Microsoft

Microsoft To Do advanced settings: where to find them

Microsoft To Do does have settings that change how it behaves, but they’re spread across the app, your device, Outlook, and your Microsoft account. In practice, the settings that matter most are theme, smart list visibility, notifications, and list behavior, and you’ll usually find them in the app first. If you already use To Do every day, the main task is knowing which control lives where so you can tell whether the change is inside To Do or somewhere else.

What Microsoft To Do lets you change from Settings

Before you look for a hidden menu, separate To Do settings from device and account settings.

Microsoft To Do usually lets you control the app’s own appearance and behavior inside the app itself. That includes theme, smart list visibility, sort and grouping choices, reminders, and some notification options, depending on platform.

A few things are not controlled by To Do alone. On Windows, your system notification settings can block alerts even if To Do is turned on. On iPhone and Android, app notification permissions are controlled by the operating system. Outlook can also influence what shows up in your Tasks or To Do view because the two products sync certain task data.

A simple rule helps: if it changes how To Do looks or behaves inside the app, check To Do first. If it changes whether alerts appear at all, or how tasks sync with mail and calendar, check the device or Outlook next.

Before you start

A Microsoft To Do account signed in on the web, desktop, or mobile app
Access to the device’s notification settings if you are troubleshooting alerts
Outlook or Microsoft account access if the issue seems tied to sync, identity, or mailbox settings

Open the settings panel in the app you actually use

The settings entry point is easy to miss because it’s tucked into the account or more options menu, not front and center.

On the web

Open Microsoft To Do in your browser.
Select your profile picture or the menu in the top-right area.
Choose Settings or Options if that’s what appears in your build.
Use the panel that opens to change appearance and app behavior.

On the desktop app

Open Microsoft To Do on Windows or macOS.
Select your profile picture, Settings, or the gear icon, depending on the version you use.
Look through the settings panel for theme, smart lists, notifications, and app preferences.

On mobile

Open Microsoft To Do on iPhone or Android.
Tap your profile picture or the More menu.
Tap Settings.
Change the setting you want, then back out to save it.

If you do not see a dedicated settings button, check the overflow menu first. Microsoft changes the exact placement between versions, especially on mobile.

The exact menu label can vary by platform and app version, but the controls usually live in the account, profile, or more options area rather than on the main task list.

The advanced settings people usually mean

Most people searching for advanced settings are really after a handful of options that change daily use, not developer-style controls.

Theme changes the app’s look. If you switch from light to dark mode, the task list and menus update immediately in most cases. That is useful if you work at night or just prefer a calmer screen.

Smart lists control what appears in the built-in views such as Important, Planned, Assigned to you, and Tasks. If one of these is hidden, you may think your tasks disappeared when they are really just not shown in that smart view.

Notifications and reminders decide how loudly To Do gets your attention. For example, if you rely on a reminder to follow up on a client call, you want both the reminder set on the task and notifications allowed on the device.

Completed-task behavior matters if you like to keep finished work visible for a while. Depending on the app version, you may be able to control how completed tasks are shown or grouped, which changes how cluttered the list feels.

List behavior controls how you work inside each list. Sorting, grouping, and whether suggestions or steps are visible can change how quickly you scan a long list. If a list feels messy, this is usually the first place to check.

If you want the short version: change theme for appearance, smart lists for what you see in the sidebar, notifications and reminders for alerts, and list behavior for how tasks are ordered and displayed inside a list.

What you can’t change inside Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do is useful, but it is not the place for every control.

You usually cannot change account-level identity settings inside To Do. If your name, sign-in, language profile, or security prompts are wrong, those are handled by your Microsoft account settings, not by To Do.

You also cannot force notifications from the app if the operating system blocks them. On Windows, macOS, iPhone, and Android, app permissions and focus modes can silence To Do even when the app setting looks correct.

Outlook controls some task-related behavior too. If you are using tasks that sync with Outlook, changes to folders, categories, or mailbox rules may affect what shows up in To Do. In that case, fixing the issue in To Do alone may not be enough.

