Troth List Help
How everything works, and answers to common questions. Can’t find what you need? Email hi@singarlabs.com or use Settings → Send feedback in the app.
Getting started
- Add an item. Type in the box at the bottom and tap + (or press return). The keyboard stays open so you can add several in a row. Use the dismiss button beside the box when you’re done.
- Pick where it goes. On a category’s page, new items go into that category. On the Focus page, a small category chip next to the box lets you choose the category first.
- Star what matters now. Tap the ★ on any item to pull it into Focus.
- Check it off with the box on the left when it’s done.
Troth List starts with three sample categories (Personal, Business, Family). Rename, recolor, or delete them in Settings → Manage categories.
Moving around
Troth List is a row of pages: Focus, All, then one page per category.
- Swipe left or right to move between pages. The dots above the add box show where you are.
- Tap the ★ icon under the colored bar to jump straight to Focus from any page. (It’s hidden on Focus itself.)
- Tap the ⚙ icon to open Settings.
Quick switcher
Tap (or long-press) the colored bar under the title. It shows the current page name and how many items are pending.
A list of every page appears: Focus, All, and each of your categories. Tap one to jump straight there, however many categories you have. It’s the fastest way around once you have more than a few.
Focus
Focus is the short list of what you’re doing right now, pulled from every category into one place.
- Add to Focus: tap the ★ on any item, from any category. It joins the end of your Focus list.
- Remove from Focus: tap the ★ again, or check the item off (finished items leave the Focus list).
- Items added from the Focus page start out starred. Use the category chip next to the add box to choose their category.
- Order is separate. Dragging items in Focus doesn’t change their order in their own category, and the other way around.
- Each Focus item carries a small colored tag with its category name, so you know where it came from.
Tip: keep Focus short. If everything is starred, nothing is.
Items
Add
Use the box at the bottom of the Focus page or any category page. Items can be up to 500 characters. Extra spaces and line breaks are tidied automatically, and empty items aren’t added.
Edit
Tap the item’s text to edit it in place. Tap elsewhere or press return to save. If you clear the text entirely, the change is discarded and the original stays. (To remove an item, use the trash button.) Finished items can’t be edited, only marked not done or deleted.
Reorder
Press and drag the ⋮⋮ handle on the left of an item, then drop it where you want it. The order you see is the order you meant. There are no priority labels or sorting rules. Dragging only works from the handle, so tapping the text never moves things by accident.
Delete and undo
Tap the trash can to delete an item. It disappears immediately and a bar appears at the bottom for about 8 seconds: Deleted “…” — Undo. Tap Undo to bring it back. Only the most recent delete can be undone, so don’t wait around if you tapped the wrong one.
Categories
Make as many as you need: Personal, Work, a side project, a move across the country. Each has its own color. Open Settings → Manage categories to:
- Add a category: type a name (up to 40 characters), pick a color, tap Add.
- Rename: edit the name in its row.
- Change color: tap the color dot on its row and pick a new one. The selected color has a check mark.
- Reorder: use the ↑ ↓ arrows. This sets the order of the pages you swipe through.
- Delete: tap the trash can. You’ll be asked to confirm, and the message tells you how many items go with it. This can’t be undone.
The All page
All shows one card per category with how many items are pending, a progress bar, and a preview of what’s next. Tap a card to open that category. It’s the one-glance answer to “what’s on my plate?”
Done items
Check the box to mark an item done. It moves to a Done section at the bottom of its category, struck through. From there you can:
- Collapse or expand the Done section by tapping its header.
- Mark an item not done by unchecking it. It returns to your list.
- Delete all done items in a category with one tap. You’ll be asked to confirm, and it can’t be undone.
Prefer a clean slate? In Settings, turn on Auto-hide done items and the Done section stays out of the way everywhere.
Your all-time total of finished items shows at the top of the main screen and at the bottom of Settings. Deleting done items doesn’t reduce it, but marking an item not done does.
Themes
Settings → Themes changes the look. Color and shape are chosen independently, so you can mix them:
- Color: Crush It Cream, Get It Done Gray, Hustle Blue, Just Do Beige, Plan It Purple.
- Shape: Soft (rounded corners) or Bold (square corners and hard shadows).
Your choice is remembered. Category colors stay the same across all themes.
Backup & getting a new phone
Troth List keeps your list on your device only. There’s no account and no server. That’s what keeps it private, and it also means Troth List can’t restore your list for you if the app is deleted or the phone is lost, damaged, or replaced.
The fix takes a minute and protects everything on your iPhone, including Troth List: turn on iCloud Backup.
- Open the iPhone Settings app and tap your name at the top.
- Tap iCloud, then iCloud Backup.
- Turn on Back Up This iPhone. (Tap Back Up Now if you want one right away.)
After that your iPhone backs up on its own, usually overnight when it is plugged in, on Wi‑Fi and locked. Troth List’s data is part of that backup.
On a new iPhone, choose Restore from iCloud Backup during setup (or use Apple’s Quick Start to transfer directly from your old phone). Your apps and their data, including your Troth List items, come back with it.
Good to know: this is Apple’s backup, not a feature of Troth List, so we never receive your data. It only includes changes made before the last backup. Troth List doesn’t sync live between devices.
FAQ
Can I lose my data? What if I get a new phone?
Yes, you can, if you have no backup. Your list lives only on your device. Deleting the app deletes your list, and losing or replacing the phone without a backup does too. The easy protection is iCloud Backup, which backs up your iPhone, including Troth List, automatically. See Backup & getting a new phone for the steps. Do it once and you’re covered.
Tip: if you only want to free up space, use Offload App in iPhone Settings (General → iPhone Storage), which keeps your data. Delete App removes it.
Is Troth List free?
Yes. No ads, no account, and no in-app purchases.
Is it private?
Yes. Troth List has no account, no ads, no tracking and no analytics, and the app never sends your list anywhere. The only thing that ever leaves your phone is a Send feedback email, and only if you send it yourself. If you’ve turned on Apple’s iCloud Backup, Apple backs up your iPhone, including this app’s data, to your own iCloud. See our privacy policy.
Does it sync across my devices?
Not at the moment. Your list lives on the device you use it on. A restored iCloud backup brings it to a new phone, but changes don’t sync live between an iPhone and an iPad.
Can I set reminders or due dates?
No, on purpose. There are no reminders, notifications, due dates, tags, sub-tasks, or filters. Troth List is meant to get you out of the app and into doing the things on your list. If it’s on the list, you’ve committed to it.
How do I get an item out of Focus without finishing it?
Tap its ★ again. It stays in its category.
I deleted something by accident. Can I get it back?
If it was your most recent delete and you act within about 8 seconds, tap Undo on the bar at the bottom. After that, or for earlier deletes, it’s gone. Deleting a category or using Delete all on done items always asks first, because those can’t be undone.
How do I change an item’s category?
There’s no move button. The simplest way is to add the item to the right category and delete the old one. If you’d like a move option, tell us.
I see “not saved — tap to retry” at the top.
Troth List couldn’t save your latest change to your device. This is rare. Your list is still in the app for now, so tap the red message to retry. If it keeps happening, make sure your device has free storage, then email us.
The color I picked doesn’t show as selected.
Categories created before the color set was updated may use a color that is no longer in the palette, so no dot shows a check. Pick any dot to switch to a current color.
How many items or categories can I have?
There’s no set limit on either. Item text is limited to 500 characters and category names to 40.
Something’s broken, or I have an idea.
Please tell us. In the app, open Settings → Send feedback. It opens an email with your app version filled in, which helps us track a problem down. You can also write to hi@singarlabs.com. A real person reads every message.