10 productivity apps for your smartphone to make you more efficient

Apps for productivity
© Heather Mcardle | Dreamstime.com

Have you ever tried to balance a dozen tasks and burned yourself out? If you use your smartphone or tablet for work or just want to stay connected to your team, you already know how much of a hassle it can be. Mobile isn’t always the best choice.

Unless you have the right apps. Whether you’re on iPhone or Android, there are bound to be apps from this list that will change your workflow for the better.

Let’s make you and your phone more productive and save you time. Keep reading for 10 must-have apps.

1. Trello

Trello is one of the most-used Kanban-style task systems in the world. It offers a simple interface, an easy way to make cards and assign individuals to unique tasks. Make checklists, use Power-Ups to repeat certain card functions and use them for personal or work.

Trello can be used creatively to assign chores to your children and get alerted when they check off an item from their list or simply to organize completed tasks in remote teams so everyone knows where the workflow is. The free Trello is available for iOS and Android.

2. ProofHub

ProofHub is another freemium app that lets you track your Kanban boards, custom workflows and even assign roles. It can be used to organize tasks and events for an individual, although it works great as a collaborative tool.

You can mention (@ people), chat and host discussions to bring everyone up to speed without hopping on a Zoom call. If you’re trying to improve workflow for yourself or your team, ProofHub is the way to go. The free ProofHub app is available for iOS and Android.

3. Calendly

Calendly was a startup that became a must-have app for almost any business. With Calendly, you can send your open availability and allow others to book sections of your time. It means they build your schedule with engagements (if you allow them to), so you aren’t spending time mixing a schedule.

You can also charge for your time. Consultants and professionals can make money by “hopping on a call real quick,” so they make the most of their time. The free Calendly app is available for iOS and Android.

4. Dropbox

It’s like Google Drive, only better. Dropbox allows you to store data even with its free plan. Make backups of important information and documents, collaborate on files and access what you need with excellent speeds just about anywhere.

Dropbox isn’t a revolutionary idea or app, but you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to make an excellent service like this. The free Dropbox app is available for iOS and Android.

5. Grammarly

Grammarly helps fix your writing by making smart suggestions and helping fine-tune sentences. However, it can sometimes be a little textbook, so conversational tones may get lost. You’ll want to approve or disapprove individual suggestions.

It helps make writing more concise for text messages and emails, so you get your point across without stuffing in unnecessary words. The free Grammarly app is available for iOS and Android.

6. Forest

In an attention-economy world, we must make the most of our time instead of giving it away. Forest helps you put down your phone and focus on work. It stalls notifications and lets them through when your time block has ended.

Studies show it takes just over 23 minutes to focus on a task after a distraction. The app helps you stay in a productive mindset and mode instead. It’s simple but effective. The Forest app costs $3.99 for iOS and offers in-app purchases on Android.

7. Pocket

This one is especially cool. Pocket allows you to save things that you want to read for later. While Pocket wants you to share what you’re saving on social media, it can be used as a solo app to simply bookmark articles and videos so you can view them later.

Remember when you said, “I’ll remember it,” and never did? Us too. Pocket is helpful in remembering something you wanted to read or watch for yourself. The Pocket app is free to install for iOS and Android and offers in-app purchases.

8. Notion

This app has swept the professional world by storm. You can take notes, build websites, manage teams and more. Notion requires some know-how, but they make it easy to begin. There’s almost nothing that this little wonder can’t do. The Notion app is free to install for iOS and Android and offers in-app purchases.

9. Todoist

Todoist is a task list app and organizer to help you with time management and task tracking. Create an item on your list, give it a deadline and organize it in either personal, work or family tabs. You can apply filters if you have a busy schedule and see events or upcoming appointments if you need to block everything else out without deleting it.

Todoist stands to be the last list-based app that anyone could ask for. The Todoist app is free to install for iOS and Android and offers in-app purchases.

10. Clockify

Have trouble balancing your time and managing it properly? Clockify can help with personal time management, but it can also work as a time-tracking tool for employees. Schedule billable hours, keep track of time-based invoicing and record expenses.

You can even track how long you’re using specific apps, so you can better understand how your time is really being spent. If you want to shave off time and maximize productivity, Clockify is waiting for you. The free Clockify app is available for iOS and Android.

Improve your productivity, one app at a time

Which apps did you find the most useful for your current needs? Get used to one at a time and slowly incorporate it into your workflow so you don’t get overwhelmed and work up from there. These apps can save you time, money and stress if you put them to good use.

Tags: Android, Apple, Apple iPhone, apps, Dropbox, Google, Grammarly, Pocket, Productivity, speed, time management