A to-do list or reminder app, in simple words, is a task management program. It lets you create lists for tasks you want to perform and set notifications for those tasks, so you’re alerted when they are due and don’t forget them. Here’s a list of the best to-do and reminder apps you can use on your Android or iOS device to stay on top of your tasks.
1. Google Tasks
Google, the search-engine giant, offers a variety of apps to cater to the varied needs of a large number of users. Tasks happens to be one such app for setting reminders and creating to-do lists. As its name suggests, Google Tasks allows you to create, manage, and edit your tasks from anywhere, anytime, so you’re always on top of what you need to do. Plus, you can add details for tasks and even break down your tasks into subtasks to narrow down your focus. Other task organization options include the ability to organize tasks by date or priority, cross-platform sync capabilities, and integration with Gmail and Google Calendar to streamline task and reminder creation. Having integration support also means you can trace a task to its source email to find out more details about it. Free Download Google Tasks: Android | iOS
2. Todoist
Todoist is undeniably one of the best to-do list apps out there for both Android and iOS. You can use it to create and organize tasks swiftly, manage your reminders, and stay on top of your due dates. And, to make sure you don’t miss out on important tasks, you can even prioritize them according to their priority levels. Besides, if you’re trying to build new habits but are struggling to do it religiously per schedule, Todoist offers recurring reminders, so you’re prompted to finish your tasks. Similar to Google Tasks, Todoist also brings app integration for essential Google tools like Gmail and Calendar. In addition, it offers support for Slack and a few other tools as well to help you create and manage tasks more efficiently and be on schedule with your work. So if you use any of these tools at work, you can integrate them with Todoist to collaborate with your teammates and delegate tasks. Talking about other features, Todoist leverages the power of the lock screen widget on Android and Today widget on iOS to offer quick and easy access to basic functionalities like quick title, widgets, voice assistants, and others. Free, Paid (in-app purchase) Download Todoist: Android | iOS
3. TickTick
TickTick is one of the most popular to-do list and calendar apps out there. In fact, it proved to be a perfect alternative to Wunderlist for one of our colleagues. It’s feature-packed with some powerful to-do and task management features that allow you to do everything from scheduling your agenda, making memos, and sharing lists to collaborating with your team or developing new habits. In addition to the usual to-do & task management functionalities, TickTick also comes with cross-platform sync capabilities to keep your list of tasks and reminders synced across different devices for a seamless experience. It lets you upload attachments to tasks, classify tasks with tags, add a description to tasks, search tasks, batch edit tasks, and set priority levels for your tasks. Apart from these objectives, TickTick also serves as a collaboration tool, and with the email and calendar integration, it further allows you to create and manage tasks (and subtasks) straight from these apps and assign them to your team members. Similarly, when it comes to personal habit tracking, the app can be used to set flexible recurring tasks to help yourself build or keep up with a habit. Besides, you can upgrade to a premium account to get access to more advanced TickTick features. Free, Paid (in-app purchase) Download TickTick: Android | iOS
4. Microsoft To Do
Microsoft’s To Do is more of a planner app that lets you keep a tab on various tasks you need to do and share them with others. It’s available for both Android and iOS and includes the cross-platform sync feature to help you create tasks or reminders and access them from anywhere, on any device. Plus, you even get the option to create quick notes for different tasks, which comes in handy when you want to share (or assign) tasks to someone. When it comes to task management, Microsoft To Do allows you to personalize your lists using different customized themes and backgrounds, break tasks down into smaller manageable steps, and set recurring due dates and task reminders to help you stay focused and be more productive. One of the best things about To Do is that it gets Microsoft’s 365 integration so you can sync tasks between Outlook and To Do, create tasks across Microsoft 365 apps, and host lists and tasks securely with ease. If you’re someone whose work revolves around Microsoft’s suite of tools, the To Do app might be of interest to you. Free, Paid (in-app purchase) Download Microsoft To Do: Android | iOS
5. Any.do
Any.do is a great app for organizing your personal and professional life in a quick and hassle-free manner. You can find it for both Android and iOS and expect it to provide an all-in-one solution with features that allow you to create to-dos and set reminders with calendar integration, along with cross-platform sync abilities to offer you access to what’s on your agenda anytime, anywhere. Another great feature of Any.do is its built-in daily planner, which aims to help you stay up-to-date with your daily routine tasks and gives you the option to create checklists, notes, and post-its, among other things. Moreover, to make adding reminders and tasks (and subtasks) easier, the app even includes support for voice entry that works by taking your input via voice (in natural language) and setting the tasks and reminders automatically on your behalf. Much like other apps, Any.do also comes with third-party integration for various apps and makes it easier for you to collaborate on tasks with teammates, friends, or anyone you are working with on a project. So now, you can create reminders or to-dos for tasks right from the integrated apps, chat and discuss tasks with your colleagues, and manage events, all in one place. Free, Paid (in-app purchase) Download Any.do: Android | iOS
6. Things 3
Things 3 builds on the success of Things — the original task manager app — and comes with an improved design and user experience alongside a new set of features. It has one of the best-looking user interfaces on any to-do app, and you can use it to effectively plan your day, manage your progress, and track your tasks to keep up with your goal. In addition to the basic to-do list management app functionalities, Things 3 also offers you the option to create to-dos from other apps and engage with Siri to set up reminders to make the entire experience faster and more convenient. It comes with cross-platform sync functionality, which updates your entries across all devices and keeps them synced to offer you access to all your to-dos and reminders across all your devices. Besides, if there’s any habit that you’re trying to build, you can use Things 3 to create repeating to-dos that remind you to do things based on different frequencies like every few days, weeks, or even months. As for other features, you get integration support for calendars and reminders, similar to some of the other task management apps, which allows you to view your to-dos and events together. And it even has an iOS Today widget and Siri suggestions, which you can use to create and manage your to-dos and reminders more efficiently. Paid Download Things 3: iOS
7. OmniFocus
OmniFocus is a task management app focused on getting stuff done. It’s iOS exclusive and one of the popular task management tools based on GTD. With OmniFocus, you can create projects and tasks, organize them using tags, and prioritize what needs to be done and when. And, thanks to its simple and clean interface, you can enter tasks while you’re on the go and manage them later by adding tags for people, places, priorities, and more. One of the best things about OmniFocus is the forecast view, which shows both tasks and calendar events to give you a peek into what’s on your agenda for the day. To top it off, the app also has a review perspective that helps you keep track of your projects to stay on track. Similar to most reminder and to-do list apps on the list, OmniFocus comes with the free syncing feature too, which syncs your data across all your Apple devices. Security-wise, the app stores all your data in an encrypted form on the cloud, and all the data-syncing takes place using end-to-end encryption. Being on iOS and iPadOS, OmniFocus utilizes the Today widget to give you a glance into your most important items (including upcoming tasks and task status), so you don’t have to open the app to view the same. Free, Paid (in-app purchase) Download OmniFocus: iOS
Choosing the Right To-Do or Reminder App to Keep on Top of Your Tasks
Listed above are some of the best to-do and reminder apps you can use on your Android or iOS smartphone. While all of these apps can help you create task lists, set reminders, and do a bunch of other things, we recommend you try out these apps yourself to find the best reminder app (or to-do app) out of this list that suits your requirements so you can stay on top of your tasks, and ultimately, be more productive. However, if you desire more features but don’t wish to pay for a premium subscription, you can also check out TickTick, which gets you a range of features to simplify task management.
