How to set a due date for Mountain Lion Reminders

Apple's new Reminders application in Mountain Lion can be used to make a quick to-do list for various projects. One feature in previous implementations of reminders in iCal was a due date option where you could set when a specific task was to be completed. While this option is a bit redundant with the new notification options in the Reminders application, it can be implemented for tasks if needed.

When you create a reminder in the Reminders application, you can double-click it, select it and press Command-I, or click the "i" character to the right of the reminder text to reveal an information window that displays options for setting a notification. By default you can have the system notify you about the task on a specific day or at a specific network location, and be set to repeat if the task is recurring; however, there is no option to set a due date for the reminder.

Similar to the old due date feature, if the "remind me" option is set then the program will color the task pink to indicate its due date has arrived; however, this behavior now comes with the notification that will appear in Notification Center. To prevent this notification but still have a due date, you can still set the contemporary "due date" feature; however, there is no way to add a due date from within the Reminders program, so for now this has to be done in iCloud and not in the program.

1. Log into iCloud.com
2. Select the Calendar option
3. Double-click the reminder of interest in the "Reminders" list to the right
4. Check the "due date" box and set a due date for the reminder
5. Click OK to save and close the reminder

When this is done, if you then go to the Reminders program and get information on the modified reminder, you will see a new "due" option under the "remind me" settings that contains the date previously set. This date can now be modified within the Reminders application.

Ultimately while it may have its uses for some people, the due date option is a bit redundant with the "remind me" feature. Both will change the reminder's color to indicate past-due, with the one exception that the due date will not trigger Notification Center whereas the "remind me" option will. If you prefer to have the system issue a warning when the due date for your task has arrived, then using the default "remind me" feature may be preferred to enabling the old "due date" option.

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