The last versions of OmniFocus 2 for Mac and iOS (2.12.4 and 2.22.5, respectively) are still capable of syncing with all newer versions of OmniFocus 3 and 4, at this time. However, doing so comes with some limitations and caveats. Below we will cover the key things to be aware of when using OmniFocus 2 with newer versions of the app.
Unsupported features when syncing with OmniFocus 2
There are two features introduced in newer versions of OmniFocus that you will not be able to take advantage of because they require an update to the database format:
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Dropped Actions
This provides the abilty to set the status of individual actions to Dropped, just like what has always been possible with folders, projects, and contexts. -
Floating Time Zones
With “floating” time zones, the defer and due dates on items will remaining the same no matter where you are in the world, instead of shifting when changing from one time zone to another.
Differences in functionality
There are four main features that differ from OmniFocus 2 in a way that you should be aware of when syncing with newer versions of the app:
You’ll find details on how OmniFocus 2 handles these differences below.
Contexts and Tags
Beginning with OmniFocus 3, tags have taken the place of contexts. Tags are everything that contexts were, and more: you can use them exactly the way you used contexts in OmniFocus 2, or explore new possibilities by assigning multiple tags to projects and actions.
Since OmniFocus 2 only understands a single context per item, when you assign multiple tags to an item in OmniFocus 3 or 4 a compromise is made: The first tag on the item is displayed as its sole context in OmniFocus 2.
This has a couple of important implications for subsequent edits to the item made in OmniFocus 2:
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If you change the item’s context, it becomes the new first tag on the item. The existing first tag is removed and replaced.
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If you remove an item’s context, all of its tags are removed.
Because of this, if you are using multiple tags, we recommend you avoid making changes to an item’s context in OmniFocus 2.
Advanced Custom Perspectives (Pro)
Beginning with OmniFocus 3 Pro, we introduced a revamped perspective editor with tools for building powerful new types of custom perspective rules.
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Custom perspectives created or upgraded using the new editor are synced along with your database, but do not appear in OmniFocus 2.
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Custom perspectives created in OmniFocus 2 sync with newer versions and can be viewed and edited there. Edits made to these perspectives in OmniFocus 3 likewise sync between versions.
When editing a custom perspective created in OmniFocus 2 using newer versions, there will be an option at the bottom of the editor to either Upgrade the perspective. This is a lossy conversion that attempts to translate and preserve as much of the configuration as possible using the newer filter rules.
Repeat options
Beginning with OmniFocus 3, we introduced a new system for setting up custom repeat intervals on recurring actions. Since there are a wider variety of repeat options than in OmniFocus 2, the interface there does not display and cannot edit repeat rules created in OmniFocus 3. However, OmniFocus 2 understands the underlying logic of these repeats and reschedules completed items accurately.
OmniFocus 3 understands and displays all repeat rules created in OmniFocus 2.
Custom Notifications
Beginning with OmniFocus 3, we added the ability to set up custom notifications on individual items, and choose when notifications are created automatically for items with due or defer dates. Any notifications you have set up in OmniFocus 2 will continue to behave exactly as they always have, and any new notifications you set up in OmniFocus 3 will behave there the way you expect. Neither will affect or overwrite the other.
