If we have learned anything over the last several months, it’s that work is changing and now, more than ever, people are working on the go. And many more employees are working off of their cell phones or mobile devices as opposed to bulky desktops or even laptops. As Forbes states, “The more productive your company is, the easier it is to boost profits and improve business relationships.” So why wouldn’t you want to increase the productivity of your employees as they go about their world?
The most common operating systems for our mobile devices are iPhone and Android, so for this newsletter we have focused on finding the best productivity apps for each platform.
Top 5 iOS Productivity Apps
Earlier this year, Lifehack published 35 of the top productivity applications for iOS and iPhone. For this, we will detail 5 of the listed applications. You can see the full list here.
1. OmniFocus
OmniFocus boasts that it has received the trusted, gold-standard to-do list app for 10 years running. The application allows you to easily input tasks into the application, prioritize them and assign them specific tags. As an added bonus, it will sync to a server so if you don’t have access to your phone, you have other ways of accessing your list to continue making progress towards your goal. The cloud, FTW (for the win!)
According to LifeHack, “This app is, while pricey, considered to be one of the (if not the) most robust and full-featured productivity apps on the market.”
2. Forest
Forest combines the power of gamification and social responsibility to help users be more productive by putting their phones down. According to the New York Times, “Forest works well, and if your goal is to be more in the moment, ignore your phone and actually talk to your friends when you are with them, this is the app for you.” It works by having you “plant a seed” when you need to get something done and need to put your phone down. The longer you are focused (and not on your phone) the bigger your tree will grow, but if you become tempted to leave the app, your tree will wither and die. You can also plant real tree with coins earned through the app, protecting your mind and your world.
3. Things
Things build off the basic building blocks of productivity: To-Do lists. The easy-to-use app boasts that it will help you plan your day, manage your projects and make real progress towards goals, all within a single hour. Lifehack claims this application is a favorite amongst “productivityists”.[1]
4. Any.Do
Similar to OmniFocus, Any.Do allows you to make lists, organize by tag and sync between your device and desktop for seamless access regardless of where you go with the additional benefits of collaboration. Any.Do will enable you to share lists and assign tasks so you can collaborate with anyone on the go. According to the NYTimes, WSJ, USA Today & Lifehacker, “IT’S A MUST HAVE APP” and is the perfect combo of a task list, calendar, planner & reminders all-in-one app.
5. PocketLife Calendar
Lifehack describes this application as “specifically designed to be stylish and super easy-to-use. You can organize your life easily with different modern features.”
Top 3 Android Apps for Productivity
The age-old battle still exists between Android and iPhone as to which is the better device. If you are an Android junky, then this list is where you want to be.
Spike
Spike combines email and text messaging into one seamless interaction, allowing you to focus on what is the highest priority. By removing repeating headers, signatures and threading commonly found on email and making it hard to digest just what is the key information that you need to focus on and the priority inbox displays the most important messages first.
Todoist
This simple task manager allows you to build lists and is available on a variety of platforms, including web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, and supports collaboration, feedback requests, and more. Even better, this app is free to use!
Google Drive
Made up of a collection of productivity applications, like word processing, spreadsheets and powerpoint applications. The mobile application allows you to access all these features regardless of your current location and seamlessly collaborate between your devices.