# Apple Reminders for Claude
[](LICENSE)
[](https://support.apple.com/macos)
[](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491)
[](https://github.com/anthropics/mcpb)
Fast, native Apple Reminders access for Claude โ works in **Claude Desktop**, **Claude Cowork**, and **Claude Code** (CLI). One signed Swift/EventKit binary, three distribution packages.
Reminder IDs are stable across sessions. A full CRUD round-trip takes under a second on a database with 300+ reminders. Umlauts, accents, CJK characters and emoji pass through unchanged.
**Published by [high5 ventures GmbH](https://h5ventures.de)** โ signed with `Developer ID Application: high5 ventures GmbH` and notarized by Apple.
---
## Quick start
You need a Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel) running macOS 11 or later, and Claude Desktop.
1. Download **`apple-reminders.mcpb`** from the [latest release](https://github.com/high5-ventures/apple-reminders-for-claude/releases/latest).
2. Double-click it. Claude Desktop opens an install dialog โ click **Install**.
3. Ask Claude something like **"What's on my reminders for today?"**
macOS asks for Reminders access on that first question. Allow it, and Claude can read and change your reminders.
No configuration is needed: the bundle contains the server and the signed binary, and Claude Desktop sets the paths on install.
Updating is the same three steps with the newer `.mcpb`.
> Not using Claude Desktop? See [Installation](#installation) for Claude Code and other MCP clients.
---
## Contents
- [Description](#description)
- [Features](#features)
- [Usage examples](#usage-examples)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Configuration](#configuration)
- [MCP tools](#mcp-tools)
- [Privacy policy](#privacy-policy)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [Support](#support)
- [Architecture](#architecture)
- [License](#license)
---
## Description
Apple Reminders for Claude gives Claude full CRUD access to your macOS Reminders app. It wraps Apple's native **EventKit** framework in a signed Swift binary that returns stable UUIDs and structured JSON, and ships three ways:
| Target | Artifact | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| **Claude Desktop / Cowork** | `.mcpb` bundle | [Releases](https://github.com/high5-ventures/apple-reminders-for-claude/releases) |
| **Claude Code** (CLI) | Plugin with skill | `/plugin marketplace add` against this repository |
| **Any MCP client** | npm package | `npm install -g @high5ventures/apple-reminders-mcp` |
All three ship the same binary and the same 13 tools, so behaviour does not differ between them.
## Features
- **13 MCP tools** covering the full reminder lifecycle: list lists, list reminders (open/completed/all), full-text search, today/overdue/scheduled smart queries, CRUD on individual reminders.
- **Native EventKit** โ not AppleScript, not reverse-engineered SQLite scraping.
- **Stable UUIDs** โ reminder IDs survive across sessions, unlike AppleScript URIs or CLI positional indexes.
- **Tool safety annotations** โ every tool declares `readOnlyHint` / `destructiveHint` so Claude clients can auto-run queries but prompt for mutations.
- **Language-neutral** โ the skill matches on intent, not keywords. Works identically in German, French, Spanish, Japanese, etc.
- **Speed** โ full CRUD smoke-test completes in under 1 s on 300+ reminders across 10 lists.
- **Signed + notarized** โ no Gatekeeper warnings; deployable via MDM.
- **100% local** โ no network I/O. See [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md).
## Usage examples
In Claude Desktop and Cowork the tools appear under **Apple Reminders**; in Claude Code the skill loads when you mention reminders. The examples below show the tool calls behind each answer.
### Example 1 โ "What's on my plate today?"
> **You:** Was habe ich heute zu tun?
>
> **Claude** (invokes `get_today`):
> ```json
> { "status": "ok", "data": { "reminders": [
> { "id": "A1B2โฆ", "name": "Zahnarzt-Termin bestรคtigen", "list": "Persรถnlich", "due_date": "2026-04-14T10:00:00" },
> { "id": "C3D4โฆ", "name": "Rechnung #2026-0412 prรผfen", "list": "Arbeit", "due_date": "2026-04-14T14:00:00" }
> ] } }
> ```
> **Claude:** Du hast heute zwei offene Erinnerungen: den Zahnarzt-Termin um 10:00 (Persรถnlich) und die Rechnungs-Prรผfung um 14:00 (Arbeit).
### Example 2 โ "Add a reminder to the groceries list"
> **You:** Remind me to buy oat milk tomorrow at 6pm.
