Task Reminders & AI
Set timed reminders for tasks and use AI to break projects into sub-tasks or suggest what to work on next.
Reminders
Set a reminder on any task by opening the detail pane and choosing a date & time in the Reminder picker.
VortexHQ checks for due reminders every 30 seconds. When a reminder fires:
- An amber toast notification appears in the bottom-right corner of the app — showing "Task Reminder" with the task title
- The app switches to the Tasks view and highlights the task
- The toast auto-dismisses after 12 seconds, or can be closed manually
Overdue reminders (reminder time has passed but the task is not done) are shown with a red clock icon in the sidebar list, making them easy to spot.
Deduplication: Each reminder fires only once per session. Restarting the app will re-fire any overdue reminders that haven't been marked done.
AI Task Breakdown
There are two ways to use AI for task creation:
1. Top-bar AI Breakdown
Type a project description in the add-task input (e.g. "Build a user authentication system with OAuth, email verification, and password reset") and click the AI button. The AI will:
- Analyze your description
- Generate 3–8 concise, actionable sub-tasks
- Automatically create each as a new task with Normal priority
A status message confirms how many tasks were created.
2. Per-task AI Breakdown
Select any existing task, then click Break this task into sub-tasks with AI in the detail pane. The AI suggests sub-tasks with individual Add buttons — add only the ones you want.
3. AI Suggestions
When no task is selected, the empty detail pane shows a Suggest next tasks with AI button. The AI analyzes your current open and completed tasks and suggests 3 practical next steps. Each suggestion has an Add button to create the task instantly.
AI Command Bar
Use the universal AI command bar (Cmd+K) for task actions:
| Command | Example | Action |
|---|---|---|
todo_add | "Add task: write API tests" | Creates a task and switches to the Tasks view |
todo_list | "Show my tasks" | Switches to Tasks and shows a summary of open tasks |
todo_breakdown | "Break down: build notification system" | AI generates sub-tasks and adds them all |
Storage
All tasks are stored locally in encrypted storage (~/.vortex/todos.json) using AES-256-GCM encryption backed by your OS keychain. Tasks are profile-aware — each profile has its own independent task list.