Does Google Tasks sort by due date automatically on iPhone?

Short answer

No. Stock Google Tasks on iPhone does not auto-sort an open list by due date the way Todoist or Microsoft To Do can. Tasks stay in the order you place them. Due dates matter for Calendar and for notifications, but they do not quietly rewrite your list from earliest to latest.

That design choice is easy to miss. You add dates expecting the list to “become a schedule.” It stays a checklist with dates attached.

What Google Tasks actually does with order

Google Tasks is built around lists, titles, notes, due dates, completion, and manual order. Inside a list you drag rows (and nested subtasks) into the sequence you want. List order syncs across Google’s surfaces when you stay signed into the same account.

What that means in practice:

• A task due tomorrow can sit below one with no date if you left it there.
• Completing or editing a due time does not re-rank the rest of the list.
• There is no durable “Sort by due date” control that keeps applying after you leave the screen.

Google Calendar can still show dated tasks when the Tasks calendar is enabled. That is a calendar surface, not an auto-sorted Tasks list. For how dates appear there, see Google Tasks in Google Calendar on iPhone. For drag mechanics inside a list, see how to rearrange Google Tasks on iPhone.

Why people search for due-date sort

The search usually shows up after the list stops feeling like a plan:

• Overdue items bury themselves under someday chores you never moved.
• Work and personal rows share one list, so “soon” and “whenever” mix together.
• You came from Reminders, Todoist, or To Do, where Today or due-date views do more of the ranking for you.
• You hoped starring or prioritizing would force a date sort. Stock Tasks has neither a real priority system nor a favorites lane that reorders by deadline.

Manual order is fine when the list is short and you care about sequence (a morning routine, a packing order). It fights you when the list is long and the clock matters more than the sequence.

Workarounds people try on iPhone

These help a little. None of them is a lasting auto-sort inside stock Tasks:

1. Drag the urgent rows to the top yourself. Accurate, and it syncs, but it is maintenance every time dates change.
2. Split lists by horizon. Keep “This week” and “Later” as separate lists so order stays simpler. Useful, but you still move tasks by hand when dates shift.
3. Lean on Google Calendar. Dated tasks can appear on the day. You see timing, not a flexible checklist you can complete from one sorted Tasks screen.
4. Use Today-style habits in another app. Copying into Reminders or To Do for a My Day view splits your source of truth away from Gmail and Calendar.

If Google Tasks is home base because of Gmail and Calendar, the better fix is a clearer planning view on top of the same data, not a second task database.

What works better when you need date-first planning

Keep lists and due dates in Google Tasks so Gmail and Calendar stay in sync, and plan on iPhone where date views are stronger. ETasks is a native Google Tasks client with month, week, day, agenda, and map planner views. You can reschedule by dragging a task to another day, or drag from Lists onto the calendar to assign a date, without pretending the stock list auto-sorted itself.

List order still syncs two ways with Google. Favorites can stay on top in the order you choose. That is not the same as Todoist-style auto-sort by due date or priority, and it should not be sold as one. It is a practical way to see what is due when, across lists, while the checklist order you set remains under your control.

Choose planner views when your question is “what should I do today and this week?” Stay with manual list order when sequence itself is the plan.

Quick answers

Does Google Tasks sort by due date automatically? No. Stock Tasks keeps manual order inside each list.

Can I sort Google Tasks by due date on iPhone? Not as a lasting built-in list sort in Google’s Tasks app. You can rearrange by hand, use Calendar for dated tasks, or use a client with day and week planners.

Do due dates change list order after I edit them? No. Changing a date or time does not re-rank the list.

Is Calendar the same as sorting Tasks? No. Calendar can show dated tasks on a day. It does not rewrite Tasks list order.

Does ETasks auto-sort Google Tasks by due date? ETasks keeps synced list order and adds planner views so you can work by date without relying on an auto-sorted stock list.