RemCTL
RemCTL gives you full control of Apple Reminders from the terminal, from AI apps, from a Reminders workspace inside Codex, and from a Today band in Claude Code. It covers the basics (reminders, lists, due dates, flags, and search) as well as features Apple doesn't expose to other apps, such as sections, tags, subtasks, smart lists, and templates.
Everything goes through RemCTL Capability Host, a small signed app that holds the macOS permissions. You grant access to that one app, and the terminal, scripts, and AI apps use it. None of them need their own permissions.
Install
You need macOS 14 or later with iCloud Reminders turned on. You don't need an Apple developer account, Xcode, or your own copy of Python.
Download (recommended). On a Mac with Apple silicon, download RemCTL-arm64.dmg from Releases, open it, and double-click 'Install RemCTL'. macOS asks whether to open an app downloaded from the internet; click Open. Terminal then checks that RemCTL is signed by MacStories and notarized by Apple, installs it, and walks you through permissions. The installer puts RemCTL Capability Host in ~/Applications and keeps it running in the background, so you never open it yourself.
Build it yourself (free). This is also the route for Intel Macs. Install Apple's Command Line Tools once, then build from this repo:
xcode-select --install
git clone https://github.com/viticci/remctl.git
cd remctl
./install.sh --from-source --bootstrap
This builds everything on your Mac and signs it with a certificate RemCTL creates for you. It never signs in to Apple. The certificate lives in ~/Library/Application Support/RemCTL Signing: keep it, because future updates need the same certificate to keep your permissions.
Both routes ask for your Mac password once. RemCTL installs its own Python under /Library/RemCTL, owned by root, so other apps can't tamper with it.
Permissions
Setup asks for three permissions, all for 'RemCTL Capability Host': Reminders, Automation for the Reminders app, and Full Disk Access. The first two are standard macOS prompts. Full Disk Access has no prompt, so RemCTL opens a helper that shows you exactly which app to add. When it's done, check everything with:
remctl doctor
If you quit setup early, pick it up again with remctl onboard. If remctl isn't found, the installer tells you which folder to add to your PATH (usually ~/bin). Installation covers custom paths, permissions by hand, and troubleshooting.
Upgrade
Find your current setup below. remctl --version tells you which version you have.
| You have | Do this |
|---|
| RemCTL 2.0 from the download | Download the new release and open 'Install RemCTL' again. |
| RemCTL 2.0 you built yourself | git pull, then ./install.sh --from-source. |
A 2.0 prerelease installed from main with your own Apple Development certificate | git pull, then ./install.sh --from-source. It reuses your certificate, so permissions carry over. |
| RemCTL 1.7.1 | Download the release and open 'Install RemCTL', or git pull and run ./install.sh --from-source --bootstrap. The installer recognizes 1.7.1 and asks before replacing it. |
| RemCTL 1.7.0 or older | From your old checkout, run ./uninstall.sh --keep-config. Then install as new. |
Updates that keep the same signature keep your permissions. RemCTL 1.x had no Capability Host, so coming from 1.x means granting permissions once to the new app. (You can remove the old grants for Terminal afterwards; RemCTL doesn't need them anymore.)
Switching between the download and your own build changes the app's signature. The installer refuses unless you add --migrate-signing, and you'll need to grant Full Disk Access again. Switching signatures explains how.
Use it from the terminal
remctl today # due today and overdue
remctl upcoming 7 # the next week
remctl show Work --format table # one list, in Reminders' order
remctl search "invoice" --json # titles, notes, and saved links
remctl add "Review PR" -l Work -d "tomorrow 10:00" -p high
remctl add "Pay rent" -d 2026-06-01 --recurrence monthly
remctl done 23880 23881 # one id or a batch of up to 50
remctl info 23880 --json # everything RemCTL knows about one reminder
Every reminder has a stable numeric id, and every read command has --json. rctl and reminders work as aliases. The command guide covers due dates, recurrence, output formats, inline images, and every command.
Use it from AI apps
RemCTL includes an MCP server (MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is the standard AI apps use to call tools). Setup offers to connect the AI apps it finds on your Mac. You can also do it yourself:
remctl mcp install # every supported app on this Mac
remctl mcp install --client claude-desktop # Claude Desktop and Cowork; restart Claude afterwards
remctl mcp bundle --open # or install it as a one-click Claude Desktop extension
remctl mcp status
AI apps can read, create, edit, complete, and delete reminders and lists, search with paging, and restore reminders from Recently Deleted. Apps that support MCP Apps also get an interactive reminders widget. To use RemCTL from Claude Code, Codex, or Claude Desktop on another computer, remctl mcp install --client tailscale serves the same tools over your private Tailscale network.
The MCP guide has the full tool list and troubleshooting. There's also a guide for Hermes Agent.
This is the beginning of the README. Read the rest at the original. Read the full README ↗
