Latest news with #TickTick
Android Authority
3 days ago
- Android Authority
These are the 6 Android widgets I simply can't live without
Megan Ellis / Android Authority From calendars to reminder apps, everyone has their own list of the best Android widgets. For me, widgets help me get overviews of various things without needing to open up the app that they're linked to. I recently switched to a new smartphone, and while there are certain things I do whenever I set up a new phone, I also realized that I needed to refresh some of my widget setups. As a result, these ones have become indispensable to my daily routine. 1. TickTick Megan Ellis / Android Authority TickTick is the best to-do list app in my opinion, and its widgets also help to keep me organized. On an average day, my executive functioning is impaired — meaning I often forget tasks and need frequent reminders to get things done. But lately, I've also been particularly forgetful due to stress. TickTick's widgets have become another way I keep on top of tasks without overwhelming myself with notifications. I use two widgets from TickTick: one to quickly create new tasks, and one that gives me an overview of all overdue and upcoming tasks. In addition to the regular reminders that TickTick sends me for tasks, the widgets help me quickly get an overview of what I need to do without needing to remember to open up the app. 2. Google Calendar Megan Ellis / Android Authority While I've started using TickTick's widget to tackle my increasing forgetfulness, Google Calendar's widget has been a mainstay on my devices for years. It's not the most attractive widget, but it gets the job done. With the month widget on my secondary home screen, I can get a good look at all my upcoming events and meetings. Calendar helps me when I have events I need to prepare for, such as trips to local phone launches. This also helps me when I have events I need to prepare for, such as trips to local phone launches. In these cases, a reminder a day before wouldn't really help me prepare. But seeing the entire month on a small widget lets me ensure that I get the right groceries, shift any recurring appointments, and see which days I will need to put more hours into my work to get it done. I have been playing around with the Month: Calendar Widget app to see if I can find a more visually appealing look while still pulling the appointments and events that are saved to my Google Calendar. But so far, I continue to rely on Google Calendar thanks to dark mode. 3. Vocabulary Megan Ellis / Android Authority Vocabulary is one of the apps I use to learn something new every day. With notifications enabled, it sends me words that it thinks I'll be interested in learning. But on days where I receive too many notifications across different apps, I often dismiss all my notifications at once. The Vocabulary widget lets me learn new words even when I'm overwhelmed by notifications. The widget lets me reap the benefits of the app even if I don't open it up. It refreshes once or twice an hour (though the frequency can be set to more regularly), so usually whenever I check my phone I am greeted by a new word. 4. Clock/Weather Megan Ellis / Android Authority There are plenty of clock and weather apps to choose from, but the default Weather app on my HONOR smartphone lets me combine the time, date, and weather forecast into a single widget on my home screen. This is especially useful when I'm waking up in the morning and want to get an idea of what the weather is like outside. I do wish that there was a way to quickly see the forecast for the next few days, but I use a Google automation to send me the next few days' weather outlook during the evening. I have also set up an IFTTT notification to warn me if the weather is going to be above a certain temperature. If you're looking for an app with similar functionality to HONOR's clock and weather widget, you can try an app like Digital Clock & Weather Widget. 5. Brave Search Megan Ellis / Android Authority I switched from Chrome to Brave a few months ago, and I am glad I made the change. I love Brave's features and find its search engine to be better than Google's ad-ridden rival. When exploring widgets on my new phone, I realized that I can replace the usual Google Search widget with one that uses Brave Search instead. The widget gives me quick access to a search query in Brave and the ability to voice search. I also prefer using the Brave widget over my usual Brave app shortcut so that I don't get distracted by my most recent tab — which can sometimes send me down a rabbit hole if it's a topic I'm interested in. 6. Xiaomi Home Megan Ellis / Android Authority I was initially excited for Google Home to roll out more useful widgets, but the app is incredibly buggy for me in general. It often shows my devices as offline even when they're not, so the widgets are of no use to me. Rather, I use Xiaomi Home's widgets for quick access to my most important smart home devices. Google Home is very buggy for me, so I use Xiaomi Home's widgets instead. I've set up two Xiaomi Home widgets on my smartphone: one for my smart camera, and another for my smart fan. These are the smart devices I access the most, so the shortcuts are incredibly useful. On a recent trip, I used the camera widget to quickly access my home's video feed to check that everything was fine back home. Easier access to my camera also means that I use the camera more frequently, often to check up on one of my cats when he hasn't come to bed. Since it's winter now, I don't use my smart fan shortcut as much. But it's essential in summer to quickly turn my fan on and off at night. It also proved useful during autumn, when the weather was inconsistent and I would only realize after I went to sleep if I needed to turn the fan on or off to keep a comfortable temperature. While everyone will have their own widget preferences depending on the services they use, these widgets have become essential to the way I use my phone. They save me time and prevent me from getting easily distracted by directly accessing the features I need.