>
> **Claude** (invokes `create_reminder`):
> ```json
> { "list": "Groceries", "title": "Buy oat milk", "dueDate": "2026-04-15T18:00:00" }
> ```
> **Response:**
> ```json
> { "status": "ok", "data": { "reminder": { "id": "E5F6โฆ", "name": "Buy oat milk", "due_date": "2026-04-15T18:00:00" } } }
> ```
> **Claude:** Done โ added "Buy oat milk" to Groceries for tomorrow at 18:00.
### Example 3 โ "Clean up what's overdue"
> **You:** Show me everything that's overdue, then mark the Slack-DM one as done.
>
> **Claude** (invokes `get_overdue`):
> ```json
> { "status": "ok", "data": { "reminders": [
> { "id": "G7H8โฆ", "name": "Reply to Alex in Slack DM", "list": "Work", "due_date": "2026-04-12T17:00:00" },
> { "id": "I9J0โฆ", "name": "Review PR #482", "list": "Work", "due_date": "2026-04-13T12:00:00" }
> ] } }
> ```
> **Claude** (invokes `complete_reminder` with `id: "G7H8โฆ"`):
> ```json
> { "status": "ok", "data": { "reminder": { "id": "G7H8โฆ", "completed": true, "completion_date": "2026-04-14T18:22:01" } } }
> ```
> **Claude:** Two overdue items: Slack reply (now marked done) and PR #482 review (still open).
## Installation
### Claude Desktop / Cowork
Download `apple-reminders.mcpb` from [Releases](https://github.com/high5-ventures/apple-reminders-for-claude/releases) and double-click it. Claude Desktop shows an install dialog; click **Install**, then grant Reminders access in the macOS privacy prompt on the first tool call.
**Updating works exactly the same way** โ download the newer `.mcpb` and double-click it.
This is how the extension is installed. The two sections below cover other MCP clients; on a Mac with Claude Desktop you do not need them.
### Claude Code (CLI)
```shell
/plugin marketplace add high5-ventures/apple-reminders-for-claude
```
Reload Claude Code before the next step; the plugin is not visible until the marketplace has been picked up.
```shell
/plugin install apple-reminders@high5-apple-reminders-for-claude
```
This path offers new versions automatically, but does not install them; you still confirm each update.
### Any other MCP client (Cursor, Zed, โฆ)
```shell
npm install -g @high5ventures/apple-reminders-mcp
```
Then add it to your client's MCP configuration:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"apple-reminders": {
"command": "apple-reminders-mcp"
}
}
}
```
Or skip the global install and let the client fetch it on demand:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"apple-reminders": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@high5ventures/apple-reminders-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
The location of that file differs per client.
### Build from source
```shell
git clone https://github.com/high5-ventures/apple-reminders-for-claude.git
cd apple-reminders-for-claude
./build.sh
```
Produces `dist/reminders-eventkit` (universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel), `dist/skill/` (Claude Code skill), and `dist/apple-reminders.mcpb` (Claude Desktop bundle). Builds are unsigned; see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for the signed release workflow.
Requirements for building: macOS 11+, Xcode Command Line Tools, Node.js 18+. Toolchains older than Xcode 15 also work; they compile without the macOS 14 permission API and fall back to the older request. To build only your own architecture, set `ARCHS`, e.g. `ARCHS=x86_64 ./build.sh`.
## Configuration
No configuration is required for normal use. The extension runs with these defaults:
| Setting | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reminders permission | prompted on first use | Revocable in **System Settings โ Privacy & Security โ Reminders** |
| Binary timeout (Node wrapper) | 30 s | Hardcoded ceiling; well under any MCP client timeout |
| Response payload cap | 16 MB | Covers databases with thousands of reminders |
If you use the npm-distributed server with a non-standard MCP client, set `REMINDERS_BINARY` to the absolute path of the `reminders-eventkit` binary:
```shell
export REMINDERS_BINARY=/absolute/path/to/reminders-eventkit
```
The `.mcpb` and Claude Code plugin installations set this variable automatically.
## MCP tools
All 13 tools return a stable JSON envelope โ `{ "status": "ok", "data": ... }` on success, `{ "status": "error", "code": "...", "message": "..." }` on failure.
| Tool | Annotation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `get_lists` | read-only | List all reminder lists with open/completed counts |
| `get_list_info` | read-only | Metadata for one list by name or id |
| `list_reminders` | read-only | List reminders in a list (open/completed/all) |
| `search_reminders` | read-only | Full-text search across all lists |
| `get_today` | read-only | Reminders due today |
| `get_overdue` | read-only | Overdue open reminders |
| `get_scheduled` | read-only | All open reminders with a due date |
| `get_reminder` | read-only | Fetch one reminder by ID |
| `create_reminder` | additive | Create a new reminder |
| `update_reminder` | destructive, idempotent | Update an existing reminder |
| `complete_reminder` | destructive, idempotent | Mark as completed |
| `uncomplete_reminder` | destructive, idempotent | Unmark completed |
| `delete_reminder` | destructive, idempotent | Permanently delete |
"Destructive" here follows the MCP specification: it means the operation mutates existing state irreversibly from the user's point of view. Claude clients use these hints to decide when to prompt for confirmation.
