Your List Still Says "To Do." Rename It on iPhone Without Losing the Widget.

To rename a Reminders list on iPhone, open the list, tap …, choose Show List Info, edit the name, and tap Done. Tasks stay put. Only the title changes.

If your sidebar still shows To Do from 2019 while everything real lives in Work, this is for you.

What every guide says (table stakes)

Apple Support and the top search results all land on the same two paths:

• Inside the list. Open the list → tap … → Show List Info → tap the name → type → Done.
• From the sidebar. Long-press the list under My Lists → Show List Info → edit the name field.

Both work. Neither tells you what still points at the old string after you tap Done. Your takeaway: rename is step one, not the whole job.

The gap: rename the hooks, not just the title

Widgets, pinned lists, Shortcuts, and Smart List filters remember the list you picked earlier. Siri may still hear the old default list name until you reset it. Run LABEL right after you save the new title:

1. Link scan. Note every surface that showed the old name: home-screen widget, Lock Screen widget, pinned sidebar row.
2. Edit the title. Run Show List Info once from inside the list so you see color and type while you rename.
3. Belts and widgets. Re-point widgets to the renamed list or to Today. Open Reminders once to force a refresh.
4. Edit automations. Open Shortcuts that add to this list. Swap the list picker to the new name.
5. Log shared partners. Text the old → new name on shared lists so nobody searches a ghost title.

If you are folding duplicate lists instead of renaming one, use our FOLD guide for merging reminder lists after you pick a winner name.

Your takeaway: LABEL is the part generic tutorials skip.

LABEL checklist: walkthrough on a real list

Marcus keeps Home Stuff for repairs and To Do for everything else. He wants one honest name: House.

1. Link scan. He long-presses his Reminders widget. It still targets To Do. He screenshots the widget settings for step three.
2. Edit the title. He opens To Do → … → Show List Info → taps the name → types House → Done. The sidebar updates in place.
3. Belts and widgets. He edits the widget, picks House, taps outside to save, then opens Reminders for ten seconds. The widget header now reads House.
4. Edit automations. His Shortcut Add to To Do still pointed at the old list. He opens Shortcuts → edits the action → selects House in the list picker → renames the shortcut to Add to House.
5. Log shared partners. The list is personal, so he skips chat. He opens his custom Smart List filtered to To Do, edits filters, and swaps in House.

He sets House as his default capture list so Siri stops spawning a fresh Reminders bucket. The LIST Setup guide for default lists covers the three-list cap if defaults feel messy.

Your takeaway: rename the list, then rename every picker that still says the old word.

Rename vs. section vs. group (do not mix these up)

Three different labels confuse people right after a rename:

• List name. The sidebar title. Show List Info edits this.
• Section header. Inside a list, tap the section title to rename Hardware to Upstairs. That does not rename the list.
• Group folder. Dragging lists together makes a group. Rename the group from Edit Lists, not from inside a child list.

Grocery-type lists keep aisle sorting when you rename. Standard lists keep manual order. Color and icon ride along with the new name unless you change them in the same Show List Info sheet.

Your takeaway: if only a header inside the list feels wrong, rename the section, not the whole list.

Common mistakes (and the fix)

• Renaming by creating a new list. You end up with two homes and split tasks. Edit the existing list name instead.
• Leaving the widget on a deleted or merged list. After a merge, widgets can go blank. Reassign them in LABEL step three.
• Renaming a shared list without telling anyone. Partners search the old title and think tasks vanished. Send old → new before they panic.
• Using a typo fix as a merge. If two lists hold the same milk line, rename will not combine them. Run FOLD in the merge lists guide instead.
• Expecting Siri to guess the new name. Set Default List again under Reminders settings or say "add to House" once to train the phrase.

Your takeaway: one list, one name, every picker updated.

Where Divux fits

LABEL cleans names in Reminders. The friction shows up when renamed errands also need a calendar block and you bounce between apps to see if Saturday morning is free.

Divux keeps tasks, calendar, and a focus timer on one iPhone screen. After you rename House, drag the flagged repair onto an open Saturday slot without retyping the list title.

Download Divux free, run LABEL on the list that still says To Do, and fix the widget before your next capture.

Frequently asked questions

Open Reminders, pick the list that embarrasses you in the sidebar, and run Show List Info now. Before you capture another task, finish LABEL so widgets and Shortcuts say the same name you do.