Android Authority
08-07-2025
- Android Authority
I gave Google Tasks another shot — and remembered why I left
Andy Walker / Android Authority I'm not a calendar person. My day sliced into blue and yellow chunks down to the last minute — even telling me when to eat or take a break — isn't the kind of rigidity I can live with. That's far too structured for me. I instead swear by a hotchpotch system of Post-it notes, the good-old paper and pen, and most importantly, my task managing app — TickTick. TickTick is where all my personal and work tasks live, giving me a clear view of what needs to be done, whether it's for the day or the week. It's packed with features to the brim and has been my go-to for ages now. Google Tasks is to task managers what Google Keep is to note-takers. But every now and then, Google tweaks something in its Tasks app, and I get tempted to give it another try. I've had these urges several times over the past few years — and each time, I've come back annoyed by the app and frustrated that I still can't complete my productivity stack with just Google apps. My latest attempt with Google Tasks, though, has convinced me I need to suppress my urges more deftly. What's your go-to app for managing tasks or reminders? 0 votes Whatever came preinstalled on my phone NaN % I'm a TickTick fan too! NaN % I use something else (comment below) NaN % What app? I stick to pen and paper! NaN % How basic can a tool be? Andy Walker / Android Authority Ask Google Tasks. No seriously. Google Tasks is to task managers what Google Keep is to note-takers — it gets the basics right, and it's really well-made for that. But ask it to do just a little bit more, and it falls flat. Even after all these years, it feels like Google is offering the absolute bare minimum it needs to call this a task manager. You can add tasks, set timed reminders, set repeat frequencies, sort them into custom lists, and star the important ones. That's… pretty much the whole app. This refreshed hands-on of mine should ideally end right here. But coming from something as packed as TickTick, I've got a loooong list of things I missed — or, to put it more constructively, things Google still needs to add. You can add tasks, set timed reminders, set repeat frequencies, sort them into custom lists, and star the important ones. That's... pretty much the whole app. I just want the essentials package TickTick has truly spoiled me. It's got everything you could ask for — and then some. But for Google Tasks to be a decent alternative, it doesn't need to match TickTick feature for feature. It just needs to give users better control over their tasks and time. For example, while Google has improved its repeat frequency options since I last used Tasks, it still doesn't allow for reminders on the first or last workday of the month. That might sound like a small thing, but I rely on it to send out invoices, making it hard to live without. Then there's the matter of priority. Right now, all you can do is star a task. That's fine if your list is short, but once you go over a dozen tasks, it's not quite enough. Surely, calling your bank at their suggested time deserves more weight than remembering to cancel your Apple Music trial — yet both just sit there, equally ranked. What still surprises me most is the lack of sharing. This is Google — the company that basically wrote the book on collaborative tools inside Drive. And yet, there's no way to share tasks or lists with someone else on Google Tasks. I frequently share lists with friends and teammates on TickTick, and it's baffling that this simply isn't an option with Google. There's also no location-based reminders — something Google Keep has had forever. Add to that the lack of a desktop app, having to open a specific browser profile just to see my tasks, and no Mac widgets — and the friction just keeps adding up. And the list goes on and on. TickTick is the task manager to beat And at this point, I genuinely think Google should just copy it. Megan Ellis / Android Authority TickTick feels almost magical with its in-line natural language parsing. Type 'Pick up groceries on Friday at 6 PM,' and it automatically files it under the right day and time. It supports markdown too — so you can tag with #, assign lists with ~, and assign priorities with !. You can add images, attachments, and notes to your tasks. Google already lets you set up reminders in your natural language using Assistant and Gemini — it just forgot to bring them over to Tasks. The subtask feature in TickTick is something I use a lot. You can add a checklist within a task, see a satisfying little progress bar, and it marks the whole thing complete only when every item is ticked off. It's perfect for structured to-dos and also lets you add bulleted notes for a quick overview. I also recently moved from TickTick's standard list view to its kanban-style board — and it's been a game-changer. Everything feels more spacious, and I'm less overwhelmed by all my unticked tasks. And TickTick's desktop app is a real blessing. I can add tasks without getting distracted by Instagram DMs. Everything I just mentioned