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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Apple Reminders Manager agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The reminders skill lets an AI agent manage your Apple Reminders app on a Mac through a command-line tool called rem. This guide explains what an agent skill is, how to install this one, how to ask for things in plain language, and what to watch for. By the end you will be able to add, find, change and complete reminders from a conversation.

Apple Reminders Managersteipete/agent-scripts · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Confirm you are on macOS. The skill only works on macOS because it relies on Apple's EventKit framework. Windows and Linux are not supported.
  2. 2Install the rem CLI. Run the Go install command from the skill's documentation, using a Go toolchain already on your machine.
  3. 3Grant Reminders permission. Allow the app that runs the agent to access Reminders in System Settings > Privacy & Security.
  4. 4Add the skill folder. Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
  5. 5Test with a read-only request. Ask for your incomplete reminders or today's list to confirm access before making changes.
  6. 6Make a request in plain language. Describe the task, such as booking a flight tomorrow at 9am, and let the agent add and verify it.
  7. 7Review destructive changes. Check any update, complete or delete the agent proposes, since the skill does not require confirmation.

What is an agent skill and what does this one do?

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent instructions and tools for one kind of task. When a request matches the skill, the agent follows its instructions. This skill is published as steipete/agent-scripts in skills/reminders under the MIT licence.

Once installed, the agent can create tasks with due dates, priorities, notes and repeats, look up existing reminders, change or complete them, and manage lists. The skill tells the agent to verify each change by reading it back and to check the system date before working out relative dates like 'tomorrow'.

Install the reminders skill

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the reminders folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to share it with that project. Alternatively, in the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.

The skill relies on the rem CLI, which the source says is installed with Go. The skill's own install line is shown below. Adjust GOBIN if your Go binaries live elsewhere.

  • Requires macOS
  • Requires a Go toolchain for installation
  • Grant Reminders permission to the calling app in System Settings > Privacy & Security
GOBIN=/opt/homebrew/bin go install github.com/BRO3886/rem/cmd/rem@latest

Check that the agent can reach your Reminders

Before relying on the skill, confirm that rem can read your data. The skill starts by listing your lists and today's reminders, using JSON output for reliable parsing.

If the first run fails with 'reminders access denied', the app running the agent does not yet have Reminders permission. Grant it in System Settings > Privacy & Security and try again.

rem lists -o json rem today -o json

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need special syntax. Describe the task as you would to a person, and the agent will choose the matching commands. Requests about Apple Reminders, to-dos or personal tasks on your Mac are the ones the skill is written for.

Calendar events are not handled here. The skill says to use other calendar tooling for those, so ask for a reminder rather than a meeting.

  • 'Remind me to book a flight tomorrow at 9am.'
  • 'Show me my incomplete reminders.'
  • 'Find the reminder about the LHR-SFO flight.'
  • 'Move the flight reminder to Friday at 2pm.'
  • 'Mark the passport renewal task as done.'
  • 'Create a Travel list.'

Understand what the agent does with your data

For new tasks, the agent adds the reminder and then searches for it to confirm it exists. For changes, it first finds the item's id, then updates, completes or deletes it by that id, and reads it back afterwards. Task titles are rewritten into concrete next actions unless you ask for your exact wording.

Flags the skill can use include --list, --due, --priority (high, medium, low or none), --notes, --url, --silent, --remind-me, and --repeat (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly). Note that --due creates an alarm at the due time unless --silent is used.

  • Use --list to target a specific list; otherwise the default list is used unless the category is obvious.
  • Long multi-part requests are split into separate reminders.
  • Searches are plain text, not shell regular expressions.
rem add "Book LHR-SFO nonstop business flight" --due "tomorrow 9am" --priority high --notes "Nonstop only." -o json rem search "LHR-SFO" -o json

Safety notes: scripts, network and deletes

This skill runs scripts; it uses the rem command-line tool to act on your Reminders. It does not use the network, according to the skill's assessment. Read the SKILL.md before installing if you want to confirm the commands yourself.

Delete and update commands act on real data. The skill does not add a confirmation step, so review bulk changes before approving them. The source also notes that flagged reminders use private ReminderKit internals and may be more fragile across macOS versions than ordinary tasks.

  • Review the agent's planned delete or bulk-update commands before letting them run.
  • Check your default list name: it may be localized, for example Erinnerungen.
rem delete <id> --force

What people use it for

  • Capturing a task from a sentence, such as remind me to book a flight tomorrow at 9am.
  • Reviewing today's reminders and incomplete items at the start of the day.
  • Renaming, rescheduling or completing existing tasks by searching for them first.
  • Creating a repeating reminder, for example a weekly or monthly task.
  • Setting up a new list such as Travel and moving related reminders into it.

Frequently asked questions

Is the reminders agent skill free?

The skill is published under the MIT licence in the steipete/agent-scripts repository. The source does not state any price, so check the repository for licence terms before using it.

What do I need to install the reminders skill?

You need a Mac running macOS, the rem command-line tool installed with Go, and Reminders permission granted to the app running the agent. The install uses go install from github.com/BRO3886/rem.

Does the reminders skill work on Windows or Linux?

No. The skill is macOS only and relies on Apple's EventKit framework, so it will not work on Windows or Linux.

Why does the agent say reminders access denied?

The calling app does not yet have Reminders permission. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security, grant Reminders access to that app, and run the request again.

Can the skill create calendar events?

No. The skill says calendar events should go to other calendar tooling, so use this skill only for tasks and reminders.

How is this different from using AppleScript for Reminders?

The skill's instructions prefer rem over Things or AppleScript when you want an AI-friendly to-do backend on macOS. rem uses EventKit for normal reads and writes, and it outputs JSON that the agent can verify.

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Our verdict

This skill suits Mac users who want an AI assistant to capture and manage personal tasks in Apple Reminders, and who are comfortable installing a Go-based CLI. It is a poor fit for Windows or Linux users, for calendar events, or for anyone who wants bulk edits and deletes to pause for confirmation.

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