Google Tasks is Google's to-do list app. It lets you create tasks, organize them into lists, add due dates and subtasks, and get reminders, and it works inside Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Chat and Google Docs as well as on its own mobile apps. It is included with a Google account and with Google Workspace, so if you use Gmail you most likely already have it.
Google Tasks is designed to be quick and lightweight. It is a good place to keep a personal to-do list next to your email and calendar. This guide explains what it can do today, where to find it, what it isn't built for, and how to tell when a team needs a different kind of tool.
TaskFia is not affiliated with Google. Google Tasks, Gmail and Google Workspace are trademarks of Google LLC. Features described here are based on Google's own help pages.
Where you can use Google Tasks
One of the biggest strengths of Google Tasks is that it shows up where you already work. According to Google's help center, you can open it from several places:
| Where | What it's useful for |
|---|---|
| Gmail side panel | Turn emails into tasks and keep your list next to your inbox |
| Google Calendar | See tasks with due dates alongside your events |
| Google Chat | Create tasks from messages; assign tasks in Chat spaces |
| Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive | Open your task list in the side panel while you work |
| Mobile apps | Standalone Google Tasks apps for Android and iPhone |
| Web | The tasks.google.com website |
Because everything is tied to your Google account, a task you add on your phone appears in Gmail on your laptop a moment later.
What Google Tasks can do
Google Tasks covers the essentials of a personal to-do list. Based on Google's product page and help center, you can:
- Create multiple lists, for example one for work and one for personal errands.
- Add details and subtasks to break a bigger task into steps.
- Set a due date and time, and see dated tasks in Google Calendar.
- Make tasks repeat daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.
- Star important tasks so they stand out.
- Create a task from an email in Gmail or from a message in Google Chat.
- Get reminders through notifications on your phone and in Calendar.
- Assign tasks to other people in Google Chat spaces and, on eligible Google Workspace plans, in Google Docs. Google calls these shared tasks.
What Google Tasks isn't designed for
Google Tasks is intentionally simple. That's a strength for personal lists, but it means some things teams often need are not part of it. Based on Google's documentation:
- Shared tasks are limited. Google's help center notes that you can't create subtasks or repeat shared tasks, and sharing happens inside Chat spaces and Docs rather than in a team workspace.
- No board view. Tasks appear as lists. There is no Kanban board for seeing work move between stages.
- No departments or roles. There is no built-in way to give managers a view of their team's work while employees see only their own.
- No proof or approval step. You can check a task off, but there is no built-in way for someone to attach proof and a manager to approve it.
- Little reporting. There are no team dashboards showing what was completed, by whom, over time.
None of these are flaws for the job Google Tasks is built to do. They simply mark the point where a personal to-do list stops being enough for a team.
Google Tasks vs Google Calendar vs Google Keep
Google offers three tools that people often mix up. Each has a different job.
| Tool | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Google Tasks | Things you need to do, with optional due dates | Renew the business license by March 1 |
| Google Calendar | Things that happen at a specific time | Supplier meeting, Tuesday at 2 p.m. |
| Google Keep | Notes, ideas and quick checklists | Ideas for the spring promotion |
A simple rule: if it's an action with a finish line, use Tasks. If it happens at a time, use Calendar. If it's information you want to keep, use Keep.
Who Google Tasks is best for
Google Tasks is a strong choice if you:
- work mostly alone and want a simple to-do list next to your email,
- already live in Gmail and Google Calendar every day,
- want to turn emails into tasks without copying and pasting,
- need light task sharing inside a Chat space or a Doc.
If you already use Gmail, it is already within reach in the side panel, so there is very little reason not to try it for personal use.
When a team needs more than Google Tasks
Teams usually outgrow a personal to-do list in a predictable way. The signs are the same whatever app you use:
- Managers ask for status updates several times a day.
- Work is assigned in chat, so nobody can find the full list later.
- Finished work isn't checked until a customer complains.
- You can't tell who is overloaded and who has room.
At that point, the problem isn't the to-do app. The team needs a shared system where every task has an owner, a due date, a status everyone can see and a record of when it was finished. That is what team task management software is for. If your team keeps its work in group chats today, our guide to moving from group texts to a system is a good place to start, and What Is Task Management? explains the basics.
Where TaskFia fits
TaskFia is not a replacement for Google Tasks as a personal to-do list. It's built for teams that need to share work and confirm that it is done. Tasks move across a board, managers see their department, and finished work comes with proof that a manager approves. TaskFia also syncs task records to your own Google Sheet and indexes files from Google Drive on Basic plans and above, so your records stay in your Google account. It does not connect to Google Tasks itself. You can see the full workflow on the how it works page.
Related guides. Choosing for a mobile team? Read how to pick a task management app for iPhone, Android and the web. Organize your daily task list into clear sections.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to use Google Tasks?
A Google account. You can open it at tasks.google.com, in the side panel of Gmail, Calendar, Chat and Drive, or in the Google Tasks app on Android and iPhone.
Is there a web version of Google Tasks?
Yes. You can use Google Tasks at tasks.google.com, in the side panel of Gmail, Calendar, Drive and Docs, and in Google Calendar.
Can you share Google Tasks with other people?
Partly. You can assign tasks to people in Google Chat spaces and, on eligible Google Workspace plans, in Google Docs. Google's help center notes that shared tasks can't have subtasks or repeat.
Does Google Tasks have a Kanban board?
No. Google Tasks shows tasks as lists. If you want to see work move across stages on a board, you need a different tool.
Does TaskFia work with Google Tasks?
No. TaskFia does not sync with Google Tasks. On Basic plans and above it syncs task records to Google Sheets and indexes files from Google Drive.
The bottom line
Google Tasks is a simple, well-integrated to-do list for anyone who lives in Gmail and Calendar. Use it for your own work. When your team needs shared ownership, visible progress and proof that work is done, that's the time to look at team task management software.