Where it works
Natural language input is part of the task name field, wherever you can edit it:- When you add a new task.
- When you rename an existing one.
- In the Focus view.
- In the Edit in Panel floating editor on Mac.
Projects and areas — #
Type # to file a task in a project or area. A list of your projects and
areas appears as you type; keep typing to narrow it, then pick one. Multi-word names work, so
#Side Project matches just fine.
| You type | Result |
|---|---|
Draft brief #Work | Filed in the Work project |
Journal #Personal | Filed in the Personal area |
Kickoff #Side Project | Filed in Side Project (a multi-word name) |
#, the last one wins. Only projects and areas
you’ve already created will match.
Tags — @
Type @ to add a tag. You can add as many as you like, and Sonto ignores
duplicates.
| You type | Result |
|---|---|
Ship it @urgent | Tagged urgent |
Groceries @errand @home | Tagged errand and home |
Dates
Write when a task should happen and Sonto schedules it — either on a specific day or across a whole week. A week means sometime this week, not a fixed day yet.| You type | Scheduled to |
|---|---|
Call plumber today | Today |
Buy milk tomorrow | Tomorrow |
Review notes next monday | The coming Monday |
Renew passport jun 25 | 25 June |
Submit report in 3 days | Three days from now |
Plan offsite next week | Next week |
Retro week 25 | Week 25 |
Tidy garage this weekend | This weekend |
october) lands on the 1st of that month.
Sonto only schedules dates in the future. Phrases like
yesterday or 2 weeks ago are left as
plain text in the name, so nothing gets scheduled into the past by accident.Times
Add a time and the task becomes a calendar time block.| You type | Result |
|---|---|
Standup tomorrow 9am | Tomorrow at 9:00 |
Call client tomorrow at 3pm | Tomorrow at 15:00 |
Lunch friday at noon | Friday at 12:00 |
Review tomorrow 9:30am | Tomorrow at 9:30 |
Durations
Add a length to set how long the time block runs. Use it alongside a time.| You type | Event length |
|---|---|
Gym tomorrow 6pm 2h | 2 hours |
Focus tomorrow 9am 90m | 90 minutes |
Call tomorrow 3pm 1.5h | 90 minutes |
Deep work tomorrow 10am 1h30 | 90 minutes |
How it behaves
A few rules keep things predictable:- Future only — past dates are never applied; they stay as plain text.
- Last one wins, tags add up — for the date and the project or area, the most recent one you type is the one Sonto uses; tags are the exception and accumulate.
- Your name stays clean — every detail Sonto recognises is lifted out of the title. (If removing everything would leave the task with no name, Sonto keeps the text instead.)
- Plain numbers stay put — Sonto only treats something as a time when it’s sure (
3pm,9:30), soRead chapter 12keeps its number. - Change your mind easily — press Backspace at the edge of a pill to turn it back into ordinary text without deleting it.
Works in your language
Natural language input follows your device’s language. Dates and times are understood in English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese; other languages fall back to English. Sokoop melk morgen schedules “buy milk” for tomorrow on a Dutch system, just as buy milk tomorrow
does in English.
Availability
Natural language input works on both Mac and iPhone & iPad, in the same task name field. On iPhone, the keyboard opens automatically for a brand-new task; for an existing one, tap it to start editing.Related
Tasks
Everything a task can hold, and how to work with it.
Tags
Define your own labels and filter your views by them.
Calendar
How typed times become time blocks on your calendar.
Focus
The name field understands natural language here too.