## Privacy policy
This extension is **100% local at runtime** โ no data leaves your Mac via this extension. high5 ventures GmbH operates no server and collects no telemetry. The only network activity is the one-time download of the signed Swift binary from GitHub Releases during install (verified by Apple Developer ID signature, refuses to install on mismatch).
Read the full policy: [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md).
## Troubleshooting
**`Binary crashed (exit 1): spawn Unknown system error -86`** โ the binary was built for a different Mac. Releases up to and including v1.0.4 contain only an Apple Silicon binary that also requires macOS 14; from v1.0.5 the binary is universal and runs on Apple Silicon and Intel from macOS 11. Update to the latest release.
**`PERMISSION_DENIED`** โ you (or a device policy) turned Reminders access off. Re-enable it in **System Settings โ Privacy & Security โ Reminders**, then retry.
**`PERMISSION_UNAVAILABLE`** โ macOS refused the request without showing a dialog, so the privacy pane stays empty and there is nothing to switch on. Granting permissions or running `tccutil reset` does not help, because no entry exists to grant or reset.
macOS attributes a privacy request to the process it holds *responsible*, normally the application that launched the server. If that application declares no Reminders usage description, the request is refused before it reaches EventKit. Since v1.0.4 the binary takes that responsibility itself, so the prompt no longer depends on the host. If the error persists, check the attribution:
```shell
log show --last 3m --predicate 'process == "tccd"' --info --debug | grep -i reminder
```
The `AttributionChain` line should name `reminders-eventkit` as `responsible`. If it names the host application instead, the self-attribution did not take effect โ please include that log line when opening an issue.
**Binary quarantined on first launch** โ releases are signed and notarized, so this should not occur. To verify:
```shell
BIN=~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/Claude\ Extensions/local.mcpb.high5-ventures-gmbh.apple-reminders/bin/reminders-eventkit
codesign --verify --verbose "$BIN"
spctl --assess --type execute "$BIN"
```
If either fails, the copy may have been tampered with; re-download from [Releases](https://github.com/high5-ventures/apple-reminders-for-claude/releases).
**"List not found" or "Multiple lists with that name"** โ reminder lists are matched by exact name. Use `get_lists` first to see available names. For duplicates, the error response includes a `candidates` array with stable `calendar_identifier`s; re-call with `id:<calendar_identifier>` as the list argument.
**Flagged reminders return empty** โ EventKit does not expose the `flagged` attribute. The Claude Code skill ships an AppleScript fallback (`skills/apple-reminders/scripts/get_flagged.applescript`) for users who need this query. The `.mcpb` bundle does not include this fallback because Claude Desktop does not have shell access.
**Still stuck?** Open an issue โ [Support](#support).
## Support
- **Bug reports & feature requests:** <https://github.com/high5-ventures/apple-reminders-for-claude/issues>
- **Security vulnerabilities:** `info@h5ventures.de` โ see [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md)
- **General contact:** `info@h5ventures.de`
## Architecture
```
Claude Desktop / Cowork Claude Code CLI Any MCP client (Cursor, Zed, โฆ)
โ โ โ
โ (stdio MCP) โ (Bash via plugin) โ (stdio MCP)
โผ โผ โผ
Node wrapper reminders-eventkit Node wrapper
(server/index.js) (Swift binary, direct) (npm @high5ventures/โฆ)
โ โ โ
โผ โ โผ
reminders-eventkit โ reminders-eventkit
(same Swift binary) โ (downloaded on install)
โ โ โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโดโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ
โผ
Apple EventKit framework
โ
โผ
macOS Reminders database
```
One Swift source โ one binary โ three distribution paths. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for build internals.
## License
Copyright ยฉ 2026 high5 ventures GmbH. Released under the **MIT License** โ see [LICENSE](LICENSE).
This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Anthropic PBC.
"Apple" and "Reminders" are trademarks of Apple Inc. "Claude" is a trademark of Anthropic PBC.