User Guide

Core Concepts

TimeGuide brings your tasks and calendar events together into a single, dynamic timeline for your day. Before diving in, it helps to understand the distinction between the two item types.

The timeline scales dynamically to fit your day. Busier days compress to show everything at a glance, quieter days give each item more visual space.

Adding Tasks & Events

Everything starts with the + button on the main screen. Tapping it opens the Add Task view.

Creating a Task

1. Tap the + button (or press ⌘N on Mac) to open the Add New Task view.
2. Enter a title. TimeGuide will suggest an icon automatically, or tap it to choose a different one from the icon picker.
3. Set your start and end times using the time pickers, or use the visual time range selector below them for quick adjustments.
4. Optionally, add notes to keep any extra detail attached to the item.
5. Tap Add (or press Return) to save the task to your timeline.

Saving as a Calendar Event

By default, new items are saved as Tasks inside TimeGuide. If you'd rather save something directly to an external calendar (Google Calendar, iCloud, etc.), tap the calendar dropdown in the Add Task view and select the calendar you want. The item will be created as a calendar event in that account.

Adding a Location (Calendar Events)

When adding or editing a calendar event, you can attach a location to it. The location will be stored with the event on your calendar and is visible in the detail view.

Time Range Selector

Below the time pickers in the Add or Edit view, you'll find a visual strip showing the full day as a timeline. This is the quickest way to adjust timing without fiddling with individual pickers.

• Drag either handle (left or right edge of the colored block) to shorten or lengthen the duration.
• Tap and drag the middle of the block to slide the entire item to a different time while keeping its duration intact.
• Double-tap anywhere on the timeline strip to instantly move your item so it starts at that time.

Editing & Managing Items

Editing an Item

Tap any task or event on the timeline to open its detail view. All fields, like title, icon, time, notes, reminders, and repeat settings, are editable from here. Press Return or tap Save when done.

Quick Actions

Press and hold any item to bring up a context menu with shortcut actions:

• Duplicate — opens the Add Task view pre-filled with all the same details, ready for you to adjust and save as a new item.
• Delete — removes the item. For repeating items, you'll be asked whether to delete just this instance, this and all future instances, or the entire series.

Editing Repeating Items

When you edit a repeating task or event, TimeGuide will ask how broadly to apply your changes:

• This Instance Only — changes apply only to the specific occurrence you tapped.
• This and Future Instances — updates this occurrence and all that come after it.
• Entire Series — applies the change to every instance of the repeating item.

Navigating the App

Moving Between Days

On the main timeline screen, swipe left or right to move forward or backward one day at a time. On Mac, use the left and right arrow keys.

Jumping to a Date

In Day View, tap the date header (the large day name and date at the top of the screen) to open a mini-calendar date picker. Tap any date to jump to it. You can also swipe the picker down to dismiss it without changing your date. Navigate between months by swiping the calendar horizontally.

Returning to Today

If you've navigated away from the current day, a floating arrow button will appear on screen. Tap it to instantly return to today's date.

Mini-Calendar Week Navigation (macOS)

On Mac, the up and down arrow keys move backward or forward by one week, making it easy to scan through your schedule without lifting your hands from the keyboard.

Search

TimeGuide has a built-in search that covers both your tasks and your connected calendar events. Open it from the search icon in the toolbar.

What You Can Search

• Task and event titles
• Notes attached to items (toggle "Include Notes" on or off in the search controls)
• Results can be filtered to show only Tasks, only Events, or both

Date Range

By default, search looks from today forward one year. Use the start date and end date pickers at the bottom of the search screen to narrow the window to exactly the range you care about.

Jumping to a Result

Tap any search result to jump directly to that day in the timeline, with the item in view. The search sheet closes automatically.

Subtasks

Subtasks let you break a block of time into smaller steps without cluttering the top-level timeline.

Automatic Nesting

Any task or event that falls completely within the time range of another item will automatically be nested as a subtask beneath it. No manual linking required, just set the times so one item fits inside another and TimeGuide handles the rest.