is part of TickTick's free plan. I haven't found another task manager that matches it on so many fronts. If you're not tied to an ecosystem of apps, it helpfully plugs into literally everything: Slack, Outlook, Alexa, IFTTT, Google Voice, Assistant — you name it. And the best part? Everything I just mentioned is part of TickTick's free plan. I haven't found another task manager that matches it on so many fronts. Google can, and Google should Andy Walker / Android Authority This may read like an emotional monologue from a dramedy that earns it applause, but really, Google has the talent and resources to make Tasks great. It could easily bake in the collaboration magic of Docs and add location- and weekday-based reminder options. With just a few smart updates, Google Tasks could go from a bare-bones product to the default task manager every Android user just ends up using, like Gmail or Keep. I get that not everyone actually wants or needs this level of control. And sure, people like me already have alternatives. But it's always better to have the option and not need it than the other way around. And I'm not asking this of a tiny startup scraping by on a subscription model — I'm asking this of a multi-billion-dollar company that's already pouring resources into Gemini and AI. Why not bring some of that goodness into an essential product like Tasks, too? If Tasks wants to be part of my productivity stack, it's going to have to do a little more. That day, for now, feels far off.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
Best iPad apps to boost productivity and make your life easier
Apple's iPads come with built-in productivity tools like Notes, Calendar, and Reminders, but if you'd like to explore new ways to maximize productivity and organize your life, there are many apps out there to help you. Although the iPad started off as a device that could be used to stream content or browse the web on the go, Apple has essentially turned its iPads into computers that can handle a variety of different tasks for personal, work, and school use. As a result, there are numerous apps to help you do things like create a single place to organize your life or help you stay focused on your day-to-day tasks by blocking out distractions. We've compiled a list of some of the best ones that are available on the App Store. Goodnotes is one of the most popular iPad apps, and for good reason. The app is great for people who like to write out notes using an Apple Pencil; you can include both handwritten and typed text on one page and add things like images, stickers, and even doodles. You can create a digital notebook with blank or ruled paper for notes, checklists, planners, and more. The app lets you export entire digital notebooks or specific pages into PDFs and other files. Goodnotes is also great for drawing and sketching. While it's not as advanced as some creativity apps like Procreate, Goodnotes is easy to use and perfect for quick sketches or diagrams. If you're attending a class or a meeting, you can also record audio notes that are synced to the moment you write. Plus, you can use AI to summarize your notes and help you write. You can create three digital notebooks for free. If you want unlimited notebooks, you'll have to pay $9.99 per year or a one-time fee of $29.99. If you're not a fan of your iPad's built-in Reminders app, or you just want a more advanced to-do list and task management app, TickTick might be a good choice. You can use it for both professional and personal tasks. The app lets you sync tasks across all of your devices and integrate your favorite calendar app. You can create checklists, set recurring tasks, upload attachments to tasks, share task lists to collaborate with others, and more. If you want to develop a habit, such as meditating before bed, you can set your goals in the app and track your progress. And if you get an email but don't have time to respond to it, you can turn it into a task to remind yourself not to forget to respond to it. You can also add tags to your tasks to better manage them, and you can mark tasks based on their priority. If you want to focus on a specific task, you can turn on the app's 'pomo timer,' which is based on the Pomodoro Technique that breaks work into focused intervals to maximize productivity. TickTick is free to use, but if you want additional features like the ability to add up to five reminders to a task or more lists and tasks, then you'll pay $3.99 per month or $35.99 per year. Forest is an interesting app that gamifies productivity while helping the environment. If you're someone who struggles to stay on a task or are easily distracted, then this app might be good for you. When you need to focus on something, you can open the app and plant a tree. Your tree will then grow as you focus on and finish your work. If you leave the app before the timer finishes, then your tree will wither and die. You can set 'Allow Lists' for different apps that you're using to be productive, like an email app or Microsoft Word. The app also lets you track your productivity. Over time, you create a digital forest that