Google Tasks gains a feature it should've already had
Not all Tasks are created equal, and Google has stopped pretending otherwise.
What you need to know
- Google Tasks will let you star important items in your to-do lists.
- You can then view and sort your starred tasks.
- Stars will be available on all Workspace and G Suite accounts, but will take 15 days to roll out fully.
- This feature first appeared in an APK teardown last August.
Google will soon allow you to mark specific Tasks with a Star in order to highlight their importance. A feature long available in Google Drive and competing app Microsoft To Do, it'll give Tasks users a way to designate certain tasks as higher priority within the same list.
Starred tasks will also appear in a pinned Starred view. On mobile, it'll appear as a Star icon to the left of My Tasks; on desktop, you'll find the "Starred" menu option under My Tasks in the drop-down menu.
"We hope this update makes it easier for you to prioritize your tasks and quickly navigate to important tasks across your projects," Google said in its announcement post.
Google says the feature will come to all Google Workspace, G Suite Basic, and G Suite Business accounts. The feature rollout began on June 8 but will take 15 days to arrive to all accounts; so you may not receive the option until June 23.
Google has been testing the feature for nearly a year, around the time it first implemented a new UI that made it easier to switch between lists on mobile. Later that August, XDA Developers spotted code referencing Starred tasks as an unreleased feature. It's unclear why this feature has taken so long to implement, given Google already had a similar feature in place on Google Drive.
We consider Google Tasks to be one of Google's most underrated apps, and the addition of prioritizing specific tasks will only make it more useful for owners of the best Android phones.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
Receive the hottest deals and product recommendations alongside the biggest tech news from the Android Central team straight to your inbox!
Michael is Android Central's resident expert on wearables and fitness. Before joining Android Central, he freelanced for years at Techradar, Wareable, Windows Central, and Digital Trends. Channeling his love of running, he established himself as an expert on fitness watches, testing and reviewing models from Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Apple, COROS, Polar, Amazfit, Suunto, and more.