A while back I went on a search for the best task managing app (or apps) for myself. I wanted one that would let me keep the system I had developed using paper notebooks, but also provide the benefit of reminders and encourage me to start a couple of productivity ideas that I had longed to start that I was sure would boost my productivity.
I had a list of priorities:
- Easy to use
- Multiple list
- Reminders
- Daily planning sessions
- Weekly review
- Works on Android. (I’m an Android user)
In the end, I settled for a multiple app approach that mimics my old notebook approach and adds vital functionality. I use Google Drive and keep to brainstorming ideas or write out a project or plan. I use Wunderlist as an “inbox” where I can store everything I want to do whenever I have ideas. And I have Any.DO for my immediate to do list.
Any.Do
Any.do is a beautifully designed app for both Android and iOS that has a strong hint of Mailbox about it. The basic system is you can type or speak your activity into the app. If you want then you can add a reminder for a specific time and day at this point or you can leave it blank and it will be left in your system.
When you complete an activity just swipe across to delete it, the activity becomes struck through but stays on the system. If you want to permanently delete it you can click on the cross on the right OR shake the device and every completed activity will be delete.
Advanced Functions
As well as the fairly standard functions, Any.Do also contains some pretty impressive and yet very simple advance functions, too.
You can set a daily review (I have 8am set, after I’ve done my morning routines). At this point, you can assign what to do and on what day. So if you added a whole host of activities the day before with no deadline, now you can assign when to do them. It also shows you what activities you have listed for the day so it is a great way to recap what you need to do for the day.
If you like having separate lists for your work, home, study, or any other topic, you can set that up too. It comes with work and home set as standard, but you can add as many lists as you like.
If you need to keep some important information with the task you are about to do, then you can add a note to your task. When you add a task like “email X” or “Phone X” it will find the person in your contacts and find an app to carry out the task. When the reminder goes off it will start the activity for you. Oh and speaking of phone calls, if you miss a call it will automatically ask you if you want to add it as a task for later.
Busy when the reminder is set for? No problem! You can snooze tasks for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours or even a day. You can also share activities with other people for team collaboration.
And just in case you were worried about it not working on your device, Any.Do works on Android, iOS, Chrome and there is even a web version of the app, all of which sync with each other providing access to your to do list wherever, whenever (Although some functionality may be lacking from some of the services).
If you install the Chrome plugin then you can add a new reminder from within Gmail and other email apps
The Downsides
You’re probably wondering why I’m not using it as my only todo app, especially as it is so conclusive an offering. Well there are some downsides:
- The notes aren’t that great (you can only add a quick little message.)
- No subtasks
- No weekly review
As well as the personal preference of simply having only a few tasks on the screen at any one time, I can focus more on those tasks rather than the swam of ideas that exist in my other todo lists. Any.DO could certainly be the only todo app that you need, but I’m just a bit weird and like having two. 🙂
If you are looking for a beautiful looking and amazingly simple, yet highly functional, todo list, then Any.do might be right for you.
Dustin W. Stout says
I’m an Any.do user and so far it’s nearly everything I need. The only other thing I need it to do is work with Siri the way that the native reminders app does. There is a way to do it by accessing your reminders app and adding any item added to a specified list then deleting it from the reminders app. Let’s hope they figure that out!
Were you at all effected when they got rid of the beautiful font they originally were using?
Chris Wilson says
Ah well as an android user (and a late to the game one) I think it has affected us differently.
I never noticed a text change but maybe that was never there in Android. It’s using my system font as far as I can tell.
In Android it also uses Google’s voice software to take vocal notes, it doesn’t really sync with Google calendar but I know there is a calendar app coming soon that might help with that.
Good to know I’m in good company with this app 🙂
Tre Lawrence says
Have always loved any.do… fantastic app. Great write-up.
I still use DGT GTD for the subtasks and sync to Toodledo.