Summary:
Want to improve your productivity? There’s an app for that. There are several, in fact. All it takes is a simple search in the App store to return countless results on productivity applications.
But how do you narrow them down to the best apps to get things done, achieve your goals and generally lead a more organized life? Well, look no further than this list.
From building better habits and working smarter to managing important projects and keeping on top of your to-do list, we’ve compiled the cream of the crop of must-have productivity apps to help you lead a smoother and less stressful life. Keep reading to learn more.
Productivity apps are software designed to enhance workflow and efficiency for users on their smartphone, tablet or wearable device by helping to:
Such apps allow users to keep on top of important daily tasks at any time or location by giving access to features such as email, note-taking, to-do lists, calendars, files and folders, to name a few.
Most productivity apps can be divided into various categories based on distinct goals:
Below, we’ve listed the best productivity apps for iOS devices, grouping them into defined categories based on their individual functions.
Slack helps manage projects by gathering teams, files and tools into one hub, making it easier to manage workload, track projects and collaborate on tasks.
The app keeps deliverables clear and visible, so no detail is missed and enables easy communication so that each team member has all the necessary information to work efficiently and keep the project moving forward.
Channels can be categorized according to specific tasks and projects, and important messages can also be starred or pinned to prevent information loss. Other key features include screen sharing, voice and video calling, and third-party integration.
Asana is the ideal productivity app for teams working on larger projects and offers a free plan for up to 15 people to collaborate on the iOS platform.
From meeting small, daily targets to long-term deadlines, Asana organizes workload in one shared space by assigning specific tasks from a project to each member, setting due dates and enabling team-wide conversations.
The app boasts unique features like the Work Graph to illustrate each task, project, and goal within an organization; Custom Fields to personalize task management; and Goals to track the company’s milestones.
The software allows you to streamline workflow and easily spot bottlenecks, making it an excellent tool for teams managing complex projects.
If your organization’s work involves collaboration across various departments, then Basecamp is the perfect solution for keeping task progress transparent and enhancing real-time communication.
Use it to stay on top of all activities, including projects, individual tasks, deadlines, relevant files, and important announcements and updates.
With key features, such as built-in time tracking, priority assignment to tasks, data reports, and to-do lists, Basecamp is an effective tool to keep all the important stuff in one place and help different teams stay on the same page.
EverNote
EverNote is the ultimate note-taking app for gathering and organizing all your thoughts and ideas in one place.
The most stand-out feature includes uploading almost any kind of file, whether it’s a photo of a handwritten note, a PDF, an email, an audio clip or even a Slack conversation.
You can then organize your individual files into topical Notebooks and filter them by adding relevant tags-it’s a simple way to find what you need when you need it.
If you’re looking for a quick and simple way to capture those fleeting thoughts and inspirational ideas, then Apple Notes is the app for you. Its ability to sync seamlessly across all iOS devices and offline functionality make it one of the most productive tools for taking notes.
Although it lacks many of the organizational and task management features of other note-taking apps, Apple Notes still contains all the necessary components to record important information throughout your day effectively, and you certainly won’t find it challenging to navigate.
Bear has swiftly become one of the most popular apps for note-taking since its release in 2016, thanks to its simple, clean and intuitive design.
The easy-to-navigate sidebar allows you to organize all your content efficiently, and the markdown editor allows you to take advantage of sophisticated formatting options for text-intensive notes.
You can easily link notes to each other to build a body of work, use face or touch ID to protect sensitive content, and with a unique hashtag system to locate specific files, searching through your library of notes is easy, too.
Todoist is probably the go-to app for task management, owing to its user-friendly interface and ability to elevate the humble to-do list to a comprehensive organizational tool-color codes and all.
The app provides a ton of insight and guidance by enabling you to document long-term trends, view events on your calendar, and set due dates and reminders to manage your goals. You can also collaborate with other users to manage shared tasks.
So whether it’s a simple errand or your most important project, you can rely on Todoist to help you get things done. You can also integrate the app with a range of other platforms like DropBox and Google Drive, giving you seamless access to data.
When it comes to the best apps for productivity, OmniFocus 3 is a definite contender. It’s a powerful tool for managing a busy life by organizing your thoughts into a simple to-do list and accomplishing more every day.
You can use the Projects feature to organize tasks based on priority and add tags to coordinate across multiple projects. The Forecast tool lets you view all your upcoming tasks and calendar events in a single place, while the Review feature helps you keep track of your workload.
Probably the best thing about OmniFocus 3 is that it syncs across all your iOS devices and even keeps data encrypted on the Cloud, so you don’t have to worry about losing information or safety breaches.
Things 3 is a useful app to solve all your task-scheduling worries with an intuitive and uncluttered design. Unlike many other task management apps, Things 3 cuts out all the fluff, so it’s ideal for those in search of a simple, fuss-free way to focus on the tasks at hand.
But don’t take the app’s simplicity as a weakness; it packs some powerful features. Things 3 organizes your life into various Areas, which are then divided into Projects and smaller tasks within the Projects.
You can add due dates and tags and make recurring tasks to better manage your schedule. Tasks are automatically organized through the Today and Upcoming smart lists feature. It also ties in events from your calendar to provide a general overview of your days, weeks, and months.
Toggl is an app for businesses and individuals who want to stay accountable through effortless time tracking.
It essentially identifies how much time you spend on different activities across various platforms to identify and address inefficiencies and ultimately optimize workflow-and it’s straightforward to use.
