Top 6 Apps to Enhance Productivity

The rise of smartphones and tablets has led to thousands of apps that make your life much easier than it probably was five or 10 years ago. There are also a number of apps available that will help make you more productive.

Here are six apps that enhance productivity, giving you the benefits of peace of mind and more free time:

1. FocusList for iOS, Mac and Android

Sometimes you know everything you need to get done — you just need help organizing it all in an easy-to-manage way.

The new FocusList app does just that, allowing users to write down all of the tasks for a day and split bigger jobs into smaller ones.

To keep you on task, the app utilizes the Pomodoro technique. You deep-focus on a task for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break and repeat until the task is completed.

Users can also keep track of their activity on a day-to-day basis, with stats history that includes items such as Pomodoros per day and what times you spent working.

2. Kommute for iOS

For the on-the-go crowd, a lack of a constant reliable mobile internet connection can be an issue. This is particularly the case for commuters on a subway or frequent fliers on an airplane.

The Kommute app from Red Brick Labs helps you at least keep up on the news without an internet connection by scouring pages of websites and making the data available when your device is disconnected.

The app includes customizable features such as the ability to choose which sites and information you’d like to download to help save data usage. It can also alert commuters at a specific time each day so they remember to download their sites before they head underground to the subway.

3. Dropbox for iOS

Dropbox certainly isn’t new, but it just added a handful of new features on the app that enhance your productivity and ease work for you and your colleagues.

New features include the ability to scan documents into the cloud, while also boosting the security features for file sharing. Those who use Dropbox Business can now also search for text inside scanned documents.

The new-look version of the app now includes a plus button used to easily add content or files to Dropbox from your phone. You can also use the plus button to start a Microsoft Office document from the iOS app, which can be invaluable for iPhone owners on the go who constantly use Microsoft’s various apps.

4. Google Drive for Android and iOS

Google Drive is similar to Dropbox, although it might be more attractive to Android users given its affinity to Google and Android (however, there is an iOS version as well).

The headlining feature of the Google Drive app allows for cloud storage, with which you can upload and share any kind of file. Google Drive also integrates with other Google products, such as Keep, Docs, Sheets, Photos and Slides.

In short, Google Drive will give you a strong presence in the cloud right in the palm of your hand.

5. IF by IFTTT for Android and iOS

The IF app allows you to customize your smartphone by setting up a series of “if, then” rules called recipes for your apps. The app takes some time to set up, but once it’s up and running, it can be a real time saver.

For example, you can use IF to post all of your Instagram photos on Twitter automatically. The possibilities are nearly endless. You could save tweets that you favorite to Evernote, automatically text your family when you check in at the supermarket, post videos you like on Vimeo or YouTube to your blog, or post your Facebook status updates to other sites such as LinkedIn or Tumblr.

In addition to your smartphone, the IF app can connect to other devices such as Fitbit, Nest Thermostat and Philips Hue lightbulbs.

6. 1Password for Android and iOS

If you’re a busy person — and even if you’re not — you likely have plenty of online accounts you need to sign in and out of. With the 1Password app from AgileBits, you can save time by allowing it to remember passwords and other information for you.

The app helps you generate strong and unique passwords for all of your accounts, and then secures them behind one saved password that only you know. Also, the app isn’t only limited to passwords — it can also help remember other information such as credit card numbers, locker combinations or street addresses.

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of apps that enhance productivity. These six are a good start, but there are no doubt more available, with plenty more to come. Being productive has never been so easy.

The Top Apps to Enhance Productivity

While there are plenty of tools out there, these are the top apps that will aid your productivity. Consider starting with one at a time, as you will need to figure out how each app works.