How Do I Sync Todo Txt Across Android, IPhone, And Desktop?

Okay, let’s nerd out about this — syncing a plain old 'todo.txt' across Android, iPhone, and desktop is wonderfully simple once you pick the right sync layer and apps, but there are a few little gotchas I’ve learned the hard way.

First, pick your sync service. For most folks Dropbox is the path of least resistance because many dedicated todo.txt apps speak Dropbox natively. If you care more about privacy or run your own server, Nextcloud/WebDAV is stellar. Syncthing is great for direct device-to-device sync (no cloud), but iOS support is fiddly compared to Android and desktop. Once you pick a provider, create one canonical file like ~/Dropbox/todo/todo.txt (or the equivalent folder in iCloud Drive / Nextcloud) so every client points to the same path.

Next, choose the apps. On Android I use 'Simpletask' (or the Simpletask family) because it understands the todo.txt format, supports Dropbox/WebDAV, and has filtering/undo. On iPhone there’s 'Todo.txt Touch' or any plain text editor that can open files via the Files provider — many iOS apps can edit files inside Dropbox or iCloud Drive. On desktop I alternate between a small GUI (like 'todotxt.net' on Windows or a light editor on macOS) and the command-line tool 'todo.sh' / 'todotxt-cli' when I want power. Point every app to the same file path in your chosen sync service and let the cloud do the heavy lifting.

A couple of practical tips from my own messy inbox: always let the sync finish before switching devices to avoid conflicts, and check app settings for atomic saves (some editors rewrite the whole file and can create duplicates). If you expect heavy concurrent editing, consider using Git on top of the file for history and easier conflict resolution, or use Nextcloud’s versioning. Name conventions help: keep one file (not multiple files named todo1.txt/todo2.txt) and use lower-case dot extension like todo.txt. Finally, add automated backups (a daily cron or cloud versioning) and consider small automations — I pipe urgent @today items into my calendar or set phone reminders via shortcuts/Tasker. Once it’s set up, that single plain-text brain is surprisingly calming — like a tidy bookshelf for your tasks.

I like to keep things short and practical, so here’s a lean playbook that worked for me across Android, iPhone, and desktop.

Pick a sync backend: Dropbox for easiest compatibility, Nextcloud/WebDAV for privacy, or Syncthing if you want peer-to-peer (note: iOS clients for Syncthing are limited). Put a single file in that folder (e.g., /Apps/Todo/todo.txt).

On Android use a todo.txt-aware app (Simpletask or similar) and point it to that file. On iPhone use 'Todo.txt Touch' or any editor that accesses Files (Dropbox or iCloud Drive). On desktop use a CLI like 'todo.sh' or a lightweight editor/GUI (todotxt.net on Windows, any plain editor on macOS/Linux). Enable sync in each app and always wait for syncing to finish before making big edits.

Extras: enable backups/version history, avoid editing the file simultaneously on two devices whenever possible, and consider Git or server-side versioning if you often hit conflicts. If you want reminders, create a small script or use automation (Shortcuts/Tasker) to parse @due/@today and push notifications. That’s it — single file, single source of truth, and a few smart habits to keep everything smooth.