How to use Google Tasks on a Mac
Google doesn't make a Mac app for Google Tasks. On a Mac you can use it in four ways: on the web at tasks.google.com, in the side panel of Gmail and Google Calendar, as a web app installed from Chrome or Safari, or through a Mac app that syncs with it.
Last updated
The four ways, compared
| tasks.google.com | Gmail or Calendar side panel | Installed web app | Sidekick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Its own window, outside the browser | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Stays on screen over other apps | No | No | No | Yes |
| Add a task from any app with a shortcut | No | No | No | Yes, ⌃⌥N |
| Several Google accounts side by side | One at a time | One at a time | One at a time | Yes, with Premium |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free, or Premium from $0.99 a month |
1. Use tasks.google.com in your browser
- Open tasks.google.com in Safari, Chrome or any browser.
- Sign in with your Google account. Your lists open full screen.
Good for: it’s free, there’s nothing to install, and every Google Tasks feature is there. The catch: it’s a browser tab, so it disappears behind your other tabs and windows.
2. Open the side panel in Gmail or Google Calendar
- Open Gmail or Google Calendar in your browser.
- Click the Tasks icon in the side panel on the right.
Good for: your tasks sit next to your email and calendar, where many of them come from. The catch: the panel is narrow and only there while Gmail or Calendar is the window in front.
3. Install Google Tasks as a web app
- Chrome: open tasks.google.com, then choose Cast, save, and share › Install page as app from the ⋮ menu.
- Safari: open tasks.google.com and choose File › Add to Dock.
Good for: Google Tasks gets its own window and Dock icon, apart from your browser. The catch: it’s still an ordinary window, so it goes behind whatever app you use next.
4. Use a Mac app that syncs with Google Tasks
- Install Sidekick from the Mac App Store once it’s out. It’s coming soon.
- Click its menu bar icon, choose Connect Google Tasks… and sign in on Google’s page.
Good for: your list floats over every app, takes a new task from anywhere with ⌃⌥N, and syncs both ways with Google Tasks. The catch: it’s one more app to install, and some features need Premium.
Which one should you use?
If you check your tasks a few times a day, Google’s own options are enough: use the side panel if you live in Gmail, or install the web app if you’d like a separate window. If you want your list in sight all day while you work in other apps, you’ll need a Mac app that floats it, like Sidekick. If you’d rather see your tasks on the desktop itself, the Google Tasks widget guide shows how to put the iPhone widget on your Mac.
Questions
Is there a Google Tasks app for Mac?
No. Google makes Google Tasks apps for iPhone, iPad and Android, but not for the Mac. On a Mac you use Google Tasks on the web at tasks.google.com, in the side panel of Gmail and Google Calendar, as a web app installed from your browser, or through a Mac app that syncs with it, such as Sidekick.
Does Google Tasks sync between my Mac and my iPhone?
Yes. Google Tasks lives in your Google account, so a task you add or complete on your Mac appears in the Google Tasks app on your iPhone, and the other way round, whichever of these ways you use on the Mac.
Can Apple's Reminders app show Google Tasks?
No. Reminders doesn't sync with Google Tasks. Adding your Google account in System Settings brings over mail, contacts, calendars and notes, but not tasks.
Can I keep Google Tasks on screen while I work?
Not with Google's own options: the website, the side panel and an installed web app are all ordinary windows that go behind whatever you click next. Sidekick (coming soon) shows your list in a floating panel that stays above your other apps.
Is Sidekick made by Google?
No. Sidekick is an independent Mac app. It uses Google's official Tasks API, and you sign in on Google's own page, so it never sees your password.