The apps are available on Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad. Check out our 15 day free trial of Things for Mac. MacOS 10.13+ $49.99 (US) view in your currency. Download Free Trial; For iPhone & Watch. IOS 12.1+ $9.99 (US) view in your currency. IOS 12.1+ $19.99 (US). The app from Cultured Code is one of the most aesthetically pleasing to-do apps out there.
Sometimes, pen and paper just don't cut it. It's easy to forget or lose where you've written down everything you want to get done. On other occasions, it's just impossible to fit everything on one Post-It note.
Thankfully, there are plenty of options when it comes to digital to-do lists. The productivity sections on most app stores are crammed with tools to help you organise your life. There's a real range of to-do software out there: some are feature rich and others are little more than a simple checklist. Whatever your way of working, there's a technology-enabled solution.
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To save you the time of sorting through all the apps, here is a selection of some of the best.
Looking for more productivity apps and services? Check out our guided to the best iOS apps and best Android apps.
Things
The app from Cultured Code is one of the most aesthetically pleasing to-do apps out there. Unfortunately, it is only for iOS and Mac but there are ton of options for those who decide to go for the app. Tasks can have large headings with sub-groups and checklists underneath them, you can drag tasks with a finger on mobile to reorder them, and reminders can be set to pop up at a specific time. There's a fairly high cost to Things: on Mac it is £48.99, iPad £19.99 and £9.99 for iPhones.
Todoist
Todoist attempts to gamify productivity. For completing tasks you get awarded karma and over time it is possible to track how much you are getting done. There are apps for almost every device (web, iOS, desktop and Android), plus it also integrates with web browsers and there are plugins for Gmail and Outlook. There are options to review the upcoming week, colour code priority tasks, and delegate items to other people in shared lists. There are two tiers of Todoist: a free version exists but there's also a premium model that adds extra features – such as location-based reminders, templates for tasks and automatic backups – that costs £27.99 per year.
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Omnifocus
This Apple-only productivity manager is built for people who like to seriously organise themselves. It's based on the Getting Things Done time management method and has options for seemingly every possibility. Omnifocus has folders, subfolders, projects, contexts, flags, reviews, forecasts and much more. Custom views can show only the next task in each product to help you keep focus. For some people, there may be too many options. A Pro version lets you run AppleScripts to add automation and offers more extra features. On Mac the standard version costs $39.99 (Pro is $79.99) and iOS is £39.99 (Pro: $59.99).
Wunderlist
This German-created app is on its last legs. After Microsoft purchased the startup that created it in 2015, the tech giant committed to closing Wunderlist. Microsoft is replacing it with a Wunderlist clone called To-Do but so far it hasn't managed to replicate its success. Wunderlist is still one of the best options out there at the moment. It's free, easy to use, syncs incredibly quickly, has options for due dates, sub-tasks, attachments and much more. Most importantly, it's available across all devices. The big caveat is that we don't know when Microsoft will pull the curtains on the service for good.
Tasks/Reminders
The chances that you own either an iPhone or Android device are pretty high. If you're looking for a barebones to-do list tool that's built specifically for your phone then both Apple and Android-based phones have their own offerings. Both are straightforward and don't come with any thrills. On iOS and Macs, Reminders is a checklist based tool that lets you have multiple lists and items contained within each. You can also set when and where you want to be reminded, add notes and due times. Whereas on Android, Google has recently released Tasks, a new app that's fairly similar to Reminders. There aren't any advanced features but Google's version works with Gmail and its other apps.
If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier or a Windows PC, use iTunes to share files between your computer and your iOS or iPadOS device.
Other ways to share
Learn about other ways you can share files between your Mac and your devices. These features work wirelessly.
iCloud Drive lets you securely access all of your documents from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. No matter which device you're using, you'll always have the most up-to-date documents when and where you need them.
With Handoff, you can start a document, email, or message on one device and pick up where you left off on another device. Handoff works with Apple apps such as Mail, Safari, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar, Contacts, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. It also works with some third-party apps.
Best To Do App For Mac And Iphone
AirDrop lets you instantly share your photos, videos, documents, and more with other Apple devices that are nearby.
What you need to use the Finder to share files
- An iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with the latest version of iOS or iPadOS
- An iOS or iPadOS app that works with File Sharing
See the iOS and iPadOS apps that can share files with your Mac
- Open a Finder window.
- Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer with a USB cable.
- Select your device in the Finder. Learn what to do if your computer doesn't recognize your device.
- Click the Files tab to see a list of apps that can share files. If you don't see a Files section, your device doesn't have any apps that can share files.
- Click the triangle next to an app to see the files that you can share.
Copy from your Mac to your device
- Select the files that you want to copy. Select only files that work with the app. Check the app’s user guide to see which ones work.
- Drag the files to the app on your device. The Finder copies the files to your device.
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Copy from your device to your Mac
- Select the files that you want to copy.
- Drag the files to a folder on your computer. The Finder copies the files to your computer.
Open shared files
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, use the app that you chose in the Files tab to open files that you shared from your computer.
Depending on the file type, some apps can't open files in other apps or locations. You can see the list of files in the Files tab of the Finder when your device is connected to your computer.
Back up shared files
When iCloud or your computer backs up your device, it backs up your shared files as well.
If you delete an app with shared files from your iOS or iPadOS device, you also delete those shared files from your device and your iCloud or computer backup. To avoid losing shared files, copy the files to your computer before deleting the app from your device.
Delete shared files from your device
- Open a Finder window on your Mac.
- Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable.
- Select your device in the Finder. Learn what to do if your computer doesn't recognize your device.
- Select the app from the list in the Files section.
- In the Documents list, select the file that you want to delete, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
- When the Finder asks you to confirm, click Delete.
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There might be other ways to delete files from an app. See the app's user guide to find out more.