As we head into 2025, mobile apps continue to play a pivotal role in enhancing productivity, keeping us organised, and helping us stay focused. However, experts agree that while the right app can certainly enhance efficiency, it’s ultimately our habits and mindset that determine the outcome. Here’s a round-up of some of the most popular apps and productivity strategies recommended by users and experts.

Rethinking Apps: It’s About Mindset and Behaviour

Photographer Tanvesh Patil offers an important perspective: “Any app can be productive if used correctly. Even social media apps can offer value if approached purposefully. However, relying solely on apps to drive productivity is a mistake—it’s ultimately up to your mindset and behaviours.” Patil advises limiting distractions by reducing the number of apps on your phone, especially social media apps, to enhance overall productivity.

Task Management and To-Do Lists

For staying organised, several users recommend simple yet effective tools:

• Stuff—To Do List Widget: Vaibhabvi Pathi uses this minimalistic and automatic app, which displays tasks on his wallpaper. This visual cue keeps him focused throughout the day, while crossing off completed tasks provides a sense of accomplishment.
• nTask: Customer support professional Pepper Hayez relies on nTask for organising work, tracking progress, and monitoring the time spent on tasks. This app allows users to eliminate the need for juggling multiple apps, making it easier to stay focused on the actual work.
• Todoist: This intuitive task management app helps users create daily task lists, set reminders, and prioritise tasks based on deadlines, ensuring they focus on the most important tasks first.

Precision Tracking for Improved Focus

Time management is a key aspect of productivity, and these apps offer valuable insights:

• TMetric: A time-tracking app that allows users to monitor time spent on various projects, set objectives, and evaluate work patterns. It’s great for improving work efficiency and managing deadlines.
• Notion: An all-in-one workspace that enables users to organise projects, take notes, and collaborate with others. Its flexibility makes it an excellent tool for various productivity needs.

Comprehensive Productivity Tools

For professionals and students alike, several comprehensive productivity tools stand out:

• ProofHub, Trello, and Todoist: Marketing expert Sanjeev Kumar relies on these apps for task management, organisation, and prioritisation. He also values Evernote and Notion for note-taking and idea organisation, and uses Slack and ProofHub for seamless team collaboration.
• Workflowy: Student Carlos Sicilia shares her enthusiasm for Workflowy, a minimalist app designed to organise thoughts and tasks. “It’s so simple that any explanation would make it sound more complicated than it is. Just go and try it for yourself—your life will be divided into before and after Workflowy,” she says.
• TickTick: A popular app among users for capturing ideas, organising tasks, and boosting productivity. It combines a to-do list, checklist, and task manager, all in one easy-to-use interface.

Collaboration and Teamwork

When working with teams, productivity depends on effective communication and organisation:

• ProofHub: Web developer Edward Taylor highlights ProofHub for its ability to plan, organise, and deliver work efficiently. The app’s collaborative features, such as group chat and file sharing, significantly improve teamwork and productivity.
• Google Sheets and Forms: Tech enthusiast Michal Svoboda praises Google Sheets and Forms for their integration, allowing users to create complex information systems with ease. The powerful QUERY() function makes querying tables simple and effective.

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking to organise your tasks, track your time, or collaborate with a team, the right productivity app can make all the difference. However, as Tanvesh Patil points out, the key to success lies not just in the tools we use, but in how we approach them with the right mindset and habits. With a strategic combination of these apps and a focus on personal growth, 2025 can be a year of unparalleled productivity and achievement.