How-to

How to turn any text into a task on your Mac

In TodoCity, copy any text and press ⌘C once more. A card drops down from the menu bar with the task, its day and its time already filled in; press Return to save it. It works in every app — Mail, Outlook, Slack, Messages, a web page or a PDF.

Updated

Capture with ⌘C twice

  1. Copy the text. Select a message, an email or a line on a web page and press ⌘C, as usual.
  2. Press ⌘C again. Within a moment, press ⌘C a second time. TodoCity reads what you copied on your Mac.
  3. Check the card. A card drops down from the menu bar with the task, its date and time filled in. Change anything you like.
  4. Press Return. The task is saved, and you'll be reminded when its time comes — with Done and Snooze one click away.

Other ways to capture

  • A shortcut: select text and press ⇧⌘S — no copying at all. (This needs Accessibility access, which is how macOS lets an app read selected text.)
  • Right-click → Services → Add to TodoCity, in apps that offer it.
  • Quick add: press ⇧⌘Space anywhere and type, e.g. “pay rent friday 5pm every month #home”.
  • In the capture card, pick the project and floor it goes in.

Dates it understands

Phrases and what they become
You writeTodoCity makes
by Friday 3pmFriday, 3:00 PM, with a deadline
tomorrow eveningTomorrow, this evening
every MondayA weekly repeat on Mondays
next tuesday at 9Next Tuesday, 9:00 AM
3/4Asks: March 4 or April 3?

Questions

Does ⌘C twice change my clipboard?

No. Copying works as usual. TodoCity only reads what you just copied when you press ⌘C again; copies made inside TodoCity itself are ignored.

Try TodoCity — free for Mac

macOS 11 or later · Apple silicon and Intel · no account

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