Unforgetful Reminders App Targets Chronic Snoozers

Marco Arment, the indie developer behind Overcast and Instapaper, is out with a new app that aims to solve a problem many of us know too well: reminders that keep getting dismissed or ignored. Called Unforgetful, the app works alongside Apple's Reminders but rethinks how notifications behave, making it nearly impossible to lose track of a task.

Built for the Reminder-Impaired

Arment, who also served as Tumblr's chief technology officer, announced the app on Friday. In his announcement, he explained his frustration with Apple's Reminders, noting that while Siri is good at creating tasks, the app itself doesn't fit his workflow. He said he dislikes its looks, organization, and even its icon.

The core problem, as Arment describes it, is that reminders are too easy to lose. A mistimed snooze or a mis-tap on "dismiss" can make a task vanish, and if you forget to set a time, you never get a notification at all.

What Makes It Impossible to Forget

Unforgetful's key feature is that notifications keep repeating until the task is actually completed and deleted. Even if you dismiss a reminder, it will come back. This is designed for people who tend to swipe away notifications without acting on them.

The snooze function is also revamped. Instead of a fixed interval, snooze times scale upward as you keep postponing a task, but the app avoids overwhelming you with multiple reminders at once, which can cause you to freeze and do nothing.

Simple by Design

The app keeps things deliberately basic. There are no tags, views, modes, or other organizational tools to learn. For users who want advanced features, Arment suggests sticking with Apple's Reminders. Unforgetful is meant to be a straightforward nudge engine, not a full productivity suite.

This simplicity extends to the app's interface, which focuses on getting reminders in front of you without fuss.

Integration Is the Selling Point

Unforgetful works with your existing Reminders database. You don't need to switch to a new system or migrate data. You simply turn off Apple's Reminders notifications and let Unforgetful take over. This also means Siri continues to work as before — you can add reminders by voice, and they'll appear in Unforgetful.

For those who try the app and decide it's not for them, there's no export hassle because your reminders never left Apple's system. This integration is a standout feature compared with other third-party reminder apps that require a full move.

Extra Features and Pricing

Unforgetful includes its own in-app microphone for voice reminders, as well as widgets for the Lock Screen and Control Center. It's available for both Mac and iOS for $19.99 per year.

Why This Matters for Procrastinators

For people who habitually hit snooze or dismiss reminders without acting, Unforgetful offers a different approach: it doesn't let you ignore a task until it's done. This could be a game-changer for those who need constant nudges, though it may feel overbearing for others.

The app's design suggests a broader lesson about how we handle to-dos: sometimes the problem isn't the tool, but the fact that the tool makes it too easy to put things off. By removing the ability to lose a reminder, Unforgetful forces a confrontation with the task at hand.