If a setting seems to do nothing, check where the setting really lives before assuming To Do ignored you. The app often reflects changes from another place rather than owning the control itself.

What this means in practice:

To Do can change the app experience, but not every account or device rule behind it
Outlook may change what syncs into tasks or mail-linked views
Your Microsoft account may control identity, language, and security options

How to check that your changes worked

The quickest way to confirm a setting is to look for the effect inside the app, not just the checkbox.

If you changed the theme, the color scheme should update right away in the list pane and menu area. If it does not, reload the app or switch away and back.

If you changed notification settings, set a test reminder on a task a few minutes ahead of time and wait for the alert. If nothing appears, check device notifications and focus or Do Not Disturb settings.

If you changed smart list visibility, look at the sidebar or list navigation. The hidden list should disappear, and the visible one should show up in the same place every time you open the app.

If you changed list behavior, open a busy list and confirm the tasks are ordered the way you expect. For example, a sort change should show newest or due-soon tasks in the new order right away.

If the change only appears on one device, sync may still be catching up. Refresh the app on the other device before you assume the setting failed.

A setting has probably taken effect when you can see the result in the task list, sidebar, or notification tray without reopening the setting panel.

When a setting seems missing or won’t stick

A missing setting usually comes down to one of a few things.

You may be signed into the wrong Microsoft account. That matters if you use both a personal account and a work or school account, because settings and task lists can look similar while syncing different data.

You may also be on a platform version that does not show the same controls. Microsoft To Do’s web, desktop, and mobile apps do not always expose the same menu items in the same place.

Sync delays are another common reason a change seems to vanish. If you switch a setting on one device and then open another device too quickly, the second device may still be using cached data.

Device-level permissions can override the app. If a setting says notifications are on but alerts never arrive, check the operating system permission screen and any quiet hours or focus mode settings.

If something still will not save, sign out and back in on the affected device, then check the setting again. If the same option is missing everywhere, it may not be available in your current app version or account type.

If you are still not seeing the control you expected, look in this order:

The To Do app settings on the device you are using
The device’s notification or focus settings
Outlook if the task data is synced there
Your Microsoft account if the issue involves identity or sign-in

Completion

You know the change worked when the app shows the result where you expected it: the new theme appears in the interface, the smart list is hidden or visible in the sidebar, reminders trigger an alert, or the task order changes inside the list.

If the effect shows up only after a refresh or on one device first, give sync a moment and check the other device again. If the setting still does not appear, the problem is usually that it lives in Outlook, the operating system, or your Microsoft account instead of Microsoft To Do itself.

Conclusion

If you want to change Microsoft To Do’s behavior, start inside the app for theme, smart lists, reminders, and list display, then move to the device or Outlook only when the app itself does not control the thing you want. That saves time and keeps you from chasing the wrong menu. After each change, check the visible result in the sidebar, task list, or notification tray so you know it actually took effect. If something still looks off, the next place to check is usually the account you signed in with or the platform settings on the device you’re using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I find advanced settings in Microsoft To Do?

The app does not have one single advanced settings page on every platform. Some controls are inside To Do, while others are in Windows, iPhone, Android, or Outlook. If a setting is missing, it may also be because that version of the app does not expose it.

Does Microsoft To Do have separate notification settings from Windows or iPhone?

Yes. To Do may let you set reminders and app preferences, but the operating system still controls whether notifications can appear at all. If reminders are set and nothing shows up, check device permissions and focus or quiet mode settings.

Can I change which smart lists appear in Microsoft To Do?

In many versions, yes. Smart lists such as Important or Planned can usually be shown or hidden from the app’s settings or list options. If you do not see the option, check whether you are on the web, desktop, or mobile app, since the menu can differ.

Why did a setting change on one device but not another?

Sync may not have finished yet, or the other device may be signed into a different account. It can also help to refresh the app or sign out and back in on the device that looks out of date.