I’ve tried pretty much every to-do app on the Play Store, and finding one that takes a kitchen-sink approach to features is hardly an issue.
From TickTick to Todoist to Microsoft To Do, these apps bring a slightly different approach to solving the same problem.
However, finding one that fits into my daily routine has been a chore. A to-do app works best when it’s quick and easy to find and integrated in more places than a segregated app.
Having struggled to fit any of these into my workflow, I’ve been testing the waters with Google Tasks. Google’s task manager app keeps it lighter on features, but I work across multiple projects and need a way to remember recurring tasks.
Tasks’ integration into my most-used touchpoints, like email and calendar, makes it a no-brainer. While the other task managers offer a full productivity system, Google Tasks gives me a simpler system that just works.
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I keep coming back to Google Tasks no matter what else I try, and I finally understand why
I keep uninstalling other productivity apps
Google Tasks fits right into my existing workflow
Turning emails into actionable tasks
The biggest advantage of using Google Tasks as a to-do app, and why I switched back to it, is that in most situations, I don’t have to think about opening a to-do app.
A lot of my work happens in Gmail and Google Calendar. I always have one of these apps open in a tab. Living inside the Google ecosystem, I can easily pull up Google Tasks and quick-capture tasks.
Let’s take email as an example. As a freelance journalist, my inbox is full of pitches, assignments, press releases, and more. Many of these require action, but often not immediately.
Earlier, I used to leave emails unread and treat that as triage for emails that still need action. But with hundreds of emails coming in every day, that’s no longer an option.
Google Tasks gives me a better solution. I can turn an email into a task from Gmail and retain a link to the original message. I can add it to my task list and pull it up on my phone when on the go.
Whether I’m on my phone or my computer, when I pick up the task, I can jump to the original conversation instead of searching my inbox for context. It’s great.
This is particularly handy when I’m dealing with pitches. An email gauging interest in a product would usually mean I check in with an editor if the product is something we’d be interested in covering.
Since we all work across time zones, that gap could be 24 hours or more. Adding that email to Tasks lets me return to the original conversation within seconds while also reminding me to respond.
Google Tasks keeps tracking my schedule simple
Why I prefer a simpler to-do list over TickTick
This same integration helps me when I’m planning my day. Tasks with dates show up in Google Calendar, allowing me to see my to-do list alongside other meetings.
On the one hand, I no longer need to add deadlines to my calendar. The other advantage is that I can avoid scheduling a meeting on a packed day.
I can also create tasks directly from the calendar. Google Tasks syncs across all my devices, so anything I add on my computer is immediately available on my phone and vice versa.
TickTick and other productivity apps offer their own integrations, widgets, and more. But what matters to me is that Google Tasks integrates deeply with services I already use day in and day out. A native service will always be a bit more reliable than a third-party app.
Another reason I’ve switched away from apps like TickTick is that they can get overly complicated. They are trying to fit all kinds of workflows, and that means things like calendar views, habit trackers, focus timers, and statistics.
It’s too easy to spend more time organizing work and gamifying your productivity than actually getting work done.
I’m a pen-and-paper person. I need something simple. Add in a task, strike it off when done. Google Tasks is my diary, but digital.
I get that some people will want the granular control of TickTick and Todoist. But for me, tasks and, at most, subtasks are all I need.
Sure, I could use those features in TickTick, but I’d still have to deal with the complexity of the interface.
Google Tasks strips away all the extras, lets me maintain separate lists for work and personal tasks, reorder them based on priority, and star important items.
With recurring tasks, I can set reminders to pay credit card bills and more. With Gemini support, I can use the voice assistant to add tasks or check what tasks I have on my list.
That covers the majority of productivity use cases for most people while being free and deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem. What’s not to like?
Often the simpler option is the better one
There’s no denying that TickTick is a powerful tool. If you’re a productivity fiend who optimizes every second of your day, there’s value in it. But sometimes less is more.
Google Tasks fits beautifully into my workflow because it’s simple and integrates deeply with Google.
It lets me capture an idea, turn it into a task, and set a reminder from one place without switching context. It also lets me keep tabs on those tasks from anywhere.
That ease of use and consistency is why Google Tasks wins out over TickTick for me.