visualizes your productivity. If you're competitive, you can share your forest with others to see how it compares to theirs. As you stay focused and grow virtual trees, you can earn coins that you can save to help plant actual trees around the world through tree-planting organization Trees for the Future. Forest costs $3.99 to download, and you can buy in-app boosts to grow your forest and plant real trees faster. Notion is a great app for taking notes, managing tasks and workflows, organizing lists and habits, collaborating with others, and more. Instead of having to go to different apps to manage your calendar, tasks, and notes, you can get all of this done right within Notion. You can integrate the different apps that you use, like Slack and Dropbox, in order to combine all of your workflows in one place. One of the great things about Notion is its flexibility and customization options. You can customize it to be what you need, whether it's to organize your personal or work life, your schoolwork, or your passion projects. If you're not sure where to start, you can use templates to create things like a travel planner or a product roadmap. Notion also has an AI feature that helps you write and brainstorm ideas. Notion AI can help you get answers about your content and turn large amounts of data into digestible action items. Notion offers a free plan for personal use. The company also offers an $8 per month Plus plan for small groups and a $15 per month Business plan for companies. You get 20 AI responses for free; after that you pay $10 per member per month. Sometimes planning what to eat can take up a lot of time, leaving less time for other tasks, so it can be nice to have an app to help with that. Crouton, meant to help make cooking and meal planning easier, is great for organizing recipes and planning grocery lists. You can import recipes from websites or even scan them from a physical cookbook. So, instead of relying on bookmarked or physical recipes, you can store them together in one place. You can plan out your meals for the week, and if you get stumped on what to make one day, the app can generate a meal plan for you. Once you have planned your meals for the week, you can create a grocery list that includes all of the ingredients you will need. Crouton also features an in-app timer, so you don't have to use a different app when you have time-specific steps of a recipe. Plus, you can share your recipes with others, whether to tell your family what's for dinner or if you came across a recipe that you know your friend would love. Crouton offers basic features for free, but if you want unlimited recipes and additional features, there's a $14.99 yearly subscription. Freedom is a great app for blocking distractions in order to focus on your work and be more productive. You can start a Freedom session to block distractions across all of your devices for a select amount of time. You can choose which websites and apps you want to block during that time. So if you're getting work done on your iPad, but then try to open TikTok on your phone, you won't be able to and will instead see a green screen. The app lets you start a session right away, schedule an upcoming one, or set a recurring one. If you know that you need to be free of distractions at a certain time every day, you can set up a Freedom session to start at that specific time each day. If you're someone who listens to specific sounds to help you focus, Freedom offers a variety that you can listen to. For example, you can listen to the sounds of a coffee shop in a city like New York or Berlin, the sounds of birds chirping, calming instrumentals, and more. The app, which costs $3.99 per month, is pretty easy to use and includes a series of different articles that feature tips on how to boost productivity and better understand digital wellness. Notability is a great note-taking app that lets you jot down thoughts, import and annotate textbooks, record audio, and sketch out ideas. The app is useful for both students and professionals, or even hobbyists. You can choose to take notes with an Apple Pencil, text, or audio. If you're trying to find something specific, the app lets you search your notes, including handwritten ones and any documents you have uploaded. Notability also features AI-generated note summaries and the ability to work on two different notes side by side. Plus, you can test your knowledge with personalized quizzes based on the content in your notes. If you need a place to start, Notability includes a gallery of templates for things like planners, study notes, to-do lists, and more. Notability is free but offers a $4.99 monthly subscription for access to additional features like math conversion, automatic audio transcription, unlimited notes, and more. Todoist is a simple and straightforward app that lets you record and organize tasks using natural language. You can add tasks like, 'Plan next week's work every Friday afternoon' or 'Do homework every Wednesday at 6 p.m.' to quickly organize and plan your life. You can sort tasks into 'Today,' 'Upcoming,' or custom filters to allow you to