Obvious/Help Center

iOS Native Tools

Published March 3, 2026 · Last updated March 5, 2026 · 3 min read

Obvious on iPhone connects directly to your device's Reminders, Contacts, and Calendar. The agent creates reminders, looks up contacts, schedules events, and more — all inside the conversation.

Note: These features are available on the Obvious iOS app only. They won't appear on desktop or web.

Reminders

Create a Reminder

The quickest way: tell the agent what you need.

Remind me to review the Q4 deck tomorrow at 9am

The agent sets the title and due date, then saves it straight to your iPhone's Reminders app. A confirmation appears once the device finishes.

You can include a priority level, a specific list name ("add to my Work list"), a recurring schedule ("every week"), or notes. Write naturally — Obvious formats it for Reminders.

List Your Reminders

Ask the agent to show what's pending.

Show my reminders

The agent pulls incomplete reminders and displays them in the chat. To include finished items, ask for completed reminders specifically.

Complete or Delete a Reminder

Tell the agent to check something off or remove it.

Mark "follow up with Acme" as done

If multiple reminders match, you'll be asked to pick the right one.

Contacts

When you mention someone by name, Obvious can search your iPhone's Contacts for phone numbers, email addresses, and other details — no app-switching required.

What's Jordan's email?

Create a Contact

Ask the agent to add someone new.

Add Maya Chen — email maya@example.com, phone 415-555-0123

The agent opens your iPhone's contact editor with the details pre-filled for your review. No permission prompt is required to open the editor.

Update a Contact

Tell the agent what to change.

Update Jordan's email to jordan@newcompany.com

The agent searches first, then opens the editor with the changes pre-filled for your review. If the contact isn't found, check that you've shared access to it — you can adjust contact access in Settings > Obvious on your device.

Calendar

Create an Event

Describe the event in plain language.

Schedule a 1-hour product review with the team next Tuesday at 2pm

You can include a location, notes, a URL, a specific calendar name, and alert times — the agent sets them all up. For recurring events, just say how often ("every Monday", "every two weeks").

List Upcoming Events

Ask the agent to show what's on your schedule.

What do I have this week?

The agent returns events within the date range you specify.

Permissions & Privacy

The first time the agent accesses Reminders, Contacts, or Calendar, your iPhone prompts you to grant permission. For Contacts, iOS asks how much access Obvious has — you can choose to share specific contacts or grant full access.

You can change any permission anytime in Settings > Obvious on your device. If permission is denied, the agent lets you know and won't retry until you update your settings.

Obvious only reads or writes what the agent explicitly needs for your request. Nothing is stored outside your device.

If you're having trouble with permissions or a tool isn't responding as expected, contact help@obvious.ai.

Next Steps

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