This article has not been updated for OmniFocus 4.
Expected Behavior
Although the OmniFocus app badge can update in the background, this only happens under certain circumstances, and a due or defer time passing is not one of those triggers. OmniFocus allows for several things to affect the badge count, and the number of variables at play require a fairly complicated calculation that iOS and Background App Refresh do not allow to run constantly in the background.
The badge should update either the next time a background-sync occurs, or when you next reopen OmniFocus. Background-syncs are currently triggered by Push (which nudges OmniFocus to sync when a change is made on another device), and by Background App Refresh (which schedules syncs based upon your usage patterns).
Test Push
The most noticeable trigger that updates the badge count is when a push-sync change that affects the count (such as marking an item complete) arrives from another device. If you mark an item complete on another device, you should see the iOS icon badge count update after a few moments.
However, if an item has become part of the count simply by the passage of time (e.g. reaching its due or defer time), then the count won’t update while OmniFocus is in the background—until a background sync occurs.
Check Your Settings
Badge count settings do not sync, so a discrepancy in badge counts between devices doesn’t necessarily indicate an issue—it could instead suggest you have different settings for the badge count on each device. To confirm your badge settings in OmniFocus:
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On macOS, go to Menu Bar > OmniFocus > Preferences… > Notifications > Remind about. (More information about the OmniFocus for Mac Notification Preferences can be found in the User Manual.)
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On iOS, in OmniFocus 3 on your iPhone or iPad, navigate to the Home screen and tap the Settings icon. Tap Notifications: Badges.
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In OmniFocus 2, swipe down on the OmniFocus home screen to reveal the Secret Bar and tap Settings (on iPhone), or drag down on the home sidebar (iPad and iPhone Plus) to reveal the Secret Bar, then tap Settings. In the Settings, tap Notifications: Sounds, Alerts, and Badges > App Icon Badge Counts. (More info on iOS notifications can also be found in the OmniFocus 2 User Manual.)
Is Push-Sync Working?
If your badge counts still seem to be misbehaving, the next thing to check would be that Push Sync is working properly.
Last Modified: Dec 13, 2023