Countless new apps appeared in 2017 as well. iPhoned takes a different approach this year and lets each editor choose one app. In our opinion, these are the very best iOS apps of the year. Today it’s Lars’s turn with Things 3.
If you’d told me at the beginning of the year that a to-do app would be my favorite app of the year, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Still, Things 3 is by far the most used new app on my iPhone, iPad and Mac.
What makes Things 3 unique
Apps that keep track of all your activities have been around for years, and Apple’s own Reminders app is installed on every iPhone by default. Yet Things 3 is far ahead of all the competitors. This is partly due to the beautiful design of the app, which remains uncluttered despite the hundreds of tasks you put into it. This makes it very easy to categorize a task into different categories, which are indicated by their own color.
The fact that Things 3 looks so ‘clean’ is not only beautiful, it also ensures that an app that is made to become a mess does not become a mess. After months of intensive use, the app’s home screen still looks just as tidy as before, which in turn encourages me to close completed tasks or place them in the appropriate subfolder.
Everyone will use Things differently depending on their work and activities. For example, I created a section for all my work-related tasks and another for all private matters. Apart from that, there is a special folder for all the books I want to read again, and I put my shopping list in it every week. All other things that I enter are put in the folder ‘Someday’, so that they don’t get in the way but you don’t lose sight of them. This ensures a tidy app, which is crucial for a service that should help you organize your day more efficiently.
Worth its money
Things also works closely with iCloud, which continuously synchronizes all your tasks across all your devices. You can also link Apple’s calendar app to it, so that all appointments you have in here (such as birthdays) also show up as ‘to do’ in the app. This combination of smart and logical functions ensures that this is by far my most used app of the year.
I find it difficult to say whether the app is worth its relatively high price tag of 10.99 euros for you as well. But if your study, work or daily life could use some structure and overview in the new year, Things 3 is definitely worth a try.
→ Download Things 3 from the App Store (10.99 euros)