focus on what currently matters, which means that you only see what's relevant when you need it. Todoist can be used for organizing a variety of tasks, whether they're related to work, personal, education, or management goals and reminders. Plus, you can link Todoist with your calendar, voice assistant, and dozens of other tools such as Outlook, Gmail, and Slack. In addition to the iPad, you can access the service from your iPhone and Apple Watch, while syncing across desktop and all other devices. Todoist's basic features are available for free. You can unlock additional features, such as an AI assistant and a calendar layout for $4 per month with Todoist's 'Pro' subscription plan. Update: This story originally ran September 2024 and is updated regularly with new information. Sign in to access your portfolio
Android Authority
07-06-2025
- Android Authority
This free to-do list app keeps me organized and sane
Megan Ellis / Android Authority For a long time I wondered if I was simply immune to the productivity benefits of to-do list apps since they didn't actually help me complete my goals in the long-term. It seemed like if I wasn't able to complete a task right away, it would disappear into the ether, never to be seen again or ultimately completed. Then a colleague suggested TickTick to me in 2018. The app impressed me so much that I use it to this day even though more recent productivity apps have launched on the market — it has become one of the free apps I can't live without. What is your favorite to-do list app? 0 votes TickTick NaN % Todoist NaN % Google Tasks NaN % Microsoft To Do NaN % Another app (let us know in the comments!) NaN % TickTick continues to be the best to-do list app for me Megan Ellis / Android Authority A common problem I encounter when using productivity apps is that they try to do too much at once and it actually takes some time to set them up and get acquainted with their features. Considering I have ADHD, an app that can help me keep organized makes my life easier. But at the same time, I get overwhelmed when there's too much information to take in and too much to learn in a short period of time. It also means that when a task is not front-and-center, I will often forget about it. You can't count on me to open an app daily to check my reminders if it's not already in my daily routine. That's where TickTick excels — it's simple and intuitive and doesn't force you to get to grips with all of its features at once. And that's where TickTick excels — it's simple and intuitive and doesn't force you to get to grips with all of its features at once. In fact, you don't need to even create an account to get started. You simply install the app and start adding tasks right away. These tasks can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. For example, I usually set my tasks to be a simple text note that pops up at a certain time. But if you want to categorize your reminders, you can add tags, subtasks, priority flags, and attachments. You can also assign them to specific lists if you want to organize your tasks further. For example, I have lists for Shopping, Work, and Personal items. Other features include a calendar view (though some calendar views are locked behind a paywall), a habit tracker, an Eisenhower Matrix tab, and a newly launched countdown feature. But I mostly use it for the reminder features, in conjunction with other free apps that keep me organized. When I set reminders, they also live in my notification bar, even if I dismiss the initial popup. This takes care of the problem of needing a task to remain front-and-center. Whenever I check my phone, the list of daily tasks is there waiting for me. The feature that keeps me coming back Megan Ellis / Android Authority Besides its simple yet powerful interface, there's another feature that keeps me coming back to TickTick — the ability to snooze my notifications. This is the first thing that set apart the app for me and it ensured that even if I couldn't get to a task right away, I would be reminded of it later. You could argue that this just feeds into my habit of procrastinating, but more often than not, it gives me the time to prepare for the task and get started. For example, I may get a reminder to email someone when I'm not currently at my desk — so I can snooze it for 15 minutes while I finish my coffee and turn my PC on. If I realize I won't be getting to my task that day, I can snooze it to ping me the next day instead. This is perfect on days where something interrupts my schedule or I end up with an unexpected migraine and can't complete my tasks for the day. The app doesn't constantly send me notifications for lower priority tasks. At the same time, the app doesn't constantly send me notifications for lower priority tasks. If it did, the notifications would actually hamper my productivity rather than bolster it. I have a reminder for a blog post that has been sitting in my TickTick inbox for weeks, but that's not due to me forgetting it, but me struggling to find the time to complete it. So I let it sit in my inbox so that it stays in the periphery of tasks I