Reminders on the iPhone and iPad is a simple, no-nonsense task-management app. Sometimes, though, simplicity comes at a cost. One glaring example is the Reminders app doesn't automatically delete old reminders. Fortunately, there's a work-around!

The Reminders app allows you to hide completed reminders, and calls it a day. You can tap the Menu button in a List to toggle between the "Show Completed" or "Hide Completed" options. However, hiding a completed reminder isn't the same as deleting it. They also still show up in iCloud and on other devices.

Thankfully, you can delete completed reminders via the Shortcuts app. Never heard of it?

Shortcuts is Apple's built-in automation app for iPhone and iPad. You can use it to write simple scripts that perform complex actions. For example, you can write a script to resize photos or send a pre-composed message.

The Shortcuts app also has a few actions for the Reminders app. Using these, you can pull a list of all completed reminders, and then delete them all at once.

As this shortcut is quite simple, we recommend you create it yourself. We'll walk you through the process below. Alternatively, you can download the Delete Completed pre-configured shortcut and install it in the Shortcuts app.

Related: How to Allow "Untrusted Shortcuts" on iPhone and iPad

Open the "Shortcuts" app on your iPhone or iPad and go to the "My Shortcuts" tab. Tap the plus sign (+) at the top right to create a new shortcut.

Tap Plus to Create New Shortcut

Tap "Add Action."

Tap Add Action

Search for and select "Find Reminders."

Select Find Reminders Action

First, tap "Add Filter," and then tap "List."

Tap List From Find Reminders Action

Next, tap "Is Completed."

Select Is Completed

To add the next action, tap the plus sign (+).

Tap Plus To Create New Action

Here, tap "Remove Reminders."

Select Remove Reminders Action

Now, you've successfully built a shortcut! Tap "Next" at the top right.

Select Next After Adding Actions

On this screen, give your shortcut a name (we went with "Clear Reminders"). You can also tap the icon to customize its glyph and color. When you're finished, tap "Done" to save.

Give Shortcut a name and tap on Done

You can run your new shortcut by tapping it at the top of the "All Shortcuts" tab. To run ours, we tap "Clear Reminders."

Tap Shortcut

A popup will tell you how many completed reminders you have. Tap "Remove" to delete them all, but keep in mind, you can't undo this action.

Tap Remove to Remove Completed Reminders

You can do this once a week or every month to clear all completed reminders.


Want to learn more about the Shortcuts app? Here's how it works on an iPhone.

Related: What Are iPhone Shortcuts and How Do I Use Them?