  To my knowledge, 1.63 hasn't rolled out (release) anywhere.  Not on my Android devices.  Not on my IOS devices.  Not on the web.  Not on Windows 10.  Where exactly is this "here", other than in a beta program?

Copper Contributor

Hi Guys.   THANKS FOR IMPLEMENTING THIS!.  One major deficiency though is that it doesn't appear that one can share a Task list to a group of individuals (only the sub-task groupings).   Can you please enable the sharing of a Group List?   Thanks

 

Iron Contributor

LIke @DAVISTULSA   I am not seeing 1.63, is this coming to live tenants?   Good call being able to archive lists esp holiday packing lists. 

 

BTW how are getting on with Google New Tab - Add ToDo Task and other related Chrome Addins  + not being able to add a web link in the notes ( which can you do with the other product that begins with "Wun...." :unamused:

Iron Contributor

A little off-topic but I would love to see a feature to plan your next day. I like to review tasks at the end of the day and plan what needs to be accomplished the following day. "My Day" is great but this means you have to start your day with sifting through your tasks which is not good for productivity. I know that there are several related uservoice requests but just putting it here to make sure the To-Do team keeps it high on their agenda.

Silver Contributor

Igor, there is such idea logged on UserVoice. So search for it and vote.

Silver Contributor

Yeah, Microsoft's response would be like "But, but, but we want to make you excited..". Ok, a few hours, maybe day before, not days, months, year sometimes..

Iron Contributor

@wroot  I guess you didn't read my entire reply where I clearly mentioned the uservoice. You just comment as much as possible without adding any substance to the discussion... 

Silver Contributor

You want some substance? It started working and it is a disaster. I just tried to access my tasks via web version on mobile (can't use the app). It shows the new group button on the side panel. Actually i now see that it won't be as useful to me as i have anticipated as it seems it only allows to drag lists to groups, not individual tasks. Personally i don't use lists, just tasks. As i only use it for work and i don't have so many big projects to have lists. So, now when i press on a house button to get to the list of all tasks, i get the "list not found" error. Because there are no list. Maybe it will work in desktop web version. Though i feel that instead of doing work tomorrow morning i i will spend time trying to scrap my tasks out of this mess..

Silver Contributor

Just received a response from MS support that they are working on a fix for this issue in a few hours.

Steel Contributor
That explains it. I only have version 1.62. :worried_face:
Silver Contributor

Web version is already 1.63.2 with a fix for the Tasks pane.

Copper Contributor

Tried the new Group List feature (recognizing that inexplicably folks haven't gotten around to incorporate the feature in the Windows 10 app!)   I shift between IOS and Windows 10 to-do throughout the day so the synching feature is critical.   What I noticed was that the Group List doesn't synch appear in the Windows 10 app.   (And none of the sublists or tasked moved to the Group list appears either).  Obviously, this is a severe limitation on the usefulness of the Group List feature for those who use this for work.    Have sent a support request to the To-Do team but wanted folks to be aware of this issue before getting too excited about using the Group List feature.

Silver Contributor

@Polly Davidson, Is the links group supposed to sync across devices?  I created one on my iPad and it doesn't sync with my iPhone, Windows, or any other device.  All have that button but groups don't sync.

Copper Contributor

@Jeffrey - If the Group List doesn't synch between devices, then the feature is pretty useless as far as I am concerned (until it is fixed).  I have another task management app that I have been using and it has group lists that synch across devices for years now.  I really hope that Microsoft catches up with this app.

Silver Contributor

@spepper2165, I used to highly recommend this app, but I've been having issues of late on the app and have quit promoting it at work and I was a big fan of the app.

Copper Contributor

As has already been noted, you can create a group on the IOS app and it will not appear on the Windows 10 App and vice versa. This looks like a bug but really needs to be fixed before this feature is usable. 

Copper Contributor

Duplicating a list removes the attachments from the tasks.

Silver Contributor

I suggest going into To-do settings, help section, pressing Get support and reporting such issues there. It might get attention faster than here.

Copper Contributor

Done!

Copper Contributor

I spent time setting up my lists into new groups and then found that the new groups do not sync across all my devices? Im using exclusively apple products, so Mac, iPhone and iPad. Frustrating as even new lists and tasks placed into new groups do not sync. Please advise as essentially now the app is not usable or I go and take all the groups out. Big thanks to anyone who can offer any advice, have also posted in the To Do help section.

