What iPhone apps do you use for managing tasks and projects?
When asked about my daily app usage habits, this has to be the number one question I get. For me, the answer doesn’t lie in just a single app. Instead, I use a blend of four different apps for managing my tasks and todos. From managing projects to checking off a weekly grocery list, each has a special purpose on my iPhone. When combined, not a lot is left to slip through the cracks.
Todoist
Project management
The task app I rely on more than any other is Todoist. I only use it for work-related tasks and things I want to keep a running record of. I have a project set up for each type of work I do and I add tasks accordingly. As you can see in the screenshots above, each project is a client or company. They each get their own color and I can see at a glance what I have due for each one.
Todoist has a few different view options so you can focus on only tasks at hand, or you can see what’s coming up over the next week. There’s also an inbox feature that lets you quickly add tasks that you can sort and prioritize later. However, I bypass the inbox a lot because Todoist supports natural language input so I can just type a day and time and add a project quickly. That way I don’t have to go back and organize later.
You also have the option to add tags to posts, which adds a secondary level of organization. I use tags for client names so I can group everything inside of one project called Consulting. How you choose to use those are completely up to you. Todoist also supports Apple Watch, which allows me to mark things as done or snooze them for later while on the go.
Lastly, a lot of people ask if I pay for the premium version of Todoist, and the answer is yes. Notifications are super important to me so it’s not even an option.
- Todoist – Free w/ subscription option – Download
See also:
- Todoist for Mac – Free – Download
Fantastical 2 (iCloud Reminders)
Shopping & shared lists
I don’t like to clutter up my work tasks with too many personal tasks. For trivial things like shopping lists or keeping track of movies we want to watch, I stick with iCloud reminders. It’s simple, easy to use, and I can share lists with anyone with an iCloud account. A good example of that coming in handy was before we went to Europe last winter. Two friends joined and we were able to share tasks and checklists easily.
I don’t particularly care for the actual Reminders app, which is why I use Fantastical 2 instead. Not only that, it combines reminders and calendar events into one app, which saves me a spot on my Home screen for something else. Fantastical also supports Apple Watch and makes checking off shopping lists amazingly simple, just another added bonus.
- Fantastical 2 – $4.99 – Download
See also:
Due
Bill reminders, pills, & timers
There are certain things I am horrible at remembering to do without being nagged. These are things like giving our dogs heart worm medication on the 15th of each month, or remembering to take an allergy pill during the fall and spring. These are the things Due is great for. I also use Due for bill reminders instead of clogging up my calendar with all day events I’ll just ignore after the first notification.
Since Due works as a system of reusable egg timers, you can use it for literally anything, include custom repeats. There’s also an iPad and Mac app to complete the Due ecosystem. If you sync via Dropbox, Due will auto-update on its own. So if you add a reminder on one device, it’s automatically added to the others. I only use Due on my iPhone for the purposes I need, but the functionality is there if you need it. There’s iCloud sync as well, it just won’t have as many of the background syncing features as the Dropbox method does, due to iCloud restrictions as I understand.
- Due for iPhone and iPad – $4.99 – Download
See also:
- Due for Mac – $9.99 – Download
Apple Notes
Ever since iOS 9 was introduced, I wanted to give Apple Notes another try. I recently wrote about this and how to transfer all your notes from Evernote into Apple Notes.
Since doing this, I’ve been using Apple Notes exclusively. However, if you work cross-platform and don’t have a complete Apple ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, Mac), Evernote would still be my note taking app of choice for the majority of people.
Evernote
Meeting notes & random thoughts
Until recently switching to Apple Notes, it had become habit for me to launch Evernote before I had a call or meeting, just to jot down a few notes and to remember topics that need covering. I would then file them away in the appropriate notebook. Some of those notes would even get added as notes on a particular Todoist task, once they were actually complete thoughts and not random things floating around in my head.
Evernote was my catch-all and had been for many years. Random thoughts and ideas that may at some point translate into actual tasks got put into Evernote, until they fit elsewhere. Even though I’ve swtiched to Apple Notes, it’s still my top choice for anyone that’s cross-platform and needs Windows or any other mobile OS support. Evernote is literally available everywhere.
- Evernote for iOS – Free w/ subscription options – Download
See also:
- Evernote for Mac – Free – Download
Editor’s note: Updated on December 30, 2015 to include Apple notes
What are your favorite todo and task apps?
That’s how I use task apps for iPhone to stay organized and on top of things. Now I want to hear some of your favorites! Do we have any overlap or do you have a completely different workflow? Let me know in the comments!
I use Due for the same types of tasks as Ally, Wunderlist for shared lists with my wife (shopping, things to do around the house etc.) and Vesper/Evernote for notes. At work we use Exchange so there I use the build-in tasks feature in Outlook.
I LOVE the clean UI of Vesper. I’ve tried to use it instead of Evernote a few times, because I prefer the design. However, I have so much crap in Evernote, and I hate toggling. Now if someone made an app to import all Evernote notes and tags into Vesper….
I actually switched to Vesper from Simplenote (and Google Keep on Android before that), and kept Evernote around for some longer notes and lists. I rarely us it though. The one thing I miss with my setup is Vesper for Mac.
I know a version of Vesper for Mac is in the works (http://vesperapp.co/blog/) – but no definitive timetable yet. I’ll definitely give it another go when I can access Vesper notes on my Mac in the same client.
I use the default Reminders app for Long Term To Do Lists like Watchlists and Book Reading Lists and I’ve found “Things” to be a great app to manage daily tasks like “To Study Topics” Lists + They have a phenomenal Watch App which is great for the short term tasks.
Sounds reasonable to me. Looks like you use Things like I use Todoist. Both are great project management tools!
Great write up. I used to have a similar setup, but then I discovered Kyber: now I combine calendars, todos and reminders in one view, replacing Fantastical, Wunderlist (didn’t use Todoist) and Due. It might be personal, but I prefer to have a single place to check what to do. I still use Evernote.
Awesome, I’ll check it out!
I LOVE Fantastical, It has been my only calendar app ever since it came out. Never been an evernote user, I guess I don’t depend on notes and such as much, Vesper works just fine for my needs. and as far as project managment I’ve been using Omnifocus, I finally get it and its working awesome for me.
I am similar to others; I don’t want to have use a bunch of different apps because I’ll wind up missing something. I’m a fan of Fantastical 2 and have it connected to my gmail calendar. I’m a HUGE fan of apps that interconnect: Evernote that connects Swipes and connects to gmail reminders.
I also manage my to-dos and daily tasks much in the same way by using a combination of multiple apps i.e Apple Notes and Fantastical 2 (Google Calendar & Apple Reminders). If this includes my work and professional tasks as well, this list expands to include Evernote and Todoist as well.
I love using TickTick