- [ ] renew the passport 📅 2026-11-03
Google Tasks has no Windows or Mac app. TaskForge has both
On a computer, Google Tasks is a side panel in Gmail or Calendar, in a browser tab. TaskForge installs as an app on Windows and on Mac, and on iPhone, iPad and Android too, all reading one folder of markdown files. To be clear up front: it does not open, sync or import your Google Tasks lists, there is no web version, and reminders and the Spaces and calendar widgets need Premium.
- Windows and Mac apps, plus iPhone, iPad and Android
- Does not read or import Google Tasks
- Reminders and the Spaces and calendar widgets are Premium
Where Google Tasks works today
Google's help pages describe two places. On a computer, Tasks opens in the side panel of Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Drive, and Docs, Sheets and Slides files, and Calendar can show your tasks and lists full screen. On a phone or tablet there is a Tasks app for Android and for iPhone and iPad.
Neither page mentions a Windows or Mac app, and the App Store listing is for iPhone and iPad only. So "Google Tasks for Windows" means a browser tab. With a work or school account, your administrator decides whether Tasks is switched on at all.
Checked against Google's own pages in October 2026:
One line in a file, on every screen you own
The task at the top of this page is a line of text. - [ ] makes it a task and 📅 2026-11-03 is its due date. It lives in a .md file in a folder you pick, and the Windows app, the Mac app and the phone app all show it, because they all read that file.
On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+Space opens quick add from any window, and the app can keep running in the system tray. On a Mac there is a menu bar list with a tick button on each task. Neither needs an account: TaskForge has no server, and your own sync tool moves the folder between devices.
Google Tasks and TaskForge, side by side
The Google Tasks column is as of October 2026, from the Google pages linked above. Google changes its apps, so check there before you decide on a detail.
| Feature | Google Tasks | TaskForge |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | In a browser, in the Gmail, Calendar or Drive side panel | A Windows app for Windows 10 version 1809 or later, x64 and ARM64. No widgets |
| Mac | In a browser | A Mac app for macOS 13 or later, with a menu bar list and widgets |
| Phone and tablet | Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad | Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad |
| Web browser | Yes, on any computer, Chromebooks included | No web app, and no Linux app |
| Account | A Google account | None |
| Where tasks live | In your Google account | Markdown files in a folder you choose |
| Inside Gmail and Docs | Yes, in the side panel | No |
| Google Calendar events | Tasks open full screen in Google Calendar | Shows events from the device's calendars on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, so a Google calendar added to the device appears. None on Windows yet |
What is free and what needs Premium
Free: the task list in every format, adding, editing and completing tasks, recurring tasks, quick add, the built-in spaces including a Kanban board, the calendar with your device's own calendar events, notes (still in beta), and the Daily note widget.
Premium: reminders and every other notification, the Spaces and calendar widgets, your own spaces, creating and editing calendar events, dragging tasks into your own order, and bulk edits.
Premium is a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase, priced by country. A purchase belongs to the store you made it in. One App Store purchase covers iPhone, iPad and the Mac App Store app. Google Play covers Android only, and Windows Premium is a separate purchase through a web checkout. The App Store and Google Play offer a free trial where they have one, once per customer; the Windows build has no trial.
When Google Tasks fits better
Plenty of people searching for a Google Tasks desktop app want Google Tasks itself. Stay with it if these matter more than a real app on your computer.
Your day runs in Gmail
Google Tasks sits in the side panel next to your mail, your calendar and your documents. TaskForge is a separate app and knows nothing about your inbox.
Any computer with a browser
Google Tasks opens on a Chromebook, a Linux machine or a borrowed laptop. TaskForge needs its app installed, has no web version and has no Linux build.
A work account that already has it
If your company runs Google Workspace and your tasks come from there, keeping them in Google Tasks keeps them where your team expects them. TaskForge has no shared lists.
Reminders without paying
TaskForge's list is free, but a reminder that actually goes off needs Premium, and each store sells Premium separately.
Moving your lists over
TaskForge does not read, sync or import Google Tasks. You move a list by writing it into a markdown file, one - [ ] line per task. Due dates can go on the line, as below, or be added in the app afterwards.
Nothing in TaskForge touches your Google account, so your Google Tasks stay as they are while you try it.
One file with a heading per list works, and so does one file per list. 🔁 marks a repeat rule.
Where it runs
- Windows: a signed installer from this site, Windows 10 version 1809 or later, including Windows 11, on x64 and ARM64. Quick add with Ctrl+Shift+Space and a system tray icon. No widgets, and no calendar events yet.
- Mac: from the Mac App Store or as a direct download, macOS 13 or later. A menu bar list of tasks you can tick off, and desktop widgets on macOS 14 or later.
- iPhone and iPad: from the App Store, iOS 15.6 or later, with widgets on iOS 17 or later.
- Android: from Google Play, Android 11 or later, with home screen widgets and Quick Settings tiles.
TaskForge has no account and no sync server. A sync tool you choose moves the folder between devices: iCloud Drive works with no setup on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and Syncthing, Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive cover Android and Windows. Pick one service per folder, because two services fighting over the same files can corrupt them.
Questions about Google Tasks on a computer
Is there a Google Tasks app for Windows or Mac?
Google's help pages describe Tasks on a computer only inside the browser: the side panel in Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Drive and Docs, and a full-screen view in Calendar. The App Store app is for iPhone and iPad. As of October 2026 there is no Windows or Mac app.
Does TaskForge sync with Google Tasks?
No. TaskForge never signs in to Google and cannot read your Google Tasks lists, and there is no import. It keeps its own list in markdown files, and you move a list by writing it as - [ ] lines.
Can I see my Google Calendar in TaskForge?
On iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, yes, if your Google account's calendar is added to the device. TaskForge shows the device's calendars next to your tasks, and viewing events is free. The Windows app does not show calendar events yet.
Is it free?
The task list is free on every platform, with recurring tasks, quick add and the built-in Kanban board. Reminders, the Spaces and calendar widgets and your own spaces need Premium.
Does one purchase cover Windows and my phone?
Only within one store. An App Store purchase covers iPhone, iPad and the Mac App Store app. Google Play covers Android, and Windows Premium is bought separately through the web checkout the Windows app opens.
How do my computer and phone stay in sync?
Through the folder. TaskForge runs no sync service, so iCloud Drive, Syncthing, Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive copies the folder between devices, and every app reads the same files.
Do I need Obsidian?
No. TaskForge works on any folder of markdown files, or it can make a new one with a few sample tasks. If you already keep an Obsidian vault, it opens that as well.
Put your to-do list on your PC or Mac as an app
Free to download. Start fresh with a few sample tasks, or open a folder you already have.