Show HN: macOS Reminder Sync for Obsidian Tasks

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A new macOS app that syncs Obsidian task checkboxes with Apple Reminders is being welcomed as a missing link between a powerful markdown-based notes system and the native reminders infrastructure on iOS and macOS. Commenters probe how robust the two-way syncing is, ask for filters, trials, and support for other tools like Logseq or Todoist, and share alternative workflows using Shortcuts, CalDAV, or dedicated task managers. The conversation also broadens into concerns about long‑term reliance on Obsidian, data portability of markdown plus YAML front matter, and the trade‑offs between extensible ecosystems and simpler, more stable note-taking setups.

Overall use case and appeal

  • Many see native iOS/macOS reminders as uniquely reliable for notifications, but find Apple’s Reminders UI limited.
  • Obsidian is valued as a powerful, markdown-based notes/tasks system; tying its tasks into Reminders is viewed as “the missing piece” for several workflows.
  • Some already sync Reminders via open standards (CalDAV/CardDAV) to non-Apple clients and like that this app leverages Apple’s EventKit rather than private APIs.

Implementation details & behavior

  • Reported sync rules:
    • Deleting a synced task in Obsidian deletes the corresponding Reminder; deleting a Reminder can delete the task (premium/optional).
    • Completing in either app marks the other complete (Obsidian changes apply on next sync; Reminders → Obsidian can be immediate).
    • New Reminders in the synced list appear as tasks in a dedicated “inbox” note.
    • Editing a task in Obsidian recreates the Reminder.
    • Conflicts are resolved in favor of Obsidian.
  • Known limitation: editing the Reminder’s description does not propagate back to Obsidian, due to lossy markdown → text conversion.
  • Multi-machine use is currently “undefined”; likely to cause duplicates.
  • At least one user hit an off‑by‑one date bug and trouble with the listed support email.

Features, pricing & feedback

  • Free tier: periodic (6‑hour) sync, manual sync button, completion and creation sync.
  • Paid: faster intervals (down to 1 minute), deletion sync, richer Reminder descriptions, option to sync only dated tasks.
  • Some users immediately bought lifetime licenses; others want clearer IAP details and/or a formal trial.
  • Early surprise: initial sync pulled in every task in the vault and, for some, thousands of completed Reminders; filtering was later added (global filter by text/tag).

Ecosystem, alternatives & skepticism

  • Requests for integrations with Logseq, JIRA, OmniFocus, Todoist.
  • Some prefer keeping “real” task management outside Obsidian, using this kind of tool only as a capture/bridge layer.
  • Broader thread debates Obsidian’s longevity, closed-source status, plugin lock-in vs markdown/YAML portability, and compares it with Logseq, Evernote, Apple Notes, and simple editors.
  • Opinions diverge on Apple Reminders’ adequacy (e.g., lack of “persistent” nagging reminders) and on the reliability of Shortcuts-based reminder automations.