Pin three Reminders widgets on iPhone: Today on your first home screen, one Smart List for a context tag, and one named list for errands. That is the 3-Spot Setup.

If you added a widget months ago and it still shows tasks you already finished, this is for you.

Today vs List vs Smart List: pick the right widget type

Apple gives you three widget sources. Most guides treat them as interchangeable. They are not.

  • Today widget. Shows dated tasks, timed reminders, and flagged items due now. Best for your main home screen. Updates as dates change overnight.
  • List widget. Shows one named list exactly as you left it. Great for Groceries or Packing. Terrible if you pick a junk drawer list like "Inbox" that never gets cleaned.
  • Smart List widget. Filters by tag, date, or priority. Best for one context you open often, like #errands or #calls. Needs a Smart List built first.

Your takeaway: one Today widget handles daily work. List and Smart List widgets handle specific buckets. Do not stack three random lists and call it organized.

What every widget guide says (table stakes)

Apple Support, iPhone tutorial blogs, and productivity YouTube channels repeat the same steps:

  1. Long-press the home screen, tap the plus button, search Reminders.
  2. Pick small, medium, or large size.
  3. Choose a list from the dropdown.
  4. Place the widget where you will see it.

All correct. None of them tell you which list belongs on page one, or what to do when the widget shows twelve stale lines. That missing pick step is why your widget feels useless by week two.

The 3-Spot Setup: three widgets, three jobs

Name the setup so you remember the layout. Three spots, three purposes, no overlap.

  1. Spot 1 (page one, medium Today). Your morning glance. Shows what is due before lunch. Pair this with a TRIM Sweep on Today so the widget stays short.
  2. Spot 2 (page two, small Smart List). One context tag you act on away from your desk. Errands, Calls, or Home. Build the Smart List once, pin the widget, forget it.
  3. Spot 3 (lock screen or page two, small List). One single-purpose list you check in a store aisle. Groceries, not "Tasks." Rename the list if it still says "Reminders."

Your takeaway: Today runs your day. Smart List runs your context. Named list runs one errand trip. Three widgets, zero duplicate views.

Walkthrough: set up Spot 1 in under two minutes

Start with the widget you will tap fifty times a day.

Step 1: Long-press an empty area on your first home screen. Tap the + button in the top-left corner.

Step 2: Search Reminders. Swipe to the medium size. Tap Add Widget.

Step 3: Before you place it, tap the widget preview. Under Reminder List, choose Today. Not "Tasks." Not your oldest list. Today.

Step 4: Drag it below your clock row. Tap Done.

Open Reminders, confirm Today shows seven lines or fewer. If it shows twenty, run TRIM before you trust the widget. A clean Today feed makes the widget worth glancing at.

Walkthrough: add Spot 2 and Spot 3

Spot 2 (Smart List): In Reminders, confirm you have a Smart List filtered to one tag. No Smart List yet? Add List → Smart List → name it Errands → filter Tags to #errands. Back on the home screen, add a small Reminders widget, pick Errands from the list dropdown, place it on page two.

Spot 3 (named list): Create or rename a list to Groceries. Keep only store items there. Add another small List widget, select Groceries, and pin it on your lock screen (iOS 16+) or page two beside Spot 2.

Test each widget: tap one circle to complete a task. If check-off fails, bump that widget to medium size. Interactive widgets need room to register taps.

Before and after: what changes on a real Wednesday

Before: One widget pinned to your "Tasks" list from 2024. Home screen shows "Research gyms," "Fix sink," and "Call Mom," all done last month. You stop looking at it. Tasks pile up inside the app instead.

After: Page-one Today widget shows three flagged items due today. Page-two Errands widget shows "Return Amazon package" and "Dry cleaning." Lock screen Groceries widget shows milk and eggs. You check off milk in the parking lot without opening Reminders.

Your takeaway: the widget did not fail. It was aimed at a graveyard list. Repointing takes three minutes and saves a daily app open.

Common mistakes (and the fix)

  • Pinning your biggest list. A 40-item master list makes the widget useless noise. Use Today or a tight Smart List instead.
  • Stacking four Reminders widgets. More widgets does not mean more done. Three spots is the cap. Delete extras that duplicate the same view.
  • Skipping Today cleanup. A Today widget on a bloated Today view just puts guilt on your home screen. TRIM first, widget second.
  • Using small widgets for check-off. Small size is view-only on many layouts. Use medium on page one if you want to complete tasks from the home screen.
  • Never updating the list name. A widget labeled "Reminders" with random tasks trains you to ignore it. Rename the list to match one job: Groceries, Packing, Calls.

If your Smart Lists need a rebuild, our guide on four context lists on iPhone sets up the tags Spot 2 depends on.

Frequently asked questions

Which Reminders widget should I put on my iPhone home screen?

Pin the Today widget on your first home screen page. It shows dated tasks and timed reminders in one glance. Add one Smart List widget for a context tag like Errands, and one named list widget for a single-purpose list like Groceries. Skip random list widgets that show stale tasks from last month.

Can I check off tasks from the Reminders widget?

On iOS 17 and later, medium and large Reminders widgets let you tap the circle to complete a task without opening the app. Small widgets are view-only. If your widget will not let you check items, long-press it, tap Edit Widget, and switch to a larger size.

Why does my Reminders widget show old completed tasks?

You probably pinned a specific list that still holds finished items, or the widget cached an outdated view. Long-press the widget, tap Edit Widget, and switch the list to Today. Then open Reminders, hide completed items in that list, and the widget refreshes within a minute.

Long-press your current Reminders widget. If the list name is not Today, Errands, or Groceries, delete it and run the 3-Spot Setup now.

More iPhone task workflows live on the Divux product page, or grab Divux free on the App Store.