DumbTask — Features
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The idea
DumbTask is a plain-text task list. One screen. No projects, no boards, no tags-within-tags, no AI prioritization. You open the app, you see your tasks, you type a new one, you tap the checkbox when it's done.
That's it. That's the app.
Every feature below exists because it was the simplest way to solve an actual problem. Nothing was added because a competitor had it.
[ ] Plain text, plain file
Your tasks live in a single file called dumbtask.txt. It's readable in any text editor. If DumbTask disappeared tomorrow, you'd still have your list.
The format is human-editable:
#dumbtask
#symbols
!|Priority|FF3B30|false
#|Project|34C759|false
#end
[ ] Ship the beta !
[ ] Write release notes #
[ ] Include screenshots
[x:2025-07-14] Fix the login bug
Open tasks start with [ ]. Completed tasks get [x:YYYY-MM-DD] with the completion date. Indentation is four spaces. Symbols sit inline. That's the whole spec.
[ ] Symbols
Symbols are single-character markers you attach to tasks — a priority flag, a project tag, a context, whatever you want. DumbTask ships with a few defaults:
| Symbol | Label | Color |
|---|---|---|
! |
Priority | Red |
# |
Project | Green |
@ |
Context | Orange |
& |
Recurring | Purple |
$ |
Cost | Orange |
You can add, remove, rename, recolor, and reorder symbols in Settings. You choose the character, the label, and the color.
Symbol labels can be shown or hidden. When visible, each symbol displays its label next to the character in the task row. When hidden, just the character shows — compact and scannable.
Title coloring: any symbol can optionally color the entire task title to match, so priority tasks can stand out at a glance.
Tap a symbol on a task to remove it. Tap the + button to add one. Symbols are typed inline when entering tasks — type ! in your task text and DumbTask recognizes it automatically.
[ ] Week calendar
The strip at the top shows seven days. Today is highlighted. Each day shows how many tasks you completed that day — a quiet record that doesn't gamify anything.
Tap the arrows to browse previous or future weeks. Tap any non-today cell to snap back to the current week.
The calendar is purely informational. DumbTask has no due dates, no scheduling, no "overdue" concept. The count is just a count.
[ ] Task entry
The text entry area is a multi-line field. Type one task or twenty — one per line. Hit the + button or Cmd+Enter to submit. Each non-blank line becomes a task.
Tab-indent lines during entry to create sub-tasks immediately.
The entry field auto-submits when you tap away, so you won't lose half-typed tasks.
[ ] Task order & entry position
Two settings control the layout:
New tasks added to — choose whether new tasks appear at the top or bottom of your list. Top is standard OBTF (One Big Text File) behavior: your .txt file starts with the newest tasks, so head dumbtask.txt always shows current work. Bottom is like writing on a notepad — newest at the bottom, right above where you're typing.
Entry field — choose whether the text entry area sits above or below your task list. Pair "bottom of list" + "below tasks" for a handwriting-on-paper feel, or "top of list" + "above tasks" for a strict OBTF workflow.
These settings control both the on-screen order and the file format. Your .txt file always matches what you see.
[ ] Indentation
Swipe a task right to indent it. Swipe left to outdent. Indentation is stored as four spaces in the text file — standard plain-text outlining.
No nesting limits. No parent-child completion rules. Indentation is visual structure only — indent however it makes sense to you.
[ ] Reordering
Tap the arrow button in the toolbar to enter reorder mode. Drag tasks with the grab handles to rearrange. Tap the checkmark to exit.
Reordering is disabled during search — you'd be rearranging a filtered view, which would be confusing.
[ ] Undo & restore
Tap the undo button to restore the last completed task. Long-press it to see everything completed today — select one or more and restore them.
Undo works on today's completions only. Once the day turns, completed tasks are permanent. This is intentional: done means done, but "I accidentally checked that off" should be fixable.
[ ] Search
The search field filters tasks in real time. It matches against task text, symbol characters, and symbol labels — so searching "priority" finds tasks with the ! symbol even if the word "priority" doesn't appear in the task text.
Matching text is highlighted in the accent color. Clear the search with the × button or press Escape.
[ ] Themes
Seven themes. Every one meets WCAG AA contrast standards.
| Theme | Vibe |
|---|---|
| Dark | Near-black background, cool grey text |
| Grey | Softer dark, slightly lighter |
| White | Off-white background, dark text |
| Legal Pad | Warm yellow with red ruled lines, handwriting font, pencil-grey text |
| Terminal (Green) | CRT green-on-black with phosphor glow |
| Terminal (Orange) | Amber CRT variant |
| Terminal (Amber) | Golden amber CRT variant |
The terminal themes add a subtle glow effect to all text, simulating phosphor bleed on old monitors. The Legal Pad theme switches to a handwriting font and adds horizontal rule lines and a vertical margin line.
All themes respect your font and size choices (Legal Pad overrides the font but you can change it back in Settings).
[ ] Keyboard shortcuts
On iPad with a hardware keyboard:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd + Enter |
Submit task |
Cmd + Z |
Undo last completion |
Cmd + F |
Focus search field |
Cmd + , |
Open settings |
Cmd + E |
Toggle reorder mode |
Escape |
Clear search / exit reorder |
[ ] iCloud sync
If you're signed into iCloud, DumbTask automatically stores your file in iCloud Drive. Changes sync across all your devices. No account to create, no server to configure.
If iCloud isn't available, the file stays on-device in the app's documents directory. You can also use "Save As" to point DumbTask at any file location — Dropbox, a local folder, wherever.
[ ] Export & share
Save As exports your task file to any location — a new filename, a different folder, another sync service.
Share uses the standard iOS share sheet to send your .txt file via AirDrop, Messages, email, or any share extension.
The file you're sharing is the same file DumbTask reads. What you see is what you get.
[ ] Accessibility
DumbTask supports VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, Increase Contrast, Button Shapes, and Reduce Motion. Touch targets meet Apple's 44×44pt minimum. Every theme exceeds WCAG AA contrast ratios.
Full details: Accessibility Statement