must eventually accomplish, without it becoming a nuisance that causes me to prematurely dismiss it. Is TickTick's premium plan worth it? Megan Ellis / Android Authority So if TickTick is such a great app, why don't I subscribe to the premium plan? This mostly has to do with my own personal preferences and keeping my software subscriptions to a minimum. There was a time I was subscribed to the app's premium plan, but I ended up canceling my subscription because I wasn't using the premium features enough to justify the cost. I think that TickTick's premium version is one of the better options out. That said, I do think that TickTick's premium version is one of the better options out there if you're looking for a to-do list app that can integrate with other software and sync multiple calendars. The annual plan costs $35.99, making it more affordable than many of its alternatives. With the premium version, you get access to more calendar views, the filter feature, more lists, more active tasks, the Constant Reminder feature, and more attachments per day. Since I value TickTick's simplicity, its free plan does more than enough for me. I am also able to sync my smartphone's local calendars without needing the premium plan. But if you like TickTick and you just want to extend its functionality, then I'd recommend trying out its premium version. Are there any TickTick alternatives out there? Megan Ellis / Android Authority While TickTick is perfect for my needs, you might still be on the lookout for other to-do list apps that have certain features or integrations. While the premium version of TickTick supports integration with calendars and more calendar views, not everyone wants to have to pay for a reminder app. If TickTick isn't for you, consider one of these alternatives: Todoist: While some people might find Todoist a bit overwhelming, it includes plenty of features in its free version. One of Todoist's best features is the availability of templates, which you can copy over to create tasks from. For example, the Shopping List template gives you categories and items you can edit and then check off. Its calendar view is also better at getting a days-long overview of what you have ahead of you. I also like that you can enable morning and evening overviews for your tasks, which would be useful for people that like to check-in with their daily progress. While some people might find Todoist a bit overwhelming, it includes plenty of features in its free version. One of Todoist's best features is the availability of templates, which you can copy over to create tasks from. For example, the Shopping List template gives you categories and items you can edit and then check off. Its calendar view is also better at getting a days-long overview of what you have ahead of you. I also like that you can enable morning and evening overviews for your tasks, which would be useful for people that like to check-in with their daily progress. Google Tasks: If you're looking for a completely free to-do list app, then Tasks includes essential features such as checklists and reminders. The app is best suited for those who already use other Google apps such as Google Calendar and Gmail since it allows you to create new tasks from within them. If you're looking for a completely free to-do list app, then Tasks includes essential features such as checklists and reminders. The app is best suited for those who already use other Google apps such as Google Calendar and Gmail since it allows you to create new tasks from within them. Microsoft To Do: If you're a heavy user of Microsoft's apps, then Microsoft To Do is a fitting option to sort and organize your tasks. The app does require a Microsoft account to sign up, but this allows you to integrate your flagged Outlook emails as tasks and sync assigned tasks with Planner. If you're a heavy user of Microsoft's apps, then Microsoft To Do is a fitting option to sort and organize your tasks. The app does require a Microsoft account to sign up, but this allows you to integrate your flagged Outlook emails as tasks and sync assigned tasks with Planner. Another robust free to-do list app, has useful features like an overview tab for your schedule and an intuitive, categorized grocery list template. Its calendar view is also more intuitive than TickTick's limited free calendar view. Another robust free to-do list app, has useful features like an overview tab for your schedule and an intuitive, categorized grocery list template. Its calendar view is also more intuitive than TickTick's limited free calendar view. ClickUp: If you're looking for an app that still has a free version, but packs in a bunch of productivity features, then ClickUp is a good choice that includes to-do lists and reminders. In addition to your tasks, you can also add documents and events, track time spent on tasks, and collaborate with team members. Each to-do list app has its strength and weaknesses, but I find that TickTick is the most feature-rich while also addressing the specific pain points I have with reminder apps. Then again, you could always get ChatGPT to send you reminders.
