Apple Reminders (remindctl)#

Use this skill when Luis wants to track, capture, or check on time-anchored or place-anchored items that don't warrant a calendar event.

When to use this vs other stores#

• Reminders — actions tied to a time, place, or recurrence. "Remind me to..."
• Google Calendar — events with a fixed time block and duration. "Schedule..."
• Open Brain — durable facts, context, decisions, patterns. "Remember that..."

If an item belongs in two stores (e.g. "remind me to take Mounjaro every Wednesday" is both a recurring reminder AND a protocol fact worth knowing), create the reminder first, then capture a thought in Open Brain referencing the reminder by its ID prefix in the format reminder:4A83.

Most reminders are ephemeral ("grab milk") and do NOT belong in Open Brain. Only mirror when the item is durable context Luis will want to reason about later.

Hard rules#

1. Default write target is the Kaidan list. Never write to other lists unless Luis explicitly names one ("add this to Shopping").
2. Never use delete. Use complete instead — it's reversible via --incomplete. Completed reminders auto-purge per Reminders' own settings.
3. Never use list-level mutations — no list --rename, no list --delete, no list --create without Luis explicitly asking.
4. Always pass --json on read commands ( show, list). Parse the output, present a human summary back.
5. Always pass --no-input to ensure non-interactive execution.
6. Use ID prefixes (e.g. 4A83), not indexes ( 1, 2), for any operation that spans more than one command. Indexes shift between show runs; ID prefixes are stable.

Priority mapping#

Use Luis's A/B/C mode framework when setting --priority:

• high — A-mode floor (protocol, non-negotiable)
• medium — B-mode (important, can flex)
• low or none — C-mode (nice-to-have)

If priority isn't obvious from context, ask or default to none.

Common patterns#

Check today's reminders:

text

remindctl show today --json --no-input

Check Luis's Kaidan list:

text

remindctl list Kaidan --json --no-input

Check all lists at once:

text

remindctl list --json --no-input

Add to default Kaidan list:

text

remindctl add "Title here" --list Kaidan --no-input --json

Add with due date:

text

remindctl add "Take Mounjaro" --list Kaidan --due "2026-05-13 09:00" --no-input --json

Add recurring:

text

remindctl add "Water garden" --list Kaidan --due tomorrow --repeat "every 3 days" --no-input --json

Add location-based (geofence):

text

remindctl add "Grab the mail" --list Kaidan --location "<address>" --radius 100 --no-input --json

Complete by ID prefix:

text

remindctl complete 4A83 --json --no-input

Edit (change title, move list, set due, etc.):

text

remindctl edit 4A83 --due "2026-05-14 18:00" --json --no-input

Clear a due date or recurrence:

text

remindctl edit 4A83 --clear-due --no-repeat --json --no-input

Filters available on show#

today | tomorrow | week | overdue | upcoming | open | completed | all | <YYYY-MM-DD>

Default to today for "what do I have today" questions. Use overdue proactively when Luis hasn't checked in a while.

Failure modes#

• Authorization revoked: remindctl status returns not-authorized. Tell Luis to run remindctl authorize from a terminal at the Mac Mini.
• List not found: Reminders requires the list to exist. Don't auto-create — ask Luis whether he wants the Kaidan list created or whether he meant a different list.
• Ambiguous ID prefix: If edit/ complete returns an ambiguity error, run show --json and use a longer prefix or the full ID.
• Quiet output is misleading: Always parse --json output to confirm success rather than assuming silence means success.

Notes on scope#

• remindctl is installed via Homebrew: brew install steipete/tap/remindctl
• Requires macOS Reminders Automation permission (granted)
• All operations target the user's iCloud Reminders, so changes are visible on iPhone, Watch, and other Apple devices within seconds