You can switch between tasks or create new ones with just the click of a button, and with features like custom reports, billable hours, and one-click time tracking that syncs across multiple platforms, Toggl allows users to bill accurately, measure profitability and manage workloads to improve operations.
Everhour’s intuitive time-tracking technology tells you exactly how much time is spent on tasks, and hours of work completed, whilst taking into account break periods.
The app also takes the stress out of project management by integrating with multiple apps such as Basecamp, Asana, and others to consolidate all your tasks in one place and monitor progress.
Reports are easily customizable, allowing you to extract relevant data, and provide additional features, such as project budgeting, resource planning, and expense planning.
Harvest’s simple and intuitive software is ideal for people who want an easy way to track time across different projects and gain valuable insights to keep projects on track and within budget.
The app provides visual graphs to illustrate exactly what tasks you’ve worked on, which ones are taking up the most time, project costs, and how much budget is left.
Additional capabilities include turning recorded billable time into online invoicing and payment, making it the ideal choice for freelancers, solopreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses.
Notion is a one-stop workspace for note-taking, planning, task management, collaboration, organization and everything in between, making it one of the best business apps for iPhone.
The all-in-one productivity app features multi-functional tools, including wikis, Kanban boards, tables, lists and calendars, allowing users to customize and streamline work processes. Users can also coordinate and discuss deadlines and objectives in real time for greater work efficiency and productivity.
A word of warning: the sheer volume of advanced features may be a little overwhelming for novice users, so it’s best to start with a simple system and build it over time.
IFTTT is an app designed to automate tasks through Applets-automations that connect different apps and devices to work synergistically and do things they couldn’t otherwise do on their own.
This sophisticated technology, for example, lets you back up your Instagram photos to Dropbox, automatically remind a Slack channel about an upcoming meeting, or even turn on a light when you enter a room-it’s genius.
IFTTT is perfect if you want to automate repetitive tasks and free up time to focus on more pressing work matters.
Drafts is a game-changing capture tool that lets you record your thoughts simply and quickly and then transfer this information to various integrated applications, including OmniFocus, Things, and more.
The app provides a flexible solution to safely store valuable thoughts and ideas and take appropriate action. Think of it as a one-stop traffic-control operator for your mind that sends important information to the relevant apps in the fewest swipes and taps possible.
So whether it’s jotting down an idea for your great American novel or details for your upcoming doctor’s appointment, Drafts is a handy tool that won’t let a single thought slip from your brain.
A 2009 study by Lally et al. states that it can take anywhere between 18 to 254 days to form a new habit and more than two months, on average, for a behavior to become automatic [1].
Productive is a habit-tracking tool with a simple interface that helps you form good habits and break bad ones by scheduling daily tasks, setting reminders and providing useful feedback.
The cool thing about Productive is that it takes the time to learn about your personality traits and then gives customized guidance to help you stick to your habits and achieve your goals.
Based on the popular ‘don’t break the chain’ model of habit-forming, Streaks is particularly suited to self-motivated people who don’t need much external pressure to create habits and achieve goals.
The app sends daily reminders to accomplish set goals. Each consecutive day you complete a specific task, your streak is extended; miss a day, and your streak goes back to zero. This feature is quite the dopamine hit for those who prefer visual affirmations in tracking good habits and can help to encourage regular usage.
You can add up to twelve tasks at a time and track your performance stats in the long term-a must-have for any productivity hacker.
When it comes to developing habits that stick, Habitify keeps things simple by allowing you to set up goals, receive cues and reminders to perform a habit and visualize your progress over time. Moreover, you can track the amount of time you spend on each habit, making it easier to quantify your habit-forming journey.
With the ability to group your habits by time or different areas of your life, insightful charts that provide a better understanding of yourself, precise tracking, and integration with the Apple Health app for keeping track of fitness-related habits, Habitify is beautifully-designed to provide you with all the tools you need to improve your life.
Forest’s unconventional technique to help users spend less time on their phones and enhance productivity sets it apart from alternative focus-boosting apps.
Users plant a virtual tree anytime they want to complete an important task. The tree will continue to grow for as long as you’re focused and not using your phone, but exiting the app before the task is complete will cause it to die.
By staying focused daily, you can turn your hard work into a land of lush forest. The app’s developers have even partnered with a tree-planting organization, so users can spend virtual coins they earn in the app to plant real trees on Earth. So not only are you staying focused, but you’re also protecting the environment-it’s a win-win.
Studies show that each time you check an email, a social feed or respond to a notification, your mind requires 23 minutes to re-focus on getting back on track [2]-that’s where Freedom comes in.
This website-blocking app makes it easier to break bad habits and control distractions by allowing you to schedule your focused time on-the-fly or in advance and giving you the freedom to be super productive.
Simply select all your devices, choose the sites and apps you don’t want to be disturbed or distracted by and then set your schedule-it’s as easy as that.
As the science behind music as a way to increase productivity continues to grow in prominence, an increasing number of people are beginning to use audio sounds with intention. One study by music psychologist Dr Anneli Haake found that listening to music while working may boost productivity [3].
Sound Machine-White Noise is designed with a specific purpose; it uses ‘functional music’ in the form of sounds, stories, music and meditation to help you increase productivity in different areas of your life, whether it’s to achieve better sleep, focus, relaxation or energy.
With an extensive library of audio content based on clinically-validated techniques, users can mix and match their favorite sounds to create the perfect audio experience that enhances their focus.
What makes this app particularly special is its broad customizability; whether you want to create playlists or select audio at random, share mixes with friends and family or play them simultaneously with other apps, there’s plenty you can do with Sound Machine.