Common Questions
Quick answers to what people ask most: the pinwheel, a day that looks empty, where the week strip went, and how to reach me.
Finalist changes often, and sometimes a button you relied on moves. These are the questions that land in my inbox most, each with a short answer and a link to the full page.
What's the colorful pinwheel at the top?
That's Lens. Each ribbon is one of your calendars, and it grows with how much is still ahead in that calendar today, so it doubles as a quick busyness gauge. Tap it to choose what the page shows: which calendars, whether tasks and habits appear, and whether to focus on one tag. The actions that used to sit behind the magic wand (Capture, Day Review, Plan My Day and the rest) live inside it now.
Can I hide Lens?
Lens stays in the toolbar, but it only changes your page when you change something in it. Leave your calendars on, Solo off, and Tasks and Habits on, and your day shows everything as usual. See If you'd rather not use it.
What does Solo mean?
Solo keeps just your own calendars and hides shared and subscribed ones (a partner's calendar, a holiday feed, a team schedule), so you can plan your own time without everyone else's events in the way. Tap it again to bring everything back. You pick which calendars count as yours in the Calendar settings, under Solo Mode. More on the Lens page and in Calendar Bookmarks.
Why does my day look empty, or why is something missing?
Usually something in Lens is narrowing the page. Open Lens and check for a calendar switched off, Solo on, Tasks or Habits off, or a tag focused (the Lens center fills with that tag's color while one is). Today's page can also hide expired tasks and events that are already over. See Your Daily Page.
Where did the week strip at the bottom go?
The bar at the bottom is now a smaller day browser, with yesterday, today, and tomorrow, so the Today button fits beside it. Tap the day you're on to open the whole week again; it stays open until you tap that day once more. Touch and hold any date for a calendar that also shows what's on each day, so you can jump anywhere. See Flipping pages.
Where did the Planner's Filter go?
The Planner now follows Lens instead. Calendars you switch off in Lens leave the Planner too, and Solo, Tasks, Habits, and a focused tag apply there as well, so whatever you narrow on Daily is already narrowed on the week.
How do I get back to today?
Whenever you're on another day, a Today button appears at the bottom of the page (at the left end of the bar on the Mac). Tap it to snap back. See The Today button.
Why aren't my calendar events showing?
First check that Finalist has calendar access, in your device's Settings under Finalist. Then open Lens and make sure the calendar is switched on and Solo isn't hiding it. The Calendars settings choose which calendars Finalist shows at all. See Setting Up and Calendar & Reminders.
My tasks aren't showing up on my other device
Tasks, habits, lists, and the journal sync through your own iCloud. Make sure both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud turned on, and give a fresh change a minute to arrive. Calendar events and reminders sync through Apple's Calendar and Reminders instead, so check those apps if an event is missing. See Sync & Devices.
Something else?
Email me at slaven at finalist.works or ask in the Discord community. I read everything, and questions like yours are how this page grows.
Related: Lens · Your Daily Page · Setting Up