How to move a Google Tasks subtask to another list on iPhone

Short answer

Yes, but not in one “move subtask” control. On iPhone, a Google Tasks subtask belongs to the same list as its parent. Nesting is hierarchy inside one list, not a cross-list link.

To put only that nested step on another list:

1. Promote (outdent) the subtask so it becomes a normal top-level task.
2. Open its details, tap the list name, and choose the destination list.

To move a parent and its children together, change the list on the parent. The nested steps stay with that parent when the relocate succeeds (subject to Google’s usual limits, such as recurring tasks that cannot change lists).

For the general top-level flow, see how to move a Google Tasks task to another list on iPhone. For indent and outdent gestures, see how to indent or outdent a Google Tasks subtask.

Why the list picker feels wrong on a subtask

People open a nested row, tap details, and expect “move to list” to behave like a free-floating task. The product model is stricter:

• A subtask is a child of a parent on one list.
• Indent and drag nesting do not change which list owns the work.
• List membership is reliable after the row is a normal task, or when you relocate the whole parent tree.

The friction is not “Google Tasks cannot move work.” It is “the child is still attached, so you must detach first if you only want the child to leave.”

Move only the subtask (promote, then change list)

Use this when one nested step belongs elsewhere, and the parent should stay where it is.

1. Open the Google Tasks app and the list that holds the parent.
2. Set sort to your manual order if a sort control is available (often My order), so drag promote works.
3. Touch and hold the subtask, then drag it left (or to the top-level margin) until it sits as a normal task.
4. Tap the newly promoted task to open details.
5. At the top, tap the current list name, choose the destination list, then tap Back.

After a refresh, the item should appear on the destination list in Gmail’s Tasks panel and in Google Calendar’s Tasks view for the same Google account. It is a move, not a copy.

If drag promote fails, note the child’s title and notes, create a new top-level task on the destination list with that content, then delete or complete the old nested row.

Move the parent so children follow

Use this when the whole checklist belongs on another list (project pack, grocery group, trip prep).

1. Open the parent task details (not only a child row).
2. Tap the list name at the top.
3. Choose the destination list and go back.

Moving the parent is the intended path for relocating a parent-and-child group. Do not indent under a parent on list A expecting that to send work to list B. Nesting never crosses lists.

Limits that look like bugs

• Repeating tasks: Google states that recurring tasks cannot move to a different list. Clear or finish the series path first, then recreate on the destination if needed. See custom repeat and stop or edit a repeating series.
• Subtasks cannot repeat: Put recurrence on a normal dated task, not on a nested row you hoped to move as a series.
• Wrong account: The list picker only shows lists for the signed-in Google account. See multiple accounts on iPhone.
• Deep trees: Promote one level at a time. A child of a child still needs to become a top-level task before a clean solo move.

When a native all-lists client helps

Stock Google Tasks is list-first: open one list, promote, change the list name, then switch lists to confirm. That is fine for one misplaced step. It gets tedious when you reorganize nested work every week.

Stay with Google’s app if you rarely move nested steps. If you break projects into subtasks often and still want Gmail and Calendar as the system of record, ETasks syncs lists, tasks, and subtasks two ways with Google Tasks (or works locally with no Google account). Its all-lists and planner layout is built for seeing work across lists and dragging a task onto another list when promote-then-edit is too many taps. Moves still respect Google’s account and recurring-task rules. ETasks does not invent cross-list nesting on Google web or Android.

Quick answers

Can you move a Google Tasks subtask to another list on iPhone? Yes. Promote it to a top-level task first, then change the list name in details. Or move the parent if the whole group should relocate.

Does changing a parent’s list move its subtasks? That is the intended path for relocating a parent-and-child group. Nesting alone does not send a child to another list.

Can a subtask stay nested under a parent on a different list? No. Subtasks stay on the parent’s list. Cross-list membership requires a top-level task (after promote) or a recreate on the destination list.

Is indent the same as move? No. Indent and outdent change hierarchy inside one list. The list name control changes which list owns the task.