Any.DO: Task List App Review

There are many to-do and task apps in the market, but none of them could convince me to actually use one. I do invest time in using note-based apps, and my favourites are Color Notes and Catch. I use Color Notes because of its widgets, and I use Catch because I can manage the notes on the web interface.

I don't use task apps because they are either too basic or too complex. For simple ones, you create a list and set a reminder. If you are busy when the reminder sounds, you stop it, and probably end up forgetting about it. The date for each task is fixed and will be marked as "overdue" if you skip them. You might have to revisit these past tasks that you actually did not really do it and reschedule them again so that you get new reminders. For complex ones, you get to customise priority, set your alert preference, sort in different categories or folders, present your schedule in details, lets you add files, hashtag, etc. Very comprehensive, but too much decision points just to create simple tasks.

I just need an app to create some tasks, remind me of them when it comes, with the ease to postpone it if needed, and constantly keep these tasks on the list until I mark them as done.

Any.DO does all these in a very effective workflow.

First, you create tasks, determine the to-do dates, and set optional reminder alerts. The tasks can be recurring or one-time. Any.DO is smart to suggest phrases as you type, and even suggest names found in your contacts list. You can easily re-arrange tasks by dragging on the task list. You can choose to display either by folder or by date.

Then every day, on a predefined time, Any.DO will ask you to review the tasks that are marked for to be done on the day. At this point, Any.DO will run through the tasks one by one, and you can decide whether you will do it today, or decide to postpone them to a future date.

After reviewing your daily plan, Any.DO will pop-up the task at the reminder time. You can pick whether to cancel the task, set as complete, or postpone with predefined timings, like 15 mins, 1 hour, or next day. The options are presented in colour icon selections: no dropdown or multiple fields to pick and click "OK". The reminders are clear and easy to respond, something which I really like.

Another great feature is the integration to Google Chrome as an extension app, allowing you to manage your tasks on your PC. Any.DO extension also integrates to your Gmail so that you can create tasks as you read your mails. When you review your tasks on the Chrome extension, these tasks would have an email icon that links back to the very email that you created the task for. You will also find Any.DO under the Chrome context menu, allowing you to highlight any text and add instantly to Any.DO as a task.

What I also like is that Any.DO does not store the original task's date. It doesn't matter if you postpone the task for weeks or months. The task remains fresh on the list and will remind you faithfully based on your reminder setting.

I can't say Any.DO is the best to-do task app because different people have different needs. Any.DO certainly meets my basic needs of creating tasks easily, auto-runs a daily summary of tasks with the ability to reschedule them, alerts me when the task is up with the ability to postpone them. I also love the Windows Phone Metro-inspired minimalist interface.

Download and enjoy the experience of tasking! Available on Android Google Play and Apple iOS.

Developer's website

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