Nowadays, keeping all day or even week plans in mind sounds impossible. It would seem that this problem should have been already solved, but our days become more and more difficult, our tasks get more and more important and we take more and more projects, including the remote ones. As a result, people need e-tools to organize their schedule. Nowadays, this kind of apps like Google Keep or Wunderlist, for example, is in demand more than ever, but, unfortunately, most of them get uninstalled soon in favor of good old pen and paper. Only the most effective and easy-to-use ones remain popular.

These days there are three most used apps on the mobile application market that are popular among time-management fans and simply busy people. Let’s analyze each of them to understand what exactly led them to success.

Best to-do list apps

Wunderlist

Wunderlist is maybe the most famous to-do application. It is available for the broad range of platforms including iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows; also it has functional web-interface.
The app has many useful features: tasks can be created with time and have specification, notifications, sub-tasks, notes, comments and even attached files. The interface is not that difficult in use and this is a rare advantage for the apps-organizers.

Also, Wunderlist has a shared access option. Users can engage their friends, family, and colleagues into working on tasks, but sometimes this access can be really difficult to manage.

Any.do

Any.do is loved by so many different “top-/insert number/” charts and there is a fair reason behind that. Maybe it is the design that leaves users delighted, or maybe the pleasant sounds do the job, but people seem to love this mobile app.

Its interface is responsive and does not require any extra motions to access main functions. To close the task – cross it off the list; to clear list just shake your phone – no wonder why almost 5 million users think that it is easy to use this application.

There is also some kind of planning function that allows to sort tasks faster and create a working schedule for job or studies. Unfortunately, developers have not included filtering or search option for those, who have too many tasks per day or week. But they did the amazing job to build a creative intrusive widget, so it excludes an option to forget about something planned. And, yeah, geolocation: the app can advise you where is the better place to hold a planned meeting based on user’s current location.

Todoist

Similar to Wunderlist is Todoist. It is a common thing among developers to add some special features into the apps to highlight them among other startups. So Todoist was developed also as a project manager.

It’s interesting for the minimal amount of associated with project options, yet it is a powerful tool. For example, it is easy to regulate the project’s shared access, nesting levels, priorities, add sub-tasks. Every nine days the application sends the statistic report to the registered e-mail address. The absence of archived tasks feature is a big disadvantage, though. Also, the app uses the subscription function, and only those who paid can add notes. Nevertheless, task management in this app is still a good idea due to the context menu and the drag-and-drop interface. And unlike Any.do this application has filters, which makes navigation quite easier. Practice shows that filtering option makes it better to operate daily tasks.

Read also: How to Make a Writing App Like Bear

Why are other applications not that popular?

Usually, when it comes to the image of the perfect app, in a process of creating the one developers face functional restrictions (this implies to both iOS and Android systems). Frequently, design and widgets are created not exactly in the way they were supposed. Needless to say that even the best and the most popular to-do applications with years spent in developing get removed by users, too, because of their lack of notifications effectivity or inconvenience of use.

Sometimes, the developers simply copy popular apps with their flaws: app like Any.do will not have search option and will use too much RAM; app like Wunderlist will be tough in managing multiple accesses, while the app like Todoist will not have many free features.

So if you are eager to make highly effective and useful to-do application, our experts are sharing five extremely helpful tips on how to do it:

1. The first and the main thing that task list requires (and it is quite difficult to debate) is the task themselves. If to-do list is incomplete or (even worse) got old, it will not be used. Consequently, the basic thing in to-do list app development is creating an ability to make task list fast and add sub-tasks. But it is not as easy as it seems – to-do list must be fast and flexible enough for the user to write down their thoughts.

2. So the task is written down, but what about accomplishing it and crossing out of the list? The best idea to motivate users is bright and obtrusive push-notifications with the funky design. These are pleasant to the user’s eye and are as though asking to be “crossed out” as soon as possible. When you think about how to make a to-do list app, notifications must be one of your main thoughts.

3. Lots of actually good to-do list apps are being deleted in favor of notepads and pens. The main reason is often the confusion with navigation or even localization. The golden rule of UX (“the fewer tabs, the better”) has never been demonstrated more clearly than in a case of apps like Wunderlist or Todoist. There is no way that user who wants to organize their schedule and/or optimize their time wants to spend it looking for a right tab or option. Try to minimize the number of menu items and (this one is quite important if you aim to build something for international market) do not forget about qualitative localization – it is always better to pay a few translators and seize a way bigger audience than passing everything through Google Translate, save a little money but lose people’s trust.

4. Widgets also play the big part in a success of the time-management apps! Obnoxious design, unreasoned sizes and shapes, poor functionality will not cheer your users and, there is a big chance, will push them away from using your application. There must be no problem with creating cool and useful widgets; they can vary from reminders and check-lists to motivation and tips. Dedicate some time to deal with this issue.

5. Make your app closer to your user. Let it motivate them on further planning and discipline and overall keep them in good mood, because even a support like this can make someone’s day actually better. “Cold” interfaces become boring in the short timespan and get uninstalled from smartphones while more “human-like” applications are used continuously. Add cheering text to notification of completed task, warm appeal in reminder, stylish boot animation, and the user will be pleased to continue to use your app.

Read also: Best Push Notification Strategy

Conclusion

Summing everything up, it is worth noting the fact that all these pieces of advice are universal and completely optimal to qualitatively develop to-do list app for Android and to-do list app for iPhone. Remember that your application is not the first and the only one on the market, so do your best to create something fundamentally new and better than others’. We always value business analysis and thorough market research before starting any app development project. Therefore, do not hesitate to request a quote to discuss your idea with our experts.