Adding Subtasks Directly

When adding or editing a task, you can also create subtasks directly from the Add/Edit screen using the Add Subtask option. On Mac, the keyboard shortcut ⌘⇧N adds a new subtask while the task view is open.

Locked Subtasks

A subtask can be locked to its parent, creating a more permanent link between the two. Locked subtasks always stay nested under their parent regardless of the "Nest Overlapped" setting, and are indicated by a small lock icon in the subtask row. Note that locking subtasks to calendar events is not currently supported.

Turning Off Auto-Nesting

If you'd prefer a flat list where all items are shown as individual cards, go to Settings → Appearance and turn off Nest Overlapped. Locked subtasks will continue to nest under their parents even when this setting is off.

Repeating Items

Tasks and calendar events can repeat on a schedule. When creating or editing an item, tap Repeat to choose a frequency:

• Daily
• Weekly
• Bi-Weekly
• Monthly
• Yearly

You can also set an end date so the repetition stops automatically on a specific day. To create a repeating item that never ends, simply leave the end date blank.

Marking Items Complete

When Mark to Complete is enabled (it is by default), a small circle appears on the left side of each item on the timeline. Tap it to mark the item as done.

For Tasks

Tapping the circle marks the task as completed. The item will be visually dimmed to indicate it's done.

For Calendar Events

Tapping the circle on a calendar event hides that specific occurrence from the timeline (since external calendar events can't be "completed" in the traditional sense). The event still exists on your calendar, it's just tucked away in TimeGuide. Hidden events will sync their hidden state across your devices.

Showing & Hiding Completed Items

Completed and hidden items are kept out of view by default. To reveal them, tap the show/hide completed toggle (the eye icon in the lower-left corner of the timeline). This preference persists if you close or background the app.

Completed items are also automatically hidden from your widgets so your home screen only shows what's still ahead.

Turning Off the Complete Circle

If you don't use this feature, go to Settings → Appearance and turn off Mark to Complete. The circles will disappear from all items.

Month View

Month View gives you a full-screen calendar overview of your entire month, with your tasks and events shown inline on each day.

Switching to Month View

In Day View, look for the Day / Month toggle in the top-right area of the screen. Tap Month to switch. Tap Day to return to the timeline. The transition is animated and your selected date carries over.

Jumping to a Date (Date Picker)

Tapping the month and year header at the top of the view opens a compact month and year picker that lets you quickly jump to any date. Select a date and the sheet dismisses automatically. You can swipe the sheet down to dismiss it without changing your date.

What You'll See in Month View

• Each date cell shows small preview cards for tasks and events scheduled that day.
• Multi-day events span across the days they cover, so you can see at a glance when something runs over multiple days.
• Today's date is highlighted with a backdrop so it stands out clearly.
• The month header updates as you scroll so it always reflects the month currently in view.

Tapping a Day

Tap any date in Month View to see a list of that day's items in an expanded panel below the calendar. Swipe down on this panel to dismiss it. Tap any item in the list to jump straight to that day in the Day View timeline.

Month View & Subtasks

The Nest Overlapped setting applies in Month View as well. When nesting is enabled, subtasks are grouped under their parent items rather than appearing as separate cards.

Highlighting Tasks

Highlighting is a way to visually mark important or high-priority tasks so they stand out in your timeline.

• When adding or editing a task, toggle the Highlight option to enable it.
• Highlighted tasks are displayed in your chosen accent color, making them pop against regular tasks.
• Highlighted tasks appear with a customizable indicator (circle, dot, or heat map) on the mini-calendar and in the Today's List widget, so important days are easy to spot at a glance.
• Regular (non-highlighted) tasks are not marked on the calendar views, only highlighted ones are.

Notifications

Set custom notification alerts for any task to make sure you don't miss it.

