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Keeping Due in sync across your devices with Shortcuts Automations

  • Updated

Starting with Due 26.3, Due includes a new Shortcuts action called Sync and Refresh Notifications. When run, it:

  1. Syncs your database with iCloud or Dropbox, downloading changes from other devices and uploading local changes.
  2. Refreshes all scheduled notifications based on the latest data, ensuring Auto Snooze and upcoming reminders are correctly scheduled.

By combining it with Shortcuts Automations, you can have it run automatically throughout the day, so your data and notifications stay up to date without having to open Due. This is especially helpful on iOS, where sync may be delayed while the app is in the background.

While this won't make background sync instantaneous, it helps ensure your reminders and notifications stay reasonably up to date throughout the day, especially if you pick triggers that match your phone usage pattern.

Requirements

  • Due 26.3 or later
  • iOS 18 or later

How to set it up

Shortcuts Automations let you run shortcuts automatically in response to triggers, like opening an app or reaching a certain time of day. Here we cover two triggers that are useful for most people:

  • App-based trigger (recommended): Runs the sync whenever you open one of your frequently-used apps. Sync frequency naturally matches how often you use your phone.
  • Time-based trigger: Runs the sync at fixed times throughout the day. Useful if you want the sync to happen at regular intervals regardless of what you're doing. You will need to create a separate automation for each time.

You can use one or both methods together.

Step 1: Create the shortcut

Automations work by running shortcuts you've already created. So the first step is to create a shortcut with Due's "Sync and Refresh Notifications" action, configure it to your liking, and test it.

  1. Open the Shortcuts app
  2. Tap the Library tab, then tap + to create a new shortcut
  3. In the actions search bar at the bottom, search for "Sync and Refresh Notifications"
  4. Tap Sync and Refresh Notifications from the Due section to add it
  5. You can optionally configure the action by tapping the blue expand button >
  6. Tap the shortcut name at the top to rename it if you wish.
  7. Tap the play button at the bottom to test it. It should complete without errors.
  8. Tap < on the top-left corner to go back.
Option Default What it does
Sync When Run On Syncs your database with iCloud/Dropbox before refreshing notifications. Turn this off if you only want to refresh notifications without syncing.
Skip Runs Within Minutes 1 If the action was already run within this many minutes, it skips the run. This prevents unnecessary repeated syncs when you switch between trigger apps quickly.
Show Sync Changes Off Shows a notification when sync finds changes from another device. Useful to confirm sync is working.
Show on Error On Shows a notification if the sync fails.

Step 2: Automate it

Now that you have a working shortcut, you can set up an automation to run it automatically.

Method 1: App-based trigger (recommended)

Pick 2-3 apps you open frequently throughout the day, and have Due sync each time you open one of them. The sync runs silently in the background.

Any apps you open regularly throughout the day work well, such as social media, messaging, email, and news readers. If you're not sure which apps to pick, Screen Time can help:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time
  2. Tap See All App & Website Activity
  3. Check the Most Used list and the First Used After Pickup list

The "First Used After Pickup" list shows which apps you reach for first each time you pick up your phone. Attaching the automation to these apps means Due syncs each time you launch these apps on your phone.

Create the automation

  1. Open the Shortcuts app
  2. Tap the Automation tab at the bottom
  3. Tap + in the top-right corner
  4. Scroll down and tap App
  5. Tap the app names to select them (e.g. Facebook and Mail), then tap the checkmark button in the top-right corner to confirm
  6. Ensure Is Opened is selected (not "Is Closed")
  7. Select Run Immediately
  8. Turn off Notify When Run
  9. Tap Next
  10. Search for the shortcut you created in Step 1 (e.g. "Sync and Refresh Notifications") and select it
  11. Tap Done

For more details on creating automations in Shortcuts, see Apple's guide: iOS 26, iOS 18.

Method 2: Time-based trigger

This is useful if you want the sync to happen at regular, predictable intervals, for example every few hours throughout the day.

  1. Open the Shortcuts app
  2. Tap the Automation tab
  3. Tap + in the top-right corner
  4. Tap Time of Day
  5. Set your desired time (e.g. 8:00 AM)
  6. Set Repeat to Daily
  7. Select Run Immediately
  8. Turn off Notify When Run
  9. Tap Next
  10. Search for the shortcut you created in Step 1 and select it
  11. Tap Done

You will need to repeat these steps for each time of day you want the sync to run (e.g. 8 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, 9 PM).

Tips

  • 2-3 frequently launched trigger apps is ideal.
  • This works best with Incremental Sync. In Due's settings under Sync, choose Incremental Sync for faster and more efficient syncs.

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