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I’ve explored all sorts of to-do apps over the years. About a year and a half ago, I tried TickTick. I switched to it permanently since then, and it has now become my favorite to-do app. Here’s why.
1Clean and Sleek Interface
Offering a ton of functionality while keeping the interface clean and sleek is not an easy task. Many app interfaces become messy and cluttered as developers add new features. However, TickTick is different. Despite its arsenal of features, the app still has a clean and intuitive interface across all platforms. It’s one of thereasons why TickTick is the best task management app for macOS.
As a result, everything from creating a new task to viewing all your entries to finding a particular list in your list feels super easy on the app. Navigating through different sections on its mobile app, like tasks, calendar, search, and settings, is also convenient, thanks to the tab bar at the bottom. I also like the watchOS version of the app. It’s sleek and lets you create, delete, and keep up with tasks right from your wrist.
Another thing about TickTick that’s worth mentioning is that it lets you disable features you don’t use or need. So, if you never use a feature, you don’t have to see it on the app. Just remove it to make the app’s interface even cleaner.
2Voice Input for Adding Tasks
Although TickTick makes adding new tasks across its apps on all platforms easy, there can be scenarios where you may have your hands busy. This is where voice input comes in handy.
Available on the mobile and watchOS versions of TickTick, the feature lets you quickly create new tasks using dictation. I use it on my phone and Apple Watch all the time, and it’s surprisingly good. However, I find it to be the most useful on my watch, as it saves me the hassle of taking out my phone every time I put a task on my to-do list.
What makes voice input great is Smart Recognition. Thanks to it, you may, for instance, say, “Group call at 11 AM tomorrow,” and it’ll automatically set the reminder time, eliminating the need for you to do it manually.
3Multiple Reminders
Creating a task and forgetting about itisn’t uncommon and can happen to anyone. TickTick has a couple of solutions to help you avoid it: setting up multiple reminders and turning on the Constant Reminder option.
Since I’m on the free plan, I use the former approach. TickTick lets me set up two reminders for my tasks, which serves me well. Depending on the task, I usually have one for 30 or 45 minutes before and the other about 5 or 10 minutes before it’s due. you may also set a custom reminder by adjusting the day and time, which is useful when the default options feel limiting.
As for the Constant Reminder option, it does what it says: constantly remind you until you’ve tackled the due task.
4Recurring Tasks
TickTick isn’t useful just for reminding you of one-time tasks. It can also come in handy when you need reminders every week, month, or year repeatedly, thanks to the Repeat feature.
Since I work as a freelancer, I need to generate monthly client invoices. With Repeat, I’ve set up a recurring task that reminds me to generate invoices on a particular date every month to ensure I get them out on time without fail.
Besides setting up a monthly recurring task, you can set one up that repeats every week or year, too. You can even set a recurring task for a weekday (repeats Monday to Friday), or if you want more control, create a custom Repeat schedule based on your requirements.
5Multiple Priority Options
Not all tasks require equal attention. On most days, I have some tasks that aren’t as important as others and can, therefore, be tackled toward the end or later part of the day.
I find TickTick’s Multi-Priority feature incredibly useful in such times. It offers four priority levels: High, Medium, Low, and No Priority, which lets me prioritize the tasks for the day based on urgency. Once I’ve done this, I can group and sort my to-do list by priority to get a better idea about my daily tasks, so I can manage my day better without stressing out.
You can interpret these priority levels yourself, or you canuse the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritizethem.
6Categorization Using Tags
As you start using TickTick to manage your personal and work tasks, you may end up with a long, disorganized list of to-dos, which can be overwhelming to see and manage.
TickTick helps in this regard by offering tags and folders. Being on the free plan, I use tags to categorize my tasks. I have one personal tag for all my personal to-dos and four work tags—one for each client I work for.
By adding tags to my tasks, I can easily sort my task list for a day or week by tags to see all the relevant tasks I need to complete. I can also choose a tag from the sidebar to see all the related to-dos. This helps me plan my day better and ensures I never miss any tasks.
While I’ve never felt this, if the tags don’t suffice your needs, you can use folders instead. A folder is a great way to group all your related tasks under one roof and, in turn, make organizing and finding them easy. Check outour complete guide to organizing tasks in TickTickto learn how to make the most of the app.
7TickTick’s Free Plan Is Good for Most People
TickTick is available on all major mobile and desktop platforms and has extensions for various browsers. It’s free to use but also has a paid plan that gives you access to extra features, such as multiple calendar views, customized filters, folders, Annoying Alerts, and more.
I use the app’s free plan, and it suffices my needs. In fact, except for features like Annoying Alert and folders, all other functionalities I’ve mentioned above are available on the free plan. This isn’t the case with many to-do apps out there.
As such, unless you absolutely need those extra features, I feel TickTick’s free plan would serve you well, too.
