NewTwos

Recipes

A list you share with someone

iPhoneiPadAndroidWebMacWindowsLinuxWatchUpdated 2026-08-18

One list, two people, and the settings that stop it becoming annoying.

The scenario

You and somebody else keep telling each other the same things. A shared list replaces that, provided it does not notify you thirty times a day.

Set it up once

  1. 1

    Share one list, with edit access

    Not view. If they cannot add, they will go back to messaging you. See collaborate on a list.

  2. 2

    Make them admin if it is a joint list

    Otherwise it disappears if your account does. See roles and presence.

  3. 3

    Silence the list's notifications

    This is the step people skip and then abandon sharing over. Settings Notifications List activities.

  4. 4

    Bookmark it on both sides

The rhythm

Both of you add whenever. Whoever acts checks off. Nobody asks "did you get milk".

For something genuinely aimed at the other person, mention them rather than messaging separately. See mentions.

Make it yours

  • Agree what a mention means. If it means "you do this", say so once. If nobody has agreed, mentions become noise.
  • One shared list, not five. Sharing is per list, and five shared lists is five notification streams.
  • Review access occasionally. Access outlives projects. See roles and presence.

What this looks like after a month

The list is current, because there is only one of it and both of you can reach it. The change is smaller than it sounds and it removes a category of small daily friction.