How to copy a Google Tasks list on iPhone

Short answer

Stock Google Tasks on iPhone has no Copy list, Duplicate list, or Make a copy of this list control. You can create a new list and rebuild the tasks, or move tasks between lists. You cannot clone an entire checklist in one step the way some project apps do.

That gap shows up when people want a reusable packing list, a weekly reset checklist, or a second copy of Work for a new quarter. Google’s Tasks product is a lightweight checklist next to Gmail and Calendar. List templates are not part of that surface.

What people mean by copy a list

“Copy a list” usually covers three different jobs. Mixing them up leads to the wrong workaround.

1. Template reuse. You want Packing or New hire onboarding again, with open tasks, without wiping the original.
2. Safety snapshot. You want a backup before a big cleanup or device switch.
3. Collaboration fork. You want someone else to start from your checklist. That is closer to sharing than copying.

Only the first job is a true clone. The second job is export or backup. The third job needs sharing, which stock Google Tasks still does not offer as a built-in list invite. For whole-list collaboration options, see shared task lists. For a single row, see how to duplicate a task.

What stock Google Tasks offers instead

Without Copy list, the practical path is create, then rebuild:

1. Open the list switcher and create a new list. Give it a clear name such as Packing (copy) or Q4 Work template.
2. Open the source list. For each open task you still need, note the title, details, due date, and any subtasks. Screenshots help when the list is long.
3. Switch to the new list. Create each task again. Paste titles and notes when you can. Re-enter dates and nest subtasks by hand.
4. Leave completed items out unless you truly need history in the copy. A template copy is usually open work only.
5. Reorder the new list so the sequence matches the original if order matters to you.

A few accuracy notes:

• Moving a task to another list relocates it. It does not leave a twin behind.
• Renaming a list changes the label everywhere it syncs. It does not create a second list.
• Recurring tasks advance on Google’s schedule. That is not the same as cloning a full open checklist today.
• Gmail’s Tasks panel and Google Calendar’s task surface write to the same Google Tasks backend. Creating tasks there still counts as new creates, not a list clone.

If you are cleaning structure rather than cloning, how to organize Google Tasks lists covers naming and list count. If you need a downloadable safety copy, export or back up Google Tasks explains what stock Tasks cannot print or export on iPhone.

A calmer way to rebuild templates

When you copy lists often, reduce what you rebuild:

• Keep template lists short. Ten clear steps beat thirty vague ones.
• Prefer stable titles and put variable details in notes so paste-and-edit is faster.
• Put “this week’s instance” on a working list, and keep one thin template list you rarely open.
• Do not store the only copy of important open work in a list you plan to delete. Stock Tasks has no full recycle bin for wiped lists.

Those habits make the missing Copy list button less painful even if you stay in Google’s app.

When a native Google Tasks client helps

If your home base is still Gmail and Google Calendar, switching ecosystems just to get list templates is a heavy trade. A better fit is staying on the Google Tasks backend with an iPhone shell that makes rebuild and recovery faster.

ETasks is a native Google Tasks app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with two-way sync (or local use with no Google account). It does not invent a Google-side Copy list field that appears in Google’s own Tasks app on the web or Android. What it does add for this job:

• Task Duplicate on the Lists tab, so repeating rows (and optional subtasks) clone without retyping when you rebuild a template into a new list.
• JSON backup and import for your task lists, which can add copies without wiping what you already have, useful before a cleanup or device switch.
• An all-lists view so the new list and the source list are easier to compare while you rebuild.

Your checklist still syncs with Google Tasks. The editor and backup tools live in the iPhone shell where template work actually happens.

Quick answers

Can you copy a Google Tasks list on iPhone? No. Stock Google Tasks has no Copy list or Duplicate list button.

How do I duplicate a list manually? Create a new list, then recreate the open tasks (titles, notes, dates, subtasks) in that list.

Does moving tasks copy the list? No. Move relocates items. The old list does not keep a twin.

Does ETasks add a Google-side Copy list? No. It helps with task Duplicate and JSON backup or import while syncing to Google Tasks.