The upgrade comes just two days after 6 Wunderkinder founder Christian Reber offered to buy Wunderlist from Microsoft to avoid the planned shutdown once To Do reaches feature parity. The timing might not thrill everyone, though.

It does make the software more compelling, at least, and helps close the feature gap. It's not certain that these features will be enough to make To Do a must-have - in the past, we've recommended Wunderlist, Todoist and other apps instead. You can also expect multi-factor authentication to prevent someone from hijacking your agenda. Android and Windows users also have the option to switch between personal and work lists to change priorities when they leave the office. Microsoft also promises better syncing that shares your lists across every platform, including Android, iOS, Mac, Windows and the web. You'll also find the seemingly inescapable dark mode option in the Android, Mac and Windows apps right now, with iOS adding the feature soon (presumably alongside iOS 13 and iPadOS). Microsoft is even making a not-so-subtle grab for Wunderlist users by offering the Berlin TV tower background from their app. The visual refresh, meanwhile, is more colorful and includes more personalization options such as custom backgrounds for each list.

And thanks to the Alexa-Cortana crossover, you can add tasks created on Echo speakers and other Alexa-powered devices. Microsoft Launcher on Android touts To Do integration as well. You can flag messages from Microsoft-based email accounts to send them to a dedicated task list, or check out an Assigned to Me list that plucks tasks from both shared lists and Microsoft Planner. The software maker has unveiled a redesigned To Do app for desktop and mobile that both offers a fresher look and, crucially, tighter integration with Microsoft services. Microsoft is continuing its quest to replace Wunderlist with its entirely in-house offering.

Microsoft to do review