• When adding or editing a task, tap Add Reminder to set an alert relative to the item's start or end time (e.g., 5 minutes before it starts).
• For calendar events, TimeGuide respects the notification settings you've already configured in your external calendar app. You won't need to set them again inside TimeGuide.
• You can also silence notifications on a per-calendar basis in Settings → Calendar Setup by tapping the bell icon next to a calendar — handy for busy shared calendars where you want to see events but don't need alerts for them.
• Global notification permissions are managed in Settings → Notifications.

Calendar Setup

TimeGuide can display events from any calendar account on your device, including Google Calendar, iCloud, Outlook, and more.

Step 1: Add Your Account to Your Device

Before TimeGuide can see your external calendars, your account must be added to iOS or macOS first.

• iPhone / iPad: Go to Settings → Calendar → Accounts and add your account there.
• Mac: Go to System Settings → Internet Accounts and add your account.

Step 2: Grant Calendar Permission in TimeGuide

TimeGuide needs Full Access to your calendars to both read your existing events and write new ones from within the app. You can grant this in two ways:

1. Open TimeGuide and go to Settings → Calendar Setup. Tap Allow Calendar Access and grant Full Access when prompted.
2. Alternatively, when adding a new task, select any external calendar from the calendar dropdown and TimeGuide will automatically prompt for calendar permission at that point if it hasn't been granted yet.

Managing Which Calendars Show

Once permission is granted, all your calendars appear in a list. From here you can:

• Toggle visibility — use the switch next to a calendar to show or hide its events in your timeline and widgets.
• Silence notifications — tap the bell icon next to any calendar to mute alerts for its events while still seeing them on the timeline.

Sync Across Devices

TimeGuide tasks sync automatically across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud, so your schedule is always up to date on every device you use.

How Task Sync Works

When you add, edit, or delete a task on one device, the change syncs to your other devices automatically using TimeGuide's own cloud sync. This is fast and reliable for tasks you create inside the app.

How Calendar Event Sync Works

Events from connected external calendars (Google, iCloud Calendar, Outlook, etc.) rely on Apple's system calendar refresh policy, not TimeGuide's own sync. This means changes to calendar events made in other apps, devices, or on the web may take a few minutes or longer to appear.

Syncing Hidden Event State

When you mark a calendar event as complete (hidden) on one device, that hidden state also syncs to your other devices keeping your timeline consistent everywhere.

Appearance & Preferences

Go to Settings → Appearance to customize how TimeGuide looks and behaves.

Theme

Choose between Light, Dark, or System (which matches your device's system-wide setting automatically).

Accent Color

Pick from a curated palette of preset colors, or tap the custom color picker to dial in any color you like. The accent color is used for highlighted tasks, interactive elements, and the app's overall visual identity.

Layout Options

• Minimal UI — reduces visual chrome and flattens the interface for a more stripped-back look.
• List Mode — replaces the scaled timeline with a compact flat list. Great if you prefer a more traditional planner view with no time gaps between items.
• Nest Overlapped — automatically nests any item whose times fall inside another item. Turn this off for a completely flat, un-nested view. (Locked subtasks always nest regardless of this setting.)
• First Time Gap — shows the empty time block from the start of your day down to your first scheduled item. Turn it off for a cleaner look if you don't need to see blank morning time. (Automatically disabled in List Mode.)
• Timeline Start — sets the earliest time shown at the top of the timeline. Defaults to 7:00 AM. Adjust it to match when your day actually begins.
• Mark to Complete — toggles the completion circles on or off for all items. Turn this off if you don't use the feature and want a cleaner look.

Preferences

Under Settings → Preferences you can configure:

New Task Defaults

• Default task duration — sets how long new tasks are when you create one. Pick whatever length matches your typical work block.
• Default calendar — choose which calendar is pre-selected in the Add Task view. Set this to your most-used calendar to save a tap every time.

Default Start Reminders

• Task — the default reminder timing for new standard tasks (e.g., none, at start time, 5 minutes before).
• Highlighted Task — a separate default reminder for highlighted tasks, which defaults to 30 minutes before.
• Calendar Event — the default reminder for new calendar events you create from within TimeGuide, also defaulting to 30 minutes before.

