Grocery lists

Grocery mode turns a list into a shopping list, grouping items by category so you can work through a shop aisle by aisle instead of criss-crossing it.

Turning it on

Switch grocery mode on for a list and its items group by category; switch it off and it goes back to a normal task list. Nothing is lost either way, because the category is stored on each item regardless.

It is a per-device setting

Whether a list displays in grocery mode is remembered on the device you set it on, not on your account. Turning it on for a list on your phone does not turn it on for the same list in a browser, or on another phone.

The categories themselves are stored on the items and sync everywhere, so nothing is lost. You just switch the view on again on each device you shop from.

Categories

There are eleven, the same on iOS and the web:

Produce	Meat	Dairy
Bread/Bakery	Frozen Foods	Canned/Jarred Goods
Dry/Baking Goods	Beverages	Cleaning
Personal Care	Others

You set the category on an item, either as you add it or afterwards. It is not guessed from the item’s name, so a new item stays uncategorised until you say otherwise.

Anything you have not categorised is shown under Others rather than hidden, so you do not have to categorise everything to get value out of it. Categorising the things you buy repeatedly is enough; the one-offs can live in Others.

Using it in a shop

Tick items off as you go. On a shared list two people shopping together see each other’s ticks live, which is the difference between splitting a shop and duplicating it.

It also works offline, which matters given how many supermarkets have no signal. Ticks are held and sync when you are back outside.

On Apple devices

There is a Siri shortcut for adding an item to your default grocery list without opening the app, which is the fastest way to catch something you have just run out of. See Siri and Shortcuts.