From a technical outlook, productivity is just a measure of the output we produce, given the time spent on the task. So what does it mean? Well, to be more productive means that we are producing more work and in turn be more resourceful. Or if we are happy with our current income then productivity will mean more time available to spend on things of our desire, i.e. more options in life. That’s why there are so called best productivity apps.
So, how do we become more productive?
Well, we can work harder, to get more things done. Isn’t obvious, right? Well no, studies have shown ‘will power’ to be an exhaustible source, and it can be completely used up; a concept called ego depletion. So what do we do? Effective time management is the key!
Many people use many techniques for effective time management. Many of these techniques are technological. That’s right, the computer wasn’t made for face-“booking” your time, no, it was made to save it. And these people have developed many applications and made them publicly available (with and without price tags).Many apps are also out there which are not technically for time management, but they make work so easy that it’s indirect time management.
Many apps are also out there which are not technically for time management, but they make work so easy that it’s indirect time management.
So, without further ado here is our choice of the best productivity apps.
(These apps are for the Android, some of them do have Apple devices and Windows counterparts)
Microsoft Office 365(Office Mobile)
Microsoft office is the most ancient and familiar office ecosystem out there. And so the company has provided its Office 365 service. The online service is the right way to access all your files on cloud. The mobile apps have significantly less number of features though in the free version. But, with a subscription things get a little better, all in the case of mobiles and tablets. For PC usage its great. The app is available for all the three platforms; Android, iOS, and the Web.
Google Drive
Own 15GB free cloud space with google’s own free cloud-storage service. Upgrade options include 100GB to 30TB of storage space with a monthly subscription of $2-$300 a month. Its has an excellent search system and it provides offline access to your files via both its web and mobile apps.
Google Hangouts
Want to have one-on-one or group conversations. Don’t have the time to go to a coffee shop. Well, Google’s free Hangout service makes it all the easier. The capability of performing group voice calls or video calls is just an app’s download away. It provides you with a good quality experience, as long as you provide it with a good quality internet service. Google users can make free and unlimited calls. Voice calls to regular phones within Canada and the US is free. Outside countries can still be called but “a per minute” fee is needed.
Trello
Working in a team? Working alone with multiple devices? Trello is the digital/virtual partner for you. It offers an easy and organized management system no matter which platform it is accessed from and the data remains synced. Its interface uses an intuitive whiteboard interface.
Wunderlist
Let me put it straight. The simplest of the things are the most beautiful. And for lists, it couldn’t be truer. Wunderlist is the Wonder app when it comes to task management. It’s minimalistic interface puts your tasks front and center, organized into topic-oriented lists, and it looks just as good whether you’re on Android, iOS or the Web. Wunderlist offers the ability to share lists, comment, delegate tasks, set reminders, and attach and share photos and files to your to-dos.
Evernote
Want a notebook? Want a virtual notebook? Then Evernote is the app for you. Not only does it provides a notebook like service it also features regular to-do lists but also provides storage and management of photos, handwritten notes and articles for the web.in addition the company provides a business-focused platform designed for large scale company-wide collaboration. Evernote is one of the best productivity apps out there.
We all have time to surf the web a little in a day. But do we have time enough to go through all the contents, especially the ones we found interesting? Sadly, no! And we do get the time, we forget most about it. So ‘pocket’ provides us a convenient means to do the desired. It integrates all the major platforms and allows to save articles for later with a couple of quick clicks. And it provides access from all devices online or offline. It also allows you to save photos and videos. And now, you can easily pocket the time you gain by using this best productivity app.
QuickBooks
Quickbooks is the standard for small business accounting and that tells a lot about its capability. It’s cross-platform usage, and tons of helpful functionalities make it invaluable. Budget management, expense tracking, invoice creation and fulfillment, you name it, it does it. But sadly it’s not free. It needs a QuickBooks account which comes at a subscription of $13 per month to$125 per year.
Google Calendar
Want a calendar which you can access from any platform? Want the best in its kind? Google calendar is what you want. It offers a very simple and minimalistic interface to manage all your meetings, events which can all be shared with friends, family and colleagues.
LastPass
Many accounts with one password are too risky; it has a chance of being hacked. Many accounts with many passwords are also risky; you yourself may get logged out as you forgot what your password was. So what’s the solution? Well yes, you need to have many passwords to save all your accounts. And you also need one app to save and manage all those passwords. Goodbye hackers and goodbye bad memory problems. InfoWorld’s recent choice of the best password manager, LastPass helps in the creation of strong and unique passwords and helps to keep secure track of them. It comes with AES 256-bit encryption, local only decryption and multifactor authentication. In plain English, it means less to worry about security in the virtual word.
Have more productivity apps in mind? Do share them by commenting below!
