5 Best Ways to Keep Notes and To-Do Lists on Your Phone

There’s often a very negative stigma surrounding the idea of smartphones being a part of our daily lives. While some health experts vote against carrying a smartphone everywhere, there are plenty of advantages that come with it.

Smartphones do distract us with messaging notifications and videos of cute cats on YouTube. But they can also serve as a tool to better our day to day lives. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how you can make the technology work for you, not against you.

With that said, smartphones can play a significant role in your efforts to stay productive, as well as help us stay organized on the go. One of the most common ways to turn your phone into a productivity tool is to use it to take notes and create to-do lists. Here are the five best ways to do so.

#1 Use a Note-Taking App

The most common way to take notes on a smartphone is through note-taking apps. There are hundreds of note apps available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Options vary from simple and minimalist apps to those with extra features and highlighters. Most of these apps are free (while some do offer in-app purchases).

The best thing about note-taking apps is that they allow you to keep different kinds of notes in one location. These include text notes, lists, photos, and even audio recordings. The most popular apps of this sort, such as Microsoft OneNote, Google Keep, and Evernote, offer a list of features for customizing your notes. You can also set up daily reminders for different tasks.

#2 Put Up Digital Sticky Notes

Who doesn’t like sticky notes? If you’re obsessed with productivity, you probably love colorful sticky notes and the powerful impact they have on the human mind. Once you switch to the digital version of sticky notes, you will be saving both time and paper. And that is also good for the environment.

Sticky note apps such as ColorNote allow users to create sticky note widgets on their home screen. That way, their notes are always visible as soon as they unlock the phone. It makes for an efficient solution for those who forget things often.

#3 Take Notes in the Calendar

Another way to take notes on a smartphone is to use the pre-installed calendar app. If you don’t want to go through the extra step of installing a new note app, you can open the calendar and add your notes there.

Most calendar apps allow users to add events and comments. Also, you can set reminders for specific days and times. Besides enabling you to take notes, the calendar app will help you keep track of your activities throughout the month.

#4 Save Notes in Writing Apps

If you want more customization options when writing your notes, you can opt for classic writing apps such as Microsoft Word. It can be your go-to place for note-taking. You can later share the word document across many devices as well.

Writing apps also allow you to save notes in a larger format. That makes Microsoft Word and similar apps a good option for those who like to write longer pieces while on the go. It is a good option for writers and creatives who need more space for their words.

#5 Use the Pre-Installed Note App

If you don’t feel like installing a new app or you don’t have enough memory on your device, you can always turn to the pre-installed note app. Most smartphone devices already come with installed applications for note-taking.

The only problem is that these apps are often too simple. But if you don’t care about customization and you only need a place to  write something down quickly, it will get the job done.

Watch What You Write Down!

Taking notes on a smartphone will boost your productivity and help you save paper. But keep in mind that not everything should be on your phone. Not in the plain text format, at least.

For instance, some people have the habit of writing down their passwords in note apps. It can have negative consequences since most of these apps are not in any way encrypted. A far better option is to download an Android password manager (this one, for example) to manage and store passwords in a secure and protected location. Not only the right password manager will safeguard your login credentials but also make logging in more accessible than ever. And some have a place for note keeping too.

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