Quick Tasks Widget
Recent incomplete tasks at a glance - sorted by due date with smart formatting (Overdue, Due today, Due tomorrow, Due in Nd) - with a "Quick Notes" / "All Tasks" toggle, complete checkbox, inline status, priority, and date editing including recurring task handling.
The Quick Tasks widget shows your next few incomplete tasks in a tight list optimised for fast scanning and quick action. A two-button toggle at the top switches between Quick Notes (tasks tagged with the auto-applied Quick Note tag, typically from converted Quick Notes) and All Tasks (every incomplete task). Each row has a complete checkbox, the task name, a smart relative due-date label, and inline controls for status, priority, and the due date.
Quick Tasks is for fast action
Use it for recent incomplete tasks; use Upcoming Tasks when due dates are the main question.
This widget is part of the customisable Dashboard layout. To show, hide, or move it, see Dashboard Layout.
What you can do
See up to 5 incomplete tasks
(cap is configurable when the widget is reused elsewhere)
Toggle between Quick Notes and All Tasks
with a two-button segmented control
Mark a task complete
with the inline checkbox
Change status and priority inline
with dropdowns
Reschedule the due date
via a date picker modal that handles recurring tasks
Click the task name
to open its detail page
Use the View All Tasks footer
to jump to the full Tasks page
See the QN badge
on tasks that came from Quick Notes
How tasks are filtered
The widget pulls from your task store and filters in this order:
Incomplete only
tasks whose status is not in the Complete workflow category. Your Space's status configuration drives this - see Custom Statuses & Priorities.
**Quick Note tag** (when the toggle is on **Quick Notes**)
narrows to tasks tagged with the Quick Note tag. This tag is automatically applied when you convert a Quick Note to a task, and you can also add it manually to any task.
Sort:
Tasks with a due date sort first, by due date ascending (closest first) - Tasks without a due date sort after, by creation date descending (newest first)
Step 4
Cap at 5 tasks (default).
Use the Quick Notes toggle for captured work
It helps you find tasks that started as Quick Notes.
Smart due date formatting
Due dates are displayed with relative labels for fast scanning:
| Condition | Label |
|---|---|
| Past due | "Overdue by Nd" |
| Today | "Due today" |
| Tomorrow | "Due tomorrow" |
| Within 7 days | "Due in Nd" |
| Beyond 7 days | Locale-formatted short date |
Tasks without a due date show no label.
The QN badge
Tasks tagged with Quick Note show a small QN badge next to the task name. This makes converted notes instantly recognisable in the All Tasks view. The badge appears regardless of which toggle is active.
Inline controls
Each task row has these controls:
- Complete checkbox - click to mark complete (sets status to your Space's default Complete status)
- Task name - click to navigate to the task's detail page
- Status dropdown - change the status; uses your Space's status configuration
- Priority dropdown - change the priority; uses your Space's priority configuration
- Due date button - opens a date picker modal
For richer edits (description, tags, assignees, custom fields), open the task to its detail page.
The date picker modal
Tapping the due date opens a popover-style date picker with full feature support:
- Pick a date or clear it
- For recurring tasks, the picker offers three modes when you change the date:
- This occurrence only - anchors the change to this instance, future instances follow the recurrence rule - All future occurrences - applies the new schedule going forward - Stop recurring - converts the recurring series to a one-off task
- Sync indicators show whether the task is synced to Apple Calendar or Apple Reminders so you know the change will sync to those systems
See Recurring Tasks, Apple Calendar Integration, and Apple Reminders Integration.
Recurring date changes need review
Choose whether a date change applies to one occurrence, future occurrences, or stops recurrence.
Two views - Quick Notes vs All Tasks
The toggle at the top of the widget switches scope:
| Toggle | Shows |
|---|---|
| Quick Notes | Only tasks tagged with Quick Note (typically converted from Quick Notes) |
| All Tasks (default) | Every incomplete task |
The toggle is local - it doesn't persist across sessions. The widget defaults to All Tasks on each load.
Footer - View all tasks
A View all tasks button at the bottom of the widget navigates to the full Tasks page. Use it when the 5-task cap isn't enough.
Use View all tasks when the cap is too small
The widget is intentionally short; the Tasks page is the full work list.
Empty state
When no tasks match the current filter, the widget shows a friendly "All caught up!" message with the subtitle "No active tasks to display". The same message appears whether the Quick Notes filter is on or not - it doesn't distinguish "no Quick Notes" from "no tasks at all".
Things worth knowing
The Quick Note tag is auto-applied during conversion
When you convert a Quick Note to a task via the Quick Notes widget's convert action, PrimeTask auto-tags the new task with Quick Note so it surfaces in this widget under the Quick Notes filter. You can also manually add the tag to any task.
The toggle resets every session
The Quick Notes / All Tasks toggle is local state - it doesn't persist between app launches. The widget always opens on All Tasks.
Sort respects "tasks without due dates" gracefully
Tasks with due dates always sort first. Tasks without due dates appear after them, sorted by creation date (newest first). This means the widget surfaces both "what's due soon" and "what I just created" in a sensible order.
Recurring tasks count their current instance
A recurring task with a due date appears here for its current instance. Completing the instance generates the next recurrence - see Recurring Tasks.
Inline edits are real-time
Status, priority, date, and complete checkbox changes all save immediately and refresh the widget on the next render.
Per-Space scoped via status and priority configs
The widget uses your active Space's status and priority configurations for the dropdowns and the "complete" check. Switching Spaces switches the configurations.
Common questions
"How is this different from Upcoming Tasks?"
Quick Tasks shows 5 incomplete tasks (any time horizon) sorted by due date, with a Quick Notes filter toggle. Upcoming Tasks shows due-date-bucketed tasks in the next 7 days with summary cards (Due Today / Due Soon / Overdue). Use Quick Tasks for a tight recent list with Quick Note triage; use Upcoming Tasks for the 7-day window - see Upcoming Tasks Widget.
"Why do I see tasks due far in the future?"
The widget shows the 5 next incomplete tasks sorted by due date. If your earliest 5 due dates happen to be far in the future, that's what you see. Add tasks with sooner due dates to push older ones out.
"How do I add the Quick Note tag manually?"
Open any task and add the Quick Note tag from the tags picker. It will then appear in the Quick Notes filter.
"Can I see completed tasks here?"
No - the widget filters to incomplete tasks only. To see completed tasks, use the Stat Cards' Completed filter or the full Tasks page.
"What if I have no tasks?"
You see the "All caught up!" empty state. Create a task with the + button in the Dashboard Header, the Quick Actions widget, or via Quick Add.
"Can I drag tasks to reschedule?"
Not from this widget - use the date picker via the due date button. For drag-to-schedule, use the Day Planner - see Tasks Overview.
"Where does the QN badge come from?"
Any task tagged with the Quick Note tag shows the QN badge. The tag is auto-applied to tasks converted from Quick Notes - see Quick Notes Widget.
"How do I hide this widget?"
Open the Layout Editor from the Dashboard Header and toggle Quick Tasks off. See Dashboard Layout.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| See tasks bucketed by due-date window | Upcoming Tasks Widget |
| Capture and convert Quick Notes | Quick Notes Widget |
| Use the full Tasks page | Tasks Overview |
| Create tasks with all fields | Creating Tasks |
| Manage recurring tasks | Recurring Tasks |
| Use Quick Add for fast creation | Quick Add |
| Customise the dashboard | Dashboard Layout |
| Return to the Dashboard hub | Dashboard Overview |