The SwiftList Manual.

Contents

1. 1Getting StartedInstall SwiftList on iPhone, iPad or Mac, see what happens to lists from SwiftList 1.x, make your first nested list and learn the basics in five minutes.
2. 2Lists and NestingHow lists work in SwiftList: new lists, adding items, nesting and outdenting, the outline editor, groups, Full Outline view, select mode, moving items and drag and drop.
3. 3ItemsEverything an item in SwiftList can hold: start and due dates, alerts, in-progress status, color tags, notes, quantities, photos, voice memos, swipe actions and the row menu.
4. 4Templates and Run AgainStart lists from SwiftList's starter templates, save your own templates, and reuse a finished checklist with Run Again: reset it or make a fresh copy and move the dates.
5. 5Today, Tomorrow and CalendarHow SwiftList's All, All Open, Today, Tomorrow and Calendar filters work, what shows on each day, and how to move lists between days on the calendar.
6. 6Search, Sharing and ExportFind anything in SwiftList with search, share a list as a checklist, Markdown or rich text, export Markdown, CSV or PDF, and send SwiftList files to other SwiftList users.
7. 7InsightsSwiftList's Monthly Insights (Premium): what was due, what you finished and whether it was on time, a 12-month trend, breakdowns by list, group and color, and PDF, Markdown and CSV reports.
8. 8Archive and BackupsKeep SwiftList tidy without losing anything: archive lists and items, hide or auto-archive completed items, delete completed items safely, and back up and restore your lists.
9. 9Scan and VoiceTurn a paper list into a nested SwiftList with on-device text recognition, attach the scan, and record voice memos with on-device transcripts.
10. 10Widgets, Sharing and ShortcutsUse SwiftList widgets on the Home Screen and Lock Screen, the Quick Add control, the Add to SwiftList share extension, and Siri and Shortcuts phrases.
11. 11Apple RemindersCopy SwiftList items to Apple Reminders, one item or a whole list, with titles, notes, due dates, alarms and sub-items. It is a one-way copy.
12. 12iPadHow SwiftList works on iPad: the three-column layout, sidebar, multitasking, drag and drop, and keyboard shortcuts.
13. 13Mac and Menu BarSwiftList for Mac lives in the menu bar: the popover, the Pop Out window, Quick Add from anywhere, Open at Login, Show in Dock, and every keyboard shortcut.
14. 14iCloud Sync and PrivacyHow SwiftList keeps lists in sync through your own private iCloud database, how edits on two devices are merged, and exactly what stays on your device. No account, no tracking.
15. 15Settings ReferenceEvery SwiftList setting in the order it appears, what it does and its default: Premium, Sync, Mac, MCP Server, Lists, Completed Items, Text Expansion, Filters, Sharing, Notifications, Appearance, Help and About.
16. 16Premium and PurchasesWhat SwiftList Free includes, what Premium adds, prices ($0.99 a month, $9.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $24.99 once), how to buy, restore purchases and manage a subscription.
17. 17MCP and AI AssistantsSet up SwiftList's local MCP server on Mac for Claude Desktop, Claude Cowork, Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor and Grok Bot. Off and read-only by default, no network, with the full tool list.
18. 18Troubleshooting and FAQAnswers to common SwiftList questions: sync, purchases, Free limits, alerts, hidden items, undo, Siri, widgets, 1.x lists and the Mac menu bar.
19. 19GlossaryPlain definitions of the words used in SwiftList and this manual, from active list to universal purchase.

New in SwiftList 2.0.1 #

• iCloud Backups: daily backups to iCloud Drive (off by default), Export Everything, and restore with a safety backup. Free.
• Archive restore to the exact original spot, and archived item details.
• Details: Done and ‹ Parent list buttons at the top, and Delete under Archive.
• Mac list windows: Open in New Window, Float on Top, and New Window (⌥⌘N). Dialogs stay inside the menu bar popover.
• Deleted elsewhere: screens and windows showing a deleted list close or step back.
• A six-page Welcome Tour (replay it from Settings › Help › Show Welcome Tour).
• Settings › Lists › Swipe Action chooses whether the swipe archives (the default) or deletes. Archive is always in the row menu.
• Add Subtasks… in the row menu and in Details: one sub-item per line, ⌘Return adds them, one Undo.
• User Templates you can edit, rename, duplicate, delete and preview, with Starter Templates first.
• Multi-select Complete, Archive, Move and Delete…, plus Mark All Sub-items Done and Archive All Sub-items.
• An open-filter trail to step up through parents from All Open, Today, Tomorrow or Search.
• Tooltips on Mac and iPad (Show Tooltips in Settings, ⌥⌘/), row titles that wrap to 3 lines, Read the Manual in Settings, a Groups manager from the sidebar’s +, and delete warnings that mention Insights.

For SwiftList 2.0 and 2.0.1. Updated October 13, 2026. Something missing or wrong? Tell us.