SwiftList Manual · 1 of 19

Getting started with SwiftList

SwiftList is a checklist app where any item can hold its own list. This page gets you from the App Store to your first nested list.

Install SwiftList #

SwiftList 2.0 is one app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Get it from the App Store. It needs iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 or later on iPhone and iPad, and macOS 14 or later on a Mac.

It is a universal purchase. If you buy Premium on one device, the same Apple Account gets it on iPhone, iPad and the App Store Mac app too.

There is no account to make #

SwiftList has no sign-up and no login. Open it and start a list. Your lists are saved on the device. With Premium and iCloud Sync on, they also go to your own private iCloud database, which WithyWork can't read. We run no server for SwiftList.

First launch #

The first time you open SwiftList, a short Walkthrough shows the main ideas. You can watch it again any time from Settings, Help, Show Walkthrough.

The home screen starts on the All filter. At the top is a row of filters: All, All Open, Today, Tomorrow and Calendar. Under it are your lists, grouped by group if you use groups.

Where Settings is #

• iPhone: tap the gear icon at the top left of the home screen.
• iPad: tap Settings in the sidebar, or press ⌘, with a keyboard.
• Mac: click the gear in the menu bar window, or press ⌘,.

Coming from SwiftList 1.x #

SwiftList 2.0 is an update to the same app, not a new one. The first time 2.0 opens on a device that had 1.x lists, it brings them over by itself. The original 1.x file is kept untouched as a backup called lists-v1-backup.json. Settings, About shows a note like “Imported N items from SwiftList 1.x.”

As a thank you, a device that moved its 1.x lists over gets Premium at no charge, for good. The Premium row in Settings says “Included for SwiftList 1 users. Thank you!” This is tied to the device where the lists moved over.

Make your first list #

1. Tap New List at the bottom of the home screen (⌘N on iPad or Mac).
2. Type a name, for example “Weekend trip”.
3. In the first items box, type one item per line: “Book hotel”, “Pack”, “Car”. On a keyboard, ⌘Return creates the list.
4. If you want, turn on a Start date or Due date, and pick a color or group under Details.
5. Tap Create.

Tap the list to open it. Each item is a row with a circle on the left. Tap the circle to move it from Not Started to In Progress to Done.

Nest your first item #

Here is the idea that makes SwiftList different: any item can have its own items.

1. Open “Weekend trip” and tap Add Item. Add “Toothbrush” under “Pack”.
2. Swipe the “Toothbrush” row to the right. That is Nest: it moves under the item above it.
3. Now “Pack” shows a count like 0/1. Tap “Pack” to open it and add more.

You can also long-press a row and choose Nest Under Item Above, or use Edit to work in an outline with Tab and Shift-Tab.

A five minute quick start #

1. Minute 1. Make a list with a few first items, as above.
2. Minute 2. Nest a couple of items by swiping right. Open a parent and use “‹ Back” to come back up.
3. Minute 3. Tap the round (i) on a row to open Details. Give it a due date and tap Add Alert.
4. Minute 4. Switch the filter to Today to see what starts or is due today. Try Calendar and drag a list onto another day.
5. Minute 5. Tap New List and try a starter template, such as Grocery Run, from New from Template.

That is most of the app. The rest of this manual covers each part in detail. Use the search box at the top of any page, or press /.

What Free includes #

Free is a real app, not a trial. It keeps 3 active lists, nested 2 levels deep, and 1 template of your own, plus the starter templates, alerts, the Today widget and the Mac menu bar app. See Premium and purchases for the full table.

For SwiftList 2.0. Updated October 11, 2026.