How to set a reminder on your phone (iPhone, Android or by voice)
The quickest way to set a reminder is to say it. On iPhone, say “Siri, remind me to call Mum at 6pm.” On Android, open Gemini and say or type “Remind me at 6pm to call Mum.” The reminder is saved to Apple Reminders or Google Tasks, and your phone notifies you at that time. You can also open the Reminders app on iPhone or the Google Tasks app on Android and add a date and time by hand.
Whichever way you choose, a reminder only works if its notification reaches you, so the last section covers the settings that most often silence one. We build Pokobot, a reminder service that works through WhatsApp, and include it as one option, but most of the steps here use apps already on your phone.
Steps were checked against Apple, Google, Samsung and OpenAI help pages on 7 October 2026. Menu names vary slightly by phone model and software version.
The fastest way on each phone
Pick the row that matches your phone. Each one saves the reminder somewhere your phone can notify you from, so you can check, change or delete it later.
| Phone or app | Say or tap | Saved in | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone with Siri | “Siri, remind me to call Mum at 6pm” | Apple Reminders | Works with times, places and repeats |
| iPhone by hand | Reminders app, then New Reminder | Apple Reminders | Turn on Urgent for an alarm (iOS 26.2 and later) |
| Android with Gemini | “Remind me at 6pm to call Mum” | Google Tasks or Samsung Reminder | Google Tasks must be connected to Gemini |
| Android by hand | Google Tasks app, then Add date/time | Google Tasks | Without a time, it notifies at 9am |
| Samsung Galaxy | Reminder app, then Time or Place | Samsung Reminder | Can remind you on arriving or leaving |
| ChatGPT | “Remind me at 6pm to call Mum” | ChatGPT scheduled tasks | Push or email; the Free plan allows 3 active tasks |
| WhatsApp with Pokobot | “Remind me at 6pm to call Mum” | Pokobot | Arrives as a WhatsApp message |
How to set a reminder on iPhone
Every iPhone comes with the Reminders app. When you're signed in with the same Apple Account, reminders sync through iCloud to your iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
Open Reminders and tap New Reminder
Type what you need to remember, such as “pay the electricity bill”.
Add a date and time
Tap the Date and Time button and choose Today, Tomorrow or This Weekend, or tap Date & Time to pick an exact day and time. To make it repeat, open the reminder's details and set Repeat.
Or tie it to a place or a person
Tap the Location button, choose a place and whether to be reminded when you arrive or leave; Location Services must be on. Or turn on When Messaging and choose a contact, and the reminder appears the next time you chat with them in Messages.
Make it an alarm if it really matters
In iOS 26.2 and later, open the reminder's details and turn on Urgent under Date & Time. Reminders then schedules an alarm that sounds even when your iPhone is silenced or a Focus is on.
Or just ask Siri
Say “Remind me to feed the dog every day at 7:30am” or “Remind me when I get home to check the mail.” For home and work reminders, add those addresses to your own contact card first.
How to set a reminder on Android
Most Android phones keep reminders in Google Tasks. Google moved old Assistant and Calendar reminders there in 2023, and Gemini saves new ones there too.
Ask Gemini
Open the Gemini app and say or type “Remind me on Friday at 9am to renew my car insurance.” Google Tasks needs to be connected to Gemini; add @Google Tasks to your request if it asks which app to use.
Or add it in Google Tasks
Open Google Tasks, tap the plus button and type the task. Tap Add date/time, choose when, then tap Done. If you set a date without a time, Google notifies you at 9am that day.
Allow alarms and reminders
Some phones need permission for exact reminder times. In your phone's Settings, open Apps, then Special app access, then Alarms & reminders, choose Tasks and turn it on. Also check that notifications are on in the Tasks app's own settings.
Or put it in Google Calendar
If the reminder belongs to a time slot, such as an appointment, add an event and give it a notification instead.
- Google Tasks: add or edit a taskOfficial steps for dates, times and repeating tasks.
- Gemini: capture tasks and remindersRequirements, example prompts and supported reminder apps.
- How to set reminders in Google CalendarEvent notifications, default reminders and birthdays.
- Best reminder apps for AndroidGoogle Tasks, Samsung Reminder and others compared.
How to set a reminder on a Samsung Galaxy
Samsung phones also include Samsung Reminder. Open the Reminder app, tap the plus button and type the reminder. Tap Time to choose a date and time, a weekly schedule or a shortcut such as 1 hour from now, or tap Place to be reminded when you arrive at or leave somewhere. Then tap Save.
You can also create one by voice. Samsung says you can press and hold the Bixby button and say something like “Remind me to buy milk at 2pm today.” On the Galaxy S25 and other supported models with One UI 7 or later, Gemini can add reminders to Samsung Reminder too.
