TandemLoop — Manual
Getting Started
- Welcome to TandemLoopTandemLoop is a native app for Mac, iPad, and iPhone that helps you keep your tasks and projects organized—no database required, no cloud dependency, right…
- The Interface at a GlanceOn the Mac and iPad, TandemLoop is organized in three columns—sidebar, list, and Inspector. On iPhone, a tab bar replaces the sidebar. This chapter shows…
- Quick Start in 5 MinutesIn five steps, you’ll have TandemLoop set up and know how to capture, organize, and find your tasks again. Each step points to a detailed chapter if you…
- Basic ConceptsThis chapter gives a brief overview of the most important terms in TandemLoop. You’ll find a more detailed glossary with all terms and cross-references in…
Projects & Organization
- Understanding the HierarchyTandemLoop organizes your work in a clear tree structure: from the big area of your life down to the individual task. Once you’ve internalized these five…
- Inbox & Quick EntryThe Inbox is your quick collection point—a catch-all for everything you want to capture right away without having to decide where it belongs. Quick Entry…
- AreasAreas are the top level in TandemLoop—they stand for big areas of life or work such as “Work,” “Personal,” or “Sports & Health.” Everything else—folders,…
- FoldersFolders are an optional intermediate level within an area. You use them when you want to group several projects by topic—for example, all client projects in…
- ProjectsA project is a focused undertaking made up of several tasks—for example, a product launch, a round of job applications, or a home improvement project.…
- MilestonesMilestones divide a project into phases or interim goals—for example, “Concept,” “Implementation,” and “Launch” within a larger project. Each milestone has…
- TasksTasks are the atomic unit of work in TandemLoop—the things you actually get done. They can sit in the Inbox, live directly in a project or milestone, or…
- Standalone TasksStandalone tasks are tasks that sit directly in an area or folder—without a project above them. They’re ideal for small tasks that don’t need their own…
- TagsTags are hierarchical labels you use to mark tasks, projects, and milestones by topic or priority. Unlike the hierarchy of areas and projects, tags can…
- Reorganizing with Drag and DropDrag and drop is the fastest way to restructure items without clicking through menus. You drag an item to a new position or into a new context—the app…
- Editing: Inspector & InlineEvery task, project, and milestone has an Inspector on the right side, where you can read and edit all properties of the selected item. In addition, you can…
- Completing & ArchivingFinished work shouldn’t stay visible forever and distract you. TandemLoop offers two concepts that build on each other: completing (a status change) and…
The View System
- What Is a View?A view is a saved, named selection with its own filter that shows you a specific subset of your tasks—no matter which area or project they’re in.
- Creating a ViewCreating a new view takes a few seconds—you give it a name, choose what it shows, and optionally set filters. After that, it stays in the sidebar permanently.
- View Types (Layouts)The layout determines how a view’s results are displayed. You choose it in the view editor under Layout—for views with the content type Tasks. Project and…
- Content Type: Tasks, Projects, MilestonesEvery view shows exactly one entity type: tasks, projects, or milestones. You set the content type in the view editor and can change it at any time.
- Understanding Filter RulesFilters are the heart of a view: they determine which tasks appear. Each filter rule checks a field with an operator against a value—you can combine as many…
- GroupingWith grouping, a view divides its results into named groups—for example, all tasks by project, by status, or by due date. This way you see right away how…
- SortingTandemLoop lets you control exactly in which order tasks appear in a view—either with fixed rules or by hand.
- Display OptionsIn addition to filters, sorting, and grouping, you control for each view which information appears in the rows or cards and how the chosen layout looks.
- Managing ViewsUsing the context menu of any view in the sidebar, you can edit, rename, delete, and rearrange views—and organize them clearly with view folders.
- Practical RecipesThe following six recipes show how to build frequently used views. Each recipe names the goal and the settings you need—you can use them as a starting point…
In Depth & Reference
- SettingsOn the Mac and iPad, you open the settings with the gear icon in the sidebar’s footer; on iPhone, with the gear at the top of the tabs. On the Mac and iPad,…
- Keyboard ShortcutsMany actions in TandemLoop are faster with the keyboard. You find the shortcuts you can reassign in Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts; all others are fixed and…
- The Data Folder & File FormatThe data folder (also called a “vault” in the Markdown world) is the folder where TandemLoop stores all your data. It consists entirely of ordinary text…
- Working with AI AgentsTandemLoop is built from the ground up so that external AI agents can work on the same data as equal partners. The app itself contains no AI—you connect an…
- FAQ & TroubleshootingThis chapter answers frequently asked questions and gives self-help tips when something doesn’t work as expected.
- GlossaryAn overview of the most important terms in TandemLoop, with a short definition and a link to the detailed chapter.
- System IntegrationTandemLoop doesn’t just work in its own window: app links, Spotlight, Shortcuts, notifications, widgets, the menu bar, a macOS service, and the share sheet…
- Subscription & Read-Only ModeEditing in TandemLoop requires an active subscription. Without a subscription, the app stays in read-only mode: you can see all your data but can’t change…