Studies from 2017 showed the average person spends up to four hours per day on their mobile phone. That’s a lot of time so productivity is key. Millions of apps exist for smartphones. There are games, social media applications, and more. Some you might find fun and useful; others might just be a waste of space. If you are looking for apps that can help you become more productive, we have a useful list for you!
Home Screen Optimization
Before diving deep into what apps to use for increased productivity, get started on the home screen. It is, after all, what you see first see when powering up your phone. It’s a good starting point for becoming more organized.
Make sure all of the applications that you use on a daily basis can be found on the home screen. If there are too many apps, create folders. For example, one folder can contain all of the camera-related apps. Another can contain all social media apps while yet another folder can be dedicated to game apps. By doing this, you will have a less cluttered home screen and easily find the apps you need.
Phone Reminders
The reminder function is available even in the most basic of phones. However, this particular function can be easily overlooked with the sea of superfluous apps available. That is why it is advisable to find the right alarm/reminder app where you can take note of meeting schedules, deadlines, and other important appointments.
Aside from the reminders tool on your phone, there are also several tools such as Google Assistant or “add notes” to your Google Calendar. There are also location-based reminders. These apps work by prompting you to perform specific tasks linked to your location when it is detected by Google Maps.
See which one works best for your schedule.
Manage Notifications
The way smartphones work is that you get real-time notifications on new activity on your apps. For instance, you get notifications for new e-mails or messages. While convenient, it can be counter-productive when you have to check on ALL notifications. You could end up wasting your time checking on every single one regardless of relevance. You can manage your notifications to include only the most important ones. There are also functions on your smartphone that enable you to read your e-mails on the go but flag them for you to respond once you get on a computer.
Cross-Platform Capability of Chrome
Google Chrome is one of the top web browsers utilized by smartphone and desktop users. The cross-platform feature of Chrome is ideal for mobile phone users. When you download the Google Chrome browser on your smartphone, it acts as a natural extension of your desktop. This automatically syncs your bookmarks and browsing history.
As long as you are signed in on both desktop and smartphone, this syncing automatically happens. It is highly convenient and productive when you need to access certain websites from your phone. Take time to explore other hidden features available in Chrome. This will multiply your productivity level using your smartphone.
Task Management Apps
Do you find it difficult to organize your tasks for the day? You can find a host of task management apps for Android and iOS phones.
Many are available in free or pro versions. Access to various tasks will vary greatly depending on which version you use. Most free versions provide the basic functions needed for increased productivity. One example is the ability to break down your tasks into sub-tasks. This is helpful when you are feeling overwhelmed with a wide range of tasks to complete.
Easily check off items on your to-do list by focusing on smaller tasks at a time. You can also use task management apps when designating tasks for collaborative works. Some apps provide sharing options so you can sync any work done by other members of your collaborative team.
Speed Up Typing
Typing in a smartphone can be prone to a lot of typos. You can utilize apps and tools that are designed to increase typing efficiency. Consider installing a specialized keyboard app to reduce typing mistakes.
GBoard app by Google is one of the top keyboard apps for smartphones currently. It comes with easy-to-use features that eliminate the hassle of typing on your mobile phone. It also has plenty of time-saving features and shortcuts to boost productivity.
Switch Between Apps
Multi-tasking might be discouraged if you want to boost productivity. But it is sometimes inevitable to use multiple apps at once. Most phones are equipped with smooth app-switching capabilities. Learn to toggle between any open applications on your device. There is no need to close one tab in order to access another. All you have to do is to go back and forth between two or more apps. If you prefer more in-depth face-to-face help, HelloTech provides mobile device support in your home.
Weather Forecast
When you have certain tasks or travel somewhere, it is important to know about the weather conditions. With the help of weather forecasting apps, you have access to that information instantly.
Get real-time weather information for your current location, wherever that may be.
Store Files on the Cloud
Do not commit the mistake of inadvertently deleting all of your important files, data, and contacts on your phone. This can happen when you perform a factory reset or by sheer accident. It is advisable to always back up your important files and contact information in the cloud. This allows access to them if you lost information on your phone’s hardware memory. You can automatically set your files and photos to automatically sync to the cloud. This will guarantee important data is saved automatically.
