Turn your Gmail inbox into a to-do list.
Pin the memos you send yourself to the top of Gmail with a star. Remove the star when you're done, and only the open items remain. Set up one sender filter and every memo is auto-starred and auto-labeled — never buried under other mail again. No extra app, no fuss.
1. Pin with a star — star incoming memos and find them instantly under Gmail's "Starred." 2. Unstar when done — starred means open; remove it and you have a to-do list. 3. Automate it — create one sender filter on desktop Gmail and every memo is auto-starred and labeled, synced to all devices.
Why stars?
Left alone, self-memos get lost among other mail. Moving them to a folder just adds a "go check it" chore. A star's strength is that it marks a message while keeping it in your inbox. One tap on, one tap off, and they collect in a dedicated view — the lightest organization method there is.
Steps 1 & 2 — To-do with stars
- Star incoming memos
In your mail app, tap the star (☆) on memos that arrive from Simple Memo. They immediately gather under "Starred." - Use "Starred" as your to-do list
Open Gmail's "Starred" view to see everything that needs action. Decide that starred means "still to do." - Unstar when finished
Remove the star once a memo is handled. Only open items remain in the Starred view — a simple to-do system, done.
This pairs perfectly with Inbox Zero: getting the starred (open) count to zero is your daily goal.
Step 3 — Auto-star & label (Gmail filter)
Create a sender filter once in desktop or browser Gmail, and incoming Simple Memo mail is auto-starred and/or filed under a dedicated label. The setting applies to all devices, including iPhone.
- Open the filter screen
In desktop or browser Gmail, open "Create a filter" from the settings icon to the right of the search box. - Enter the sender address
Pastenoreply@simplememofast.cominto the "From" field and create the filter. - Choose star and label
Check "Star it" and "Apply the label" (e.g., "Memos"). - Apply to existing mail and finish
Select "Also apply filter to matching conversations" and finish. From now on, memos are auto-starred and labeled.
The sender shows as "Simple Memo," address noreply@simplememofast.com. Type from:noreply@simplememofast.com in the search bar to full-text search only your memos.
If you only use iPhone
Creating the sender filter needs desktop/browser Gmail, but you can run this without a filter too. Open an incoming memo and add a star or label from the menu — it'll be just as easy to find.
In other mail apps too, mark the sender as "VIP"/"Favorite"/"Star," or create a sender rule that auto-moves messages into a dedicated folder (e.g., "Memos") to achieve the same result.
FAQ
Why stars instead of moving to a folder?
A star marks a message while keeping it in your inbox. Starred items gather in Gmail's "Starred" view, found instantly at the top. One tap on, one tap off — starred means open, a simple to-do system.
Can I do this with only the iPhone Gmail app?
You can add and remove stars in the iPhone Gmail app. However, creating the sender filter (auto-star + auto-label) is only possible from desktop or browser Gmail. Once created, it applies to all devices.
What do I put in the filter's "From" field?
Use noreply@simplememofast.com — the sender address for mail from Simple Memo. The sender name shows as "Simple Memo," so it's easy to find via search too.
How do stars become to-do management?
Just decide that starred means "still to do." Unstar when finished, and only open memos remain in the Starred view. No extra app — your Gmail inbox becomes the to-do list.
Does applying a label remove it from the inbox?
Just "Apply the label" adds a label but keeps it in the inbox. To remove it from the inbox, also choose "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)" in the filter. To keep memos in the inbox while organizing, combine star + label.
Related Pages
References
- Gmail — Create rules to filter emails — Official steps to auto-apply stars and labels with sender filters
- Gmail — Star your emails — Official guide for starring and the "Starred" view
- Gmail — Search operators — Search operators like from: to narrow down your self-memos
- Simple Memo - for Obsidian — App Store — App Store download page