SwiftList Manual · 2 of 19

Lists and nesting

In SwiftList a list is just an item that has items inside it. That means any item can grow into a list of its own, as deep as you need.

Lists and items are the same thing #

Your home screen shows top-level lists. Inside a list are items. Any item can have sub-items, and those can have more. A row with sub-items shows a progress count such as 3/7, and a “◐ n” pill when some are in progress.

When you open a sub-list, a “‹ Back to …” button at the top takes you up one level (⌘[ on iPad or Mac).

How deep can I go? #

With Premium, there is no limit. On Free, lists go 2 levels deep: the list, its items, and their sub-items. Anything deeper that you made earlier stays editable, and moving items up a level is always free.

New List #

Tap New List (⌘N). The sheet has:

• Name.
• First items. “One item per line. ⌘Return creates the list.”
• Dates. Start date and Due date toggles. There is no due date unless you turn one on.
• Details. Status, Color and Group.
• Notes.
• Or from paper. Scan a paper list instead (see Scan and voice).

Tap Create, or Cancel.

Adding items #

• Add Item at the bottom of an open list (⇧⌘N on iPad or Mac). Return adds the next one.
• Quick Add (⌘Return) opens a small sheet from anywhere in the app. Pick where it goes under Add to (Top level or any list) and an optional Due: None, Today, Tomorrow, Next week or Pick…. Then tap Add.
• The Quick Add widget, Control Center control, share sheet, Siri and Shortcuts can also add items. See Widgets, sharing and Shortcuts.

Nesting and outdenting #

There are several ways to change an item’s level:

• Swipe right on a row to Nest it under the item above.
• Swipe left and tap Move Out to bring a nested row up a level.
• Long-press (or right-click) and choose Nest Under Item Above, Move Out a Level or Nest Under… to pick any parent.
• In Select mode on iPad and Mac, Tab or ⌥⌘→ indents, and ⇧Tab or ⌥⌘← outdents.

The outline editor #

Edit opens the outline editor: “Add, rename, indent and reorder the items in this list.” It is the fastest way to build a big list.

• Tab indents a line and ⇧Tab outdents it.
• ⌘Return adds a new item.
• ⌘S or Save keeps your changes.

Full Outline or Top Level Only #

Once a list has sub-items, the “All items” section header gets a button to switch between Top Level Only and Full Outline. Full Outline “shows every sub-item at every level inline, as an outline”, with rows you can fold. SwiftList remembers the choice for each list, and it syncs.

Status: Not Started, In Progress, Done #

Every item has one of three states: Not Started ○, In Progress ◐ and Done ✓. Tapping the circle moves it to the next one. Long-press or right-click to pick any state directly, or use the Status control in Details.

Complete lists automatically #

Turn on Complete lists automatically in Settings, Lists, and a parent is checked off when everything inside it is done. It is off by default.

Quantities #

An item can carry a count, like ×3, or sets and reps for workouts. Set it in Details under Quantity. See Items.

Groups #

Groups sort your top-level lists under headers like Home or Work. Lists without a group show under Ungrouped.

• Manage them in Settings, Lists, Groups. Tap New Group and pick a name and Icon.
• Add Home, Work, Fitness and Travel creates four starter groups in one tap.
• Delete Group never deletes lists: “Its lists move to Ungrouped. No lists are deleted.”
• To put a list in a group, long-press it and choose Move to Group, or set Group in Details.

Moving items #

Choose Move… from the row menu, or swipe left and tap Move. The Move dialog works like a Finder window:

• It opens at the top level, grouped by group. Tap a list to go into it. On iPad and the Mac window you get columns. On iPhone and in the menu bar you get a Back button.
• A breadcrumb such as “Top Level › Apps › SwiftList” takes you back up.
• Move Here puts the items at the end of the level you are looking at. At the top level there is also a Group picker.
• Search (⌘F, or just start typing) finds any list or item at any depth.
• The Date menu in the header moves dates too: Next Day, Next Week or Choose Date….
• Places you can’t move to are dimmed. Places that would go past the Free depth show a Premium tag.

After a move, a banner says something like “Moved “Milk” into “Groceries”” with Undo. Tap the banner itself to jump to where the items went. The banner stays up so Undo is still there.

Move Up and Move Down #

The row menu has Move Up and Move Down to reorder within a level (⌥⌘↑ and ⌥⌘↓ in Select mode).

Drag and drop #

On iPad and in the Mac window you can drag rows:

• Drag within a list to reorder.
• Drop on the middle of a row to nest the item inside it. Drop near a row’s top or bottom edge to place it before or after.
• Drag onto a list in the lists column to move it there.
• On the Mac, hold Option while dragging to copy instead of move.

Select mode #

Tap Select to pick several rows. A bar at the bottom offers actions on the selection, such as Color, Archive and Move, and on iPad and Mac also Indent and Outdent. In the Mac menu bar window some of these sit under More. Tap Done to leave Select mode. While a selection is active, the long-press menu acts on all selected rows.

Undo #

Moves, outlining, deletes and bulk actions can be undone from the banner that appears, or with ⌘Z on iPad and Mac.

When a list is deleted somewhere else #

New in 2.0.1 If a list or item you have open is deleted or archived somewhere else (the menu bar popover, another window, or another device through sync), the screen steps back to the nearest level that still exists, and any pop-out window showing that list closes. This works on iPhone, iPad, the Mac window and the popover.

For SwiftList 2.0 and 2.0.1. Updated October 13, 2026.