Can you set a reminder for me? Voice assistants and AI
Yes, if you ask an assistant that is connected to a reminder app. Siri saves to Apple Reminders, Gemini to Google Tasks or Samsung Reminder, and Alexa to its own reminders on Echo devices and in the Alexa app. Say what and when in one sentence: “Remind me tomorrow at 8am to take the bins out.”
ChatGPT can set reminders too, using scheduled tasks. Ask “Remind me at 6pm to call Mum” and it runs at that time and notifies you by push notification, email or both, depending on your settings. OpenAI says Free and Go accounts can have three active tasks at once, and Free accounts can repeat a task at most once a day.
Whichever assistant you use, check the confirmation. Assistants occasionally mishear a time, choose the wrong day or save to a different account, and a reminder you never confirmed is easy to lose.
How to set a reminder in WhatsApp
Pokobot adds plain-English reminders to WhatsApp. Message Poko something like “remind me at 6pm to call Mum”, check the confirmed time, and the reminder comes back as a WhatsApp message. Repeats work the same way: “every Monday at 9am remind me to send the timesheet”.
It suits people who notice WhatsApp messages more reliably than app notifications. There is no app to install or account to create, the first 7 days are free with no card required, and reminders need a paid plan after that. It has no location reminders and needs an internet connection to deliver.
Remind me in 2 minutes to check that this reminder arrivesOpen in WhatsApp How to write a reminder you'll act on
A reminder that only says “dentist” makes you work out what to do at the moment it fires. A few small habits make reminders far easier to act on.
Name the action, not the topic
“Call the dentist to move Friday's appointment” beats “dentist”. When it goes off, you should know exactly what to do next.
Set it for when you can act
A 3pm reminder about something you can only do at home is easy to dismiss. Pick a time, or a place, where the next step is possible.
Remind yourself before a deadline
For anything with a cutoff, such as a bill or a form, set the reminder a day or two early rather than on the deadline itself.
Repeat only what truly repeats
Daily alerts for things that don't need daily attention teach you to ignore all of them. Save repeats for real routines.
Why your reminder didn't go off
If a reminder was saved but never appeared, one of these is usually the reason.
Notifications are off for the app
On iPhone, open Settings, then Notifications, and check the Reminders or Tasks app. On Android, open Settings, then Apps, choose the app and check Notifications.
A Focus or Do Not Disturb hid it
Allow the reminder app in your Focus or Do Not Disturb settings. On iPhone, an Urgent reminder sounds even when a Focus is on.
Battery saving delayed it
Some Android phones pause apps in the background to save power. Let the reminder app run without restrictions in battery settings, and allow Alarms & reminders access.
It had a date but no time
Google Tasks notifies at 9am for tasks with a date but no time. If you needed it at 6pm, add the time.
It went to a different account
If you have more than one Google or Apple account, an assistant may have saved the reminder to the other one. Check each account's list.
Questions, answered
- How do I set a reminder on my phone?
- Ask your phone's assistant: “Siri, remind me to call Mum at 6pm” on iPhone, or “Remind me at 6pm to call Mum” in Gemini on Android. You can also open Reminders on iPhone or Google Tasks on Android, add the reminder, and give it a date and time.
- How do I set a reminder on iPhone?
- Open the Reminders app, tap New Reminder, type it, then tap the Date and Time button to choose when. You can also add a location, or say “Hey Siri, remind me…” and include the time or place.
- How do I set a reminder on Android?
- Open Google Tasks, tap the plus button, type the task, tap Add date/time and choose when. Or ask Gemini, “Remind me on Friday at 9am to…”, with Google Tasks connected. Samsung phones also have the Samsung Reminder app.
- Can you set a reminder for me?
- Your phone's assistant can. Ask Siri on iPhone or Gemini on Android, or ask ChatGPT, which uses scheduled tasks. To get the reminder as a WhatsApp message, send it to Pokobot in plain English, such as “remind me at 6pm to call Mum”.
- How do I make a reminder repeat?
- Include the repeat when you ask, such as “every day at 7:30am” or “every Monday at 9am”. In Apple Reminders, open the reminder's details and set Repeat. In Google Tasks, choose a repeat when adding the date and time.
- How do I set a reminder that goes off like an alarm?
- On iPhone with iOS 26.2 or later, turn on Urgent in the reminder's details, and it sounds an alarm even in silent mode or a Focus. On Android, set an alarm in the Clock app and give it a label describing the task.
- Why didn't my reminder go off?
- Check that notifications are on for the reminder app, that Do Not Disturb or a Focus isn't hiding it, that battery saving isn't pausing the app, and that the reminder has a time, not only a date. Also check it was saved to the account you use.