When I realized how much time I was saving by automating this one task, I started looking for more ways to streamline the little repetitive things I do every day. Since I use a Mac, a lot of people recommended the Automator app, but I found myself spending more time navigating its complex interface than actually building Automator workflows that would save me time in the long run.

I’m not the biggest fan of apps with a steep learning curve, so I decided to look for something simpler. I wanted something that’d actually let me focus on automating tasks, instead of figuring out the app itself. Though the app I’ve turned to, Task Till Dawn, has been around for quite a while now, it’s hands down the best task scheduler I’ve used.

What exactly is Task Till Dawn?

Psst, it's completely free

Task Till Dawn is a task scheduler available on both macOS and Windows that lets you automate repetitive tasks, schedule scripts, and manage workflows without having to perform them manually every time. Created by developer Oliver Matuschin, the tool is donateware, meaning it’s free to use, though you can support its development by making a voluntary donation if you want.

You can download Task Till Dawn by heading to the Downloads page, then launch it to begin creating and scheduling your tasks immediately. According to the website's downloads page, the tool has been downloaded tens of thousands of times on Windows and several thousand times on macOS. Strangely, though the task scheduler is still functional and available to download, it seems the tool's development has stalled. Task Till Dawn received its last update over five years ago, on March 30, 2019.

Setting up and automating tasks with Task Till Dawn

How to create an automation, step by step

Once you install Task Till Dawn and launch it, you'll first need to go through some onboarding information, like permitting the tool to automatically start up when you log into your computer. After you've agreed and completed the initial setup, you'll be redirected to the application's homepage. To create an automation, all you need to do is click the New task button, and you’ll then see four sections in the toolbar:

• Metadata: Stores basic information about the task, like its name, description, whether you’d like to enable or disable it, and more.
• Actions: Defines what the task will actually do.
• Schedule: Specifies when and how often the task should run, including date, time, or recurring intervals.
• Events: Determines triggers for the task, such as system startup, file changes, or other predefined conditions.

Once you’ve filled out the basic Metadata, like the name and description of the task you’d like to automate, the main section to focus on is Actions. You'll find a bunch of actions in the left-hand panel, grouped into different categories like Applications, Audio, Backup, Image processing, and more. Once you click on a category, all the available actions within it will appear. To add an action to your workflow, all you need to do is drag it to the right panel. Of course, you're not limited to a single action per task. Instead, you can stack multiple actions to create more complex workflows.

Once you’re satisfied with how your Actions are set up, you then need to decide whether you’d like the task to run based on a schedule or a specific event trigger. If you choose to opt for a Schedule, you can have the task execute at a specific time or run at recurring intervals, like every 5 minutes. You can also choose to execute the task on specified days or periods, like the last day of each month. If you think the task is better suited for an Event trigger, you can set it to run when certain conditions are met, such as when the screen wakes up, or when a certain other task is executed.

The kind of tasks I’ve automated with Task Till Dawn

Because small automations add up

When I first downloaded the tool, I paused to think about all the repetitive tasks I deal with every day, every week, and even each month. Even if it was a task that’d only take me a handful of seconds, my point was to cut down on that too.

Frankly, it wasn’t just about time either. More often than not, I’d find myself forgetting to do certain simple tasks, and while they weren’t necessarily critical, the small slip-ups piled up and left me with a pretty disorganized Mac. Considering I’m both a full-time student and a tech journalist who relies on my Mac for everything from writing to studying, here are some of the random tasks I’ve automated with this tool:

Launching all my study and work apps at a set time every day

I’ve set an automation that launches all the studying apps I use at 8 AM every day (which is usually when I reach college). This saves me the time of setting everything up.

Similarly, once my classes are over, and I’m about to start work, I have another automation that automatically shuts down my study-related apps and launches my work tools instead. I’ve also set both automations to open website URLs along with the apps.

For instance, when I’m studying, the automation opens a NotebookLM tab, and when I’m working, it opens an Asana tab.

Empty Trash

This one is pretty self-explanatory. I take a ton of screenshots for both work and college, and while I do move them to the Trash, I never actually remember to empty it. So, I set an automation that clears my Trash every day.

Backing up files to a USB drive

I’ve also set up an automation that triggers when a specific USB drive is plugged in. I use this one specifically for my coding files since I store them locally, just to make sure I don’t lose them. As soon as I connect the drive, my Mac automatically copies my files over.

Shutting down my Mac once every month

For the longest time, I’d only shut down my MacBook when it began to slow down or act weird. Now, I’ve set up a simple automation that shuts it down once a month. It gives the system a clean reset without me having to think about it.

Make my Mac play a specific song every time I log in

This is an automation that’s not meant to help me save time. Instead, since my day usually starts with me opening my Mac, it’s just to add a little spark of fun and set the tone for the rest of the day. I’ve set an automation that plays one of my favorite songs as soon as I log in.

Task till Day has helped me saved a lot of time

Task Till Day has helped me save a lot of time. The above are just a few of the tasks I’ve automated with Task Till Day, and while they might not seem like much on their own, together they’ve made a noticeable difference in my daily workflow. I’ve saved countless minutes that would’ve otherwise been wasted on repetitive tasks.