Migrating to and using Google Tasks?
I'm a Pro User of at least 16 years. (I can see posts I made here 16 years ago.) I am finally facing the reality that RTM is no longer supported, as my recent (and not so recoent) support requests go unanswered. #abandonware
Brief research has led me to Google Tasks, which seems a better solution than Outlook To Do. (I tried ToDoist and for some reason my brain just cannot wrap itself around how that works. Tasks looks almost as simple as RTM).
Has anyone tried Google Tasks? Have you been able to use the RTM export to import tasks? (I hate the thought of starting over. My whole life is organised in RTM, from medical test results to detailed records of insurance complaints. I absolutely rely on it for everything.)
Brief research has led me to Google Tasks, which seems a better solution than Outlook To Do. (I tried ToDoist and for some reason my brain just cannot wrap itself around how that works. Tasks looks almost as simple as RTM).
Has anyone tried Google Tasks? Have you been able to use the RTM export to import tasks? (I hate the thought of starting over. My whole life is organised in RTM, from medical test results to detailed records of insurance complaints. I absolutely rely on it for everything.)
(closed account) says:
Best as I've been able to tell, after poking around and experimenting for a few hours, there is no straightforward way to move RTM tasks to Google Tasks. Theoretically, the JSON export -should- (with some massaging via Google Sheets) have been able to do the trick, but alas.
I'm now, within RTM, re-assigning tasks to my gmail address. Tags, original due dates, all that is lost in the shift, but I find it a little easier to copy-paste within the web Googleverse than to toggle between windows.
Sigh.
I'm now, within RTM, re-assigning tasks to my gmail address. Tags, original due dates, all that is lost in the shift, but I find it a little easier to copy-paste within the web Googleverse than to toggle between windows.
Sigh.
(closed account) says:
Best as I've been able to tell, after poking around and experimenting for a few hours, there is no straightforward way to move RTM tasks to Google Tasks. Theoretically, the JSON export -should- (with some massaging via Google Sheets) have been able to do the trick, but alas.
I'm now, within RTM, re-assigning tasks to my gmail address. Tags, original due dates, all that is lost in the shift, but I find it a little easier to copy-paste within the web Googleverse than to toggle between windows.
Sigh.
I'm now, within RTM, re-assigning tasks to my gmail address. Tags, original due dates, all that is lost in the shift, but I find it a little easier to copy-paste within the web Googleverse than to toggle between windows.
Sigh.
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
Hi Debby,
Thanks for being a Pro user for 16 years!
I want to clear up the abandonware concern first: Remember The Milk is still actively developed and supported (we have a new feature for connecting RTM with AI that's been out in beta for the last month; I know not everyone is into AI, and we're working on app improvements as well right now).
That said, I'm sorry your recent support emails went unanswered. That shouldn't have happened, and I'd like to fix it. I've followed up with you via email about the issue you're having with the icon.
On exports, we offer a few backup options, documented here: accounts backup help. There's a JSON export and an iCalendar feed available. Whether either would import cleanly into Google Tasks (or any other app) depends on what that app accepts on its import side, so it'd be worth checking with them.
If I can help with anything else, please get in touch.
Thanks for being a Pro user for 16 years!
I want to clear up the abandonware concern first: Remember The Milk is still actively developed and supported (we have a new feature for connecting RTM with AI that's been out in beta for the last month; I know not everyone is into AI, and we're working on app improvements as well right now).
That said, I'm sorry your recent support emails went unanswered. That shouldn't have happened, and I'd like to fix it. I've followed up with you via email about the issue you're having with the icon.
On exports, we offer a few backup options, documented here: accounts backup help. There's a JSON export and an iCalendar feed available. Whether either would import cleanly into Google Tasks (or any other app) depends on what that app accepts on its import side, so it'd be worth checking with them.
If I can help with anything else, please get in touch.
Hi Emily.
I'm not a fan of "if you need more details PM me" approach especially for problems that happens more often.
I also get that helping people leave RTM might be against company interests... But on the other hand if users can actually feel that they can count on the support team even if problem is about 3rd party tools, they will be more willing to come back if they are not happy about that 3rd party tools.
So, how about instead leaving people on their own, take the ownership of the problem and address it? I did initial look into this problem and seems like there is a way how to import tasks into Google Tasks. Not a one click solution but there is chance to reduce the pain.
Biggest problem would be doing mapping RTM to 3rd party structure: making right decisions with unsupported data. The thing is, that we need to make something that works for everybody, not just me, right?
I can't do mapping using my own export, as I may not use every function, every task sources etc. and from what I see, JSON structure is data dependent.
For example: if task does not have URL on it, URL field does not show up in the file.
Are you willing to share the JSON structure with data types and dictionaries?
I'm not a fan of "if you need more details PM me" approach especially for problems that happens more often.
I also get that helping people leave RTM might be against company interests... But on the other hand if users can actually feel that they can count on the support team even if problem is about 3rd party tools, they will be more willing to come back if they are not happy about that 3rd party tools.
So, how about instead leaving people on their own, take the ownership of the problem and address it? I did initial look into this problem and seems like there is a way how to import tasks into Google Tasks. Not a one click solution but there is chance to reduce the pain.
Biggest problem would be doing mapping RTM to 3rd party structure: making right decisions with unsupported data. The thing is, that we need to make something that works for everybody, not just me, right?
I can't do mapping using my own export, as I may not use every function, every task sources etc. and from what I see, JSON structure is data dependent.
For example: if task does not have URL on it, URL field does not show up in the file.
Are you willing to share the JSON structure with data types and dictionaries?
dave.liao says:
If search is important to you, don't migrate to Google Tasks. It STILL doesn't have search - on desktop or on their iOS app. Isn't Google a *search* company? 😆
Integration with Google services — if anyone wants to move over — still seems to be stuck in the Stone Age. I'm exploring this path from several angles, and it's turning into an obstacle course.
Let me rephrase your suggestion: to leave RTM, a user first has to upgrade to a Pro subscription, which is only available as a yearly plan. Then, in addition to getting access to the Claude environment, they have to set up an MCP server on their machine and go through the API/OAuth setup process. All of that only to discover that the integration doesn't even work if they have Google's Enhanced Protection enabled.
The topic author already has Pro, but not everyone does, nor does everyone plan to extend their subscription while preparing to leave. Some users also have Enhanced Protection enabled, and from my personal experience, the trade-off is well worth it. It would be better to find a solution that works for most people rather than patching things together on a case-by-case basis.
I have something working (test phase), but currently it still lives behind a series of Google security warnings and breaks with Enhanced Protection — both of which go away once the app is hosted and verified by Google. More effort than I'm willing to put in without knowing there's actual demand for it.
Let me rephrase your suggestion: to leave RTM, a user first has to upgrade to a Pro subscription, which is only available as a yearly plan. Then, in addition to getting access to the Claude environment, they have to set up an MCP server on their machine and go through the API/OAuth setup process. All of that only to discover that the integration doesn't even work if they have Google's Enhanced Protection enabled.
The topic author already has Pro, but not everyone does, nor does everyone plan to extend their subscription while preparing to leave. Some users also have Enhanced Protection enabled, and from my personal experience, the trade-off is well worth it. It would be better to find a solution that works for most people rather than patching things together on a case-by-case basis.
I have something working (test phase), but currently it still lives behind a series of Google security warnings and breaks with Enhanced Protection — both of which go away once the app is hosted and verified by Google. More effort than I'm willing to put in without knowing there's actual demand for it.
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