Working Smarter: Apps to Help You Increase Your Productivity
Technology at times seems the biggest foe for productivity, with social media being the biggest culprit. But just as there are many apps to distract and entertain us, there are apps to help you become more productive.
Productivity apps for phones and tablets are plenty. A Google search of best productivity apps always brings up a plethora of results. Finding an app that fills your needs can be a little overwhelming with all the information we have at the palm of our hands. I am cutting through the clutter and compiling a small list of popular productivity apps to help you make the most of technology.
Note Taking and To-Do Lists
For an app that takes a leaf out of your typical analogue journal, try Workflowy. The app works like a notebook for lists, where you can track and organize your to-do lists, grocery lists, as well as all sorts of notes. The website offers a web-based version, but there are apps for Android and iOS too.
Wunderlist is a popular choice on the Apple Store and Google Play. It is equipped with many features, including the ability to share lists, set reminders, and even comes with a print function for your most important to-dos.
Word Processing and Document Creation
The Microsoft Office suite of apps – Word, Excel, and Powerpoint – are designed to be fully compatible with both touchscreen devices and the desktop versions of each program. The apps do more than enable you to view and edit files – it has cloud support for services such as Dropbox and OneDrive.
WPS Office, formerly known as Kingsoft Office, is an all-in alternative for the above. You can use it for word processing, presentations, spreadsheets and slideshows. The app features cloud support, tabbed document editing (so you can work on multiple files), and compatibility with a variety of file formats.
Your Own Personal Workspace
Trello is an online tool and app that enables you create a visual board of work and ideas. You can even use it for team projects, keeping everyone up to date with the latest project installments.
Evernote is a popular choice. It allows users to keep track of everything they do – writing notes, collecting information, and presenting ideas.
Asana helps you keep track of all project communications by providing a platform that combines everything in one place. Email threads, comments, requests, and creating new projects are the many organizational tools you can get from this app.
Working with the Cloud
Google Drive is a great productivity aid. Users can upload, download and share files very easily. The platform combines cloud storage with collaborative features, allowing you to work on shared projects online. The app is available for Android and iOS.
OneNote brings Microsoft Office’s best features into the cloud. It is a cloud-based system for note-taking, which includes the ability to have multiple users working on the same document.
Dropbox is another popular service. At its core, Dropbox is a locker for all your files, documents, and photos. You can download files for offline access, and can share files with other users too. There is a desktop app as well as mobile/tablet apps available to download on the website.
Keeping Yourself Informed: News and Content Aggregation
Feedly is mobile and desktop reading tool that gives you a single space to follow the day’s news. Users can sign up to receive updates from a number of news sites and blogs, and can even customize their feeds and subscriptions based on sources like RSS feeds.
Pocket is an app that allows you to collect articles to read later. Because, let’s face it, sometimes we can get distracted by interesting articles and links when we are supposed to be working on something else. The app allows for offline reading. You can save articles, pictures and videos to it.