Silver Contributor

This is so weird indeed. I have created a group a few days ago on web version on mobile. Next day i have deleted that group in web version on my desktop. But i still see it on mobile..

Microsoft

@Peter Schott We'll pass the feedback on.

Microsoft

@Jeffrey Allen Can you try logging out and back in on your devices. We're investigating a bug that causes syncing issues when you first start using groups.

Microsoft

@robross0606 

 
 
 

@Daniel Westerdale 

@DAVISTULSA 

@wroot 

@Glenn1030 

@ptrgdmn 

@spepper2165 

 It's available on all platforms now. Do let us know if it's not working for you. If groups aren't syncing between devices then please try to log out and log back in on all devices. 

Copper Contributor

Yes correct, i logged out from all devices then re logged in and now groups sync. lesson learned and maybe a standard warning to all is needed when upgrading a new feature that this be done. I wasted some time setting everything up only to have it all lost when i logged out and in again. Thanks to those who helped me with this issue.

Silver Contributor

I think it finally synced the list groups but with that and other recent issues, I think I'll give up and look for a competitor task list app which is too bad as I liked the integration with other O365 apps but losing time and tasks when new features come out isn't good. @Polly Davidson, please pass along that feedback.

Silver Contributor

To add to my above post, the only way I got them all to sync was to not only log out of every app on all devices, but I had to delete and reinstall the app on all devices and re-login and this was after all updated to the version that has this feature.  I also noticed for Mac and iOS users that the duplicate list feature isn't there so they can't make templates if they want to.  It seems that feature is only available in Windows and on the web.  I still have 2 tasks on Windows that doesn't exist anywhere else according to the numbers but since I did heavily rely on the app, I have to many to determine the tasks that aren't syncing.  :sad:

Iron Contributor

@Polly DavidsonLogging out and back in resolved my issue with Groups not syncing.

Steel Contributor

@Jeffrey AllenInteresting … I've been using the groups feature in the Android beta version for a while now and when the feature appeared in the Win 10 app, all of the groups came through just fine without any tweaking or jumping through hoops required. This might not be a generic issue with To-Do.

Copper Contributor

@Polly DavidsonLogging out and logging in seemed to have worked. One thing that I noticed when trying to share lists or groups is that despite having downloaded Outlook app and installed as default mail app, it doesn't appear as an option when trying to share a list/group directly from within To-Do.  Only Mail and Skype show as options.   Would be great if this can be fixed !

Copper Contributor

The grouped lists feature is missing one critical capability. The ability to see all tasks in all lists in a 'grouped' view when you select the group. All other to-do tools with grouped lists have that.

Silver Contributor

@Polly Davidson and @vijaymenon, that is disappointing for grouped lists.  Maybe it'll be resolved soon.  To-Do Apps continues to disappoint me and I wish Microsoft would continue to work on and improve the app as I'd like to return to using it since it integrates within O365.

Microsoft

@spepper2165 That's interesting. Which platform is that on?

Steel Contributor

Some positive feedback: I just logged into tech community to search for discussions around archiving inactive To-Do lists. Discovering the newly-released List Groups feature was a pleasant surprise. It works well for archiving. I also moved three avocational lists into an Avocation group. My list pane is already much tidier. 

 

Furthermore, everything including groups syncs reliably across all my Windows and Android devices without having to log out and back in again. Well done Microsoft To-Do team!

 

Copper Contributor

Thank you for making this feature available this was one of the main reasons why I enjoyed wunderlist. It works well on my Android, I have not checked out the windows app yet. 

 

Copper Contributor

This is awesome but Groups should be collapsed by default not in expanded form. Now the Archive/Categories Tagging are the only thing which is left to make TO-DO universal Task manager.

Silver Contributor

@AkhilDabral, I agree with you that they should collapse by default and archive and category tagging would be nice, but you can create your own tags.

Copper Contributor

Is I'm the only one missing comment feature in To-Do App?

Copper Contributor

I'm pretty happy with Groups, but would very much like a feature to plan my day the night before.  It just does not work mentally to do it in the morning.  By then I'm already behind schedule!

Silver Contributor
Brass Contributor
Copper Contributor
Surely grouping is a welcome feature. The MOST important feature though should be NOT having to referesh the page every 5 or so minutes. What's up with that?? I have not come across that ever before. Please please please give give an explanation? Thank you
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