These 4 free smartphone apps are all I need to stay organized

I’ve been described as organized, but the reality is that I feel like I’m wading through chaos on a daily basis. Between deadlines, errands, and the executive dysfunction that comes with ADHD, I need to lean on technology to help me manage my daily tasks.

You would think that this means I’m a power user of a large productivity suite or rely on an arsenal of the best productivity apps. But the truth is I’m often overwhelmed by just how many features some of these apps have, as well as the involved setup they require. That’s why when it comes to staying organized, I manage to get by with these four free apps thanks to their simplicity and ease of use.

When it comes to making simple notes that I can keep track of across devices, Google Keep is my go-to. I don’t have the mental bandwidth to navigate through multiple menus and buried settings, so an app that essentially provides digital sticky notes is the perfect solution for me.

I need a place where I can jot down short notes, separate from my Google Docs folder, with perks like cloud syncing. It’s this simplicity that makes Google Keep work. I use it to write down article ideas and create outlines for topics regarding work. When it comes to my personal life, I use the app to keep track of shopping lists and what to pack for overnight trips.

The simple sticky note interface makes it easy to pin the most important notes, letting me color-code the notes that I want to easily spot. These notes do build up over time, but the search function makes it easy enough to find something specific.

TickTick is a free task manager app that has some incredibly useful features. I have an account so that I can sync tasks between the mobile and web apps, but you can actually use TickTick without an account.

What makes this app stand out for me, especially as a Google Tasks alternative, is the ability to snooze reminders to specific times so that they repeat later. You can keep snoozing them until you finally deal with a task. If you don’t check off an overdue item, the app will remind you of the task and provide an overview of everything that’s overdue.

I’ve used it as a habit tracker app by setting tasks to repeat daily, as well as for general to-do items that I struggle to remember. For example, I set it to remind me about sending specific emails or completing an errand.

I’ve tried multiple to-do apps over the years and only TickTick has managed to keep me on top of my habit of procrastinating constantly. When I’ve tried apps like Google Tasks, my constant snoozing results in the task disappearing and falling to the wayside. But TickTick keeps a great record of overdue tasks. If you use an app like Notion to manage your life, you can import and integrate it into TickTick.

I can’t overstate how useful I’ve found TickTick — for me, it’s the best task manager out there.

Most smartphone operating systems come with their own calendar app, but I use Google Calendar because it isn’t reliant on a specific OEM. This is important because I often switch between Android devices from various brands.

I mostly use Google Calendar for keeping track of events, meetings, and deadlines. The integration with my Gmail account is particularly useful for meetings, with the app including great features like automatically converting the time zone. I’ve also set the app to remind me about the event 30 minutes before it takes place, giving me ample notice if I manage to get distracted.

The Gmail integration is also useful when it comes to keeping track of flights, as Google Calendar can automatically add emails with flight details to your upcoming events. Since most of my meetings are held on Google Meet, I can use the link provided in Calendar to access it easily.

Adding the Google Calendar widget to the home screen of my device has also greatly improved my ability to keep track of everything, as I get an overview of the entire month on a screen that I look at regularly. This way, nothing catches me off guard.

Once again, the simplicity is what makes this app so appealing to me. I’ve tried Google Calendar alternatives, as well as some platform-specific calendars. But at the end of the day, Google Calendar manages to meet all my needs.

Asana is a project management app that helps keep me organized by keeping track of work assignments. I’d argue that the average person wouldn’t need it, but if you’re a freelancer or have a lot of tasks to track on a daily basis, then Asana is a great fit.

I’ve used it while working with multiple companies that incorporate the platform into their workflow. For the occasional deadline, I’ll just use Google Calendar to set a reminder. But when I’m doing numerous tasks weekly, Asana makes managing multiple deadlines much easier.

It is a lot more complex than the other apps on the list, but I keep it simple by focusing on the tab for my tasks. It has plenty of custom fields you can add to tasks, such as due dates, completion status, and relevant links. However, the app does lock certain features behind a paid plan.

In addition to the workspaces for the companies I work with, I also created a personal workspace where I can keep track of other tasks. Since I’m using the free plan, I don’t have access to the robust templates that companies use, but the available fields are more than adequate for me.

The biggest drawback to Asana is that the app can be a bit annoying when it comes to notifications, especially when both email and mobile notifications are enabled. Luckily you can manage your notification settings to prevent notification fatigue.

While I’ve invested in paid task-tracking apps and tried more advanced productivity apps, I’ve found that this small collection of free apps is all I need to stay organized. Google Keep is great for simple notes, while TickTick is a persistent task management app. It’s thanks to Google Calendar that I actually remember my weekly meetings, while Asana provides oversight and tracking for my work deadlines.