Android Authority
27-05-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
These are the 6 Google apps I always install on a new Samsung phone
Ryan Haines / Android Authority Apps that come preloaded on your smartphone can be a touchy subject. An app I use every day and I'm glad to see on my phone out of the box could be considered bloatware by someone who doesn't use it. Naturally, there are numerous Samsung apps on a Samsung phone, but you'll find Google apps like Chrome, Gmail, and YouTube pre-installed, too, among a few others. However, plenty of other Google apps are worth using, and these are the ones I download first on my Samsung phone. Before we begin, a brief disclaimer: Apps pre-installed on Samsung phones vary based on model and region, so while none of these came preloaded on my Galaxy S24 Ultra or Galaxy S25 in the UK, one or two might already be on your phone in your country. Google Tasks Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority I use Tick Tick Premium for most of my task needs, but if you don't want to pay for or use something as involved and only need a simple task app, Google Tasks should be the one for you. Samsung's Reminders app is good, but it can only sync to non-Samsung devices via Microsoft To Do, and that synchronization isn't as instant as I'd like. So, Google Tasks is the perfect app for me that works on the web, Android, and iOS and costs nothing. Even though I'm a Tick Tick user, I still keep Google Tasks installed for its Assistant/Gemini and voice command integration, something Tick Tick currently lacks. If I'm driving with Android Auto or have my hands full and need to set a reminder via my Nest speakers, those simple items can be added to my Google Tasks account with 'Hey Google, remind me to …' Google Wallet Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority Galaxy devices come with Samsung Wallet pre-installed. The app is fine, but many banks and loyalty programs don't support it, and I find the overall experience more clunky than Google's alternative, which is more widely supported. In fact, I can't think of any banks, at least in the UK, that don't support Google Wallet. Samsung Wallet also insists on adding a swipe target on the bottom of the home and lock screens, which I always activate by mistake when I'm trying to open the recent apps screen. Turning that off (or uninstalling Samsung Wallet entirely) and switching to Google Wallet makes the overall experience smoother and less frustrating. Google Calendar I enjoy Samsung's Calendar app quite a lot, but I still use Google Calendar for certain things, and you might prefer it, too. For starters, it works well with Google Tasks, showing them in your calendar and providing a shortcut to make reminders without leaving the app. If Google Tasks is your go-to, then Calendar should be too. Outside of Tasks, Calendar integrates better with third-party calendar accounts than Samsung's app, at least in my experience. I use it to integrate my due dates at work and shared calendars with my family group. Another bonus is that Google adds some delightful design flourishes, like the illustrations at the top of events. Gboard Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority If you only take one of these recommendations, please let it be this one. Even I, who usually advocates for Samsung apps being better than most people think, admit that Samsung's keyboard is trash. Whenever I see a post online about an iPhone user switching to a Samsung phone for the first time, one of the biggest complaints I see is that they can't stand the keyboard. Gboard is the best keyboard, and downloading it on your Samsung phone will make the phone easier to use and the entire experience less exasperating. The only exception to that rule used to be foldables, as Samsung's keyboard was the only one that defaulted to a split layout when the phone was open, but now Gboard does this too, and even has full S Pen detection for handwriting input. There's really no reason not to ditch Samsung Keyboard and switch to Gboard. Google Docs Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority Google Drive comes pre-installed on most Samsung phones, but Docs doesn't. I know we don't all handle documents on our phones regularly, but most of us do at some point, and I'd rather have it ready for when I do need it than have to rush to install it when required. The beauty of Google Docs is its ability to handle almost any document format, like those used in Microsoft Office, which other apps can struggle with. Combine that with the simple and quick cloud sync through Google Drive, robust editing features, and plenty of options for sharing and collaborating in documents, and Google Docs is a must-have app for me. Google Keep Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority Google Keep is the best note-taking app and an essential for any smartphone. The key to its success is its simplicity. It's easy to create notes and lists, attach media or links, categorize with colors and categories, and pin the important notes to the top. Plus, it recently got better formatting with headers, bold, italics, and underlining. Another reason Keep is my notes app of choice is how quickly it syncs between devices. Keep is available on Android, iOS, and via the web, and it takes seconds for a note to sync via your Google account. There are other note apps with cloud sync, but I haven't found one as seamless and simple as Google Keep. Among the plethora of Google apps available, these are the ones I use most. Gboard makes any Samsung phone feel a million times more usable, Tasks is a simple way to stay organized, and Wallet is the superior way to pay. Is there a Google app you can't live without? Let me know below.