Calendar

• Marker Style — controls how task and event indicators look on the in-app mini-calendar and month view. Choose between Circles, Dots, or Heat Map (which shows day density at a glance).
• Use Default Text Size — only appears if you use iOS Larger Text accessibility sizes. Enabling it keeps calendar item titles at the standard size so items display consistently regardless of your system text size.

Month View

• Show Tasks — toggles whether standard (non-highlighted) tasks appear in the month view calendar grid.
• Show Highlighted Tasks — toggles highlighted task markers in the month view. On by default.
• Show Calendar Events — toggles calendar event markers in the month view. On by default.

Focus Timer (macOS only)

• Style — choose between Liquid, Circle, and Speedrun timer styles (see Focus Timers for details on each).
• Orientation — for the Liquid style, choose horizontal or vertical layout.
• Width — for the Liquid style, toggle between Standard and Narrow widths.

Widgets

TimeGuide offers a variety of Home Screen, Lock Screen, and desktop widgets so you can see what's coming without opening the app.

Widget Settings

Go to Settings → Widgets to control what appears in your widgets:

• Show Standard Tasks — toggles non-highlighted tasks in all widgets.
• Show Highlighted Tasks — toggles highlighted tasks in all widgets.
• Show Calendar Events — toggles connected calendar events in all widgets.
• Marker Style — controls how day indicators look specifically in the widget calendar (Circles, Dots, or Heat Map). This is separate from the marker style in Preferences, which affects the in-app mini-calendar.

Completed items are always hidden from widgets regardless of the show/hide setting on the main timeline.

Focus Timers macOS

On Mac, TimeGuide includes a Focus Timer that lives in your menu bar, and can add a persistent floating timer window that sits above your other apps while you work.

Starting a Timer

Click the TimeGuide icon in the Mac menu bar to open the timer menu. You have two options:

• Task Timer — if you have a task currently in progress (based on the current time), TimeGuide will offer to start a timer tied to that task. The timer counts down to the task's end time.
• 25-Minute Focus Timer — starts a classic Pomodoro-style 25-minute countdown that isn't tied to any specific task. This option is always available.

Only one timer can be active at a time. Starting a new timer type while one is running is not available, stop the current one first.

Timer Controls

Hover over the floating timer window to reveal controls:

• Pause / Resume — available on the 25-minute Focus Timer. Pausing extends the end time so no time is lost.
• Stop — ends the timer and closes the floating window.

Timer Styles

The Focus Timer window comes in three visual styles, configurable in timer preferences:

• Liquid — an animated fluid fill that drains as time elapses. Can be oriented horizontally or vertically, and toggled between standard and narrow widths.
• Circle — a circular progress ring with a countdown in the center, centered on screen.
• Speedrun — a minimal black bar with a sharp digital countdown, inspired by game speedrun timers.

Keyboard Shortcuts macOS & iPad

General

While Adding or Editing a Task

Troubleshooting

Calendar Events Not Showing in Widgets

If events from connected external calendars disappear from widgets shortly after appearing, or fail to show at all:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Calendars (macOS) and confirm that TimeGuide has Full Access.
2. If Full Access is already granted, try toggling the permission off and back on to reset the connection.
3. If that doesn't help, go to System Settings → Internet Accounts, remove the affected calendar account, and add it again.

Newly Added Events Not Appearing

Events added outside of TimeGuide (in another app, a browser, etc.) may not appear immediately. Apple's system controls when calendar data is refreshed. TimeGuide requests a sync on first launch, but if a sync was requested recently, the system may delay the next one. This is expected behavior, and the event will appear once Apple's refresh runs.

Edits to Calendar Events Are Slow to Sync

Adding or editing calendar events from within TimeGuide may take a moment to appear on your other devices, as these changes go through the system's calendar refresh cycle rather than TimeGuide's own sync. This can take a few minutes in some cases.

Still Need Help?

If you run into something not covered here, using the built-in feedback button is the fastest way to get in touch directly. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → Send Feedback. On Mac, go to Help → Send Feedback in the menu bar.