The 20 best mobile productivity apps

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Introduction

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Thanks to advances made in mobile technology over the last few years, more businesses are turning to devices like smartphones and tablets to help them in managing their operations. Generally speaking, the days of relying on a PC to do everything are over.

When you're running about in meetings all day, have hundreds of emails to read, and must meet tight deadlines, the attraction of mobile is undeniable. Apps, in particular, are changing the way we live and work in so many different ways.

And if you download the right apps to fit your business needs, then you can easily improve productivity. There's an app for almost every task and area, from accounting to product management. In this article, we've highlighted the very best business productivity apps – and in some cases web-based tools which you can use on your mobile – that are currently available.

• Also take a look at our 10 best office apps for Android

Image Credit: ymgerman/iStock

1. Join.me

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There are a ton of web conferencing and collaboration apps out there, but they aren't always mobile-friendly. Enter Join.me, an online meeting tool that's easy to set up and can be used from any device – there's a web version which means you don't have to download anything if you don't want to. It provides free screen sharing and unlimited videoconferencing. There's a handy whiteboard feature as well, letting everyone contribute ideas virtually. The app is available on iPhone, iPad and Android.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

2. Gyst

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When you have so many things to do and not enough time to play with, you can easily become overwhelmed and fall behind. Gyst is the app that wants you to stay organised and get more done. It consolidates texts, contacts, calendars and to-do lists into one place. Because of this, you don't need to keep dipping into different apps and it will help you stay on top of things. You can also use the software to prioritise text messages, schedule meetings and communicate with your colleagues.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

3. Basecamp 3

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Basecamp is a veteran piece of project management software in the business world, having been around for ten years. Features include the ability to keep and track client feedback, chat with your colleagues, set up work-related reminders, praise co-workers and give them tasks to complete, and share documents. Like Gyst, you're also able to create to-do lists, although you can easily pre-order them based on their priority and relevance.

An internal message board plays a big role in the app too. With it, you can post announcements, proposals and ideas. You can sign up and get your first outing for free, but beyond that you'll have to pay.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free/From $29 (around £20) per month

4. Doodle

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Diary clashes are annoying but pretty common in the business world. This is where Doodle comes into the picture. It's an app that helps you streamline meetings and stay productive. How does it work? You sign in, set up an event and suggest times to your colleagues. They then choose the times that work for them, and the app tries to find the best slot for everyone. What's great is that your colleagues don't even need to be signed up to the app in order to participate.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

5. Trello

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Trello is another great app worth checking out if you have a busy life with your work or business commitments. Aimed at helping you to get things done and stay organised, the app lets you create boards for all the projects you're working on. You can work on these individually or add colleagues so they're kept up-to-date with the tasks they're undertaking. As well as this, you're able to add to-do lists on boards, assign tasks, comment on items, upload files and videos, and attach files. It's free to use, although you have the option to upgrade for added functionality.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

6. Google Drive

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You could spend a good deal of cash on a package like Microsoft Office, or you could stick with Google Drive and pay nothing. Drive offers you a full suite of word processing, database and presentation applications. The great thing about them is that they're cloud-based, so you can work on documents and files from any device – be it a laptop, smartphone or tablet. Everything is saved as you left it, and you have the option to view revisions.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

7. Slack

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The market for communication apps is quite fragmented, but when it comes to keeping up-to-date with your colleagues and in-work teams, Slack is a no-brainer. It offers real-time messaging, and you can share files in one-to-one and group conversations. The app is known for its powerful search and archiving functionalities, so you'll always be able to find past files and conversations easily.

And there are also integrations with apps and services such as Dropbox, Asana, Google Drive, Twitter, Zendesk and more. Slack syncs across all devices, from smartphones to computers, and it's free with certain limitations (which you can rid yourself of if you upgrade to a paid subscription).

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

8. Peakon

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Peakon is a new web platform with an iOS app dedicated to maximising productivity within companies. It provides automated employee feedback and measures engagement to help firms create happier, more sustainable working environments. Sounds good, right? But you're probably wondering how it actually works.

That's pretty simple to explain. Peakon constantly asks you questions to build a coherent, realistic analysis of how you're feeling at your company. While you have to pay for a basic subscription, you can have a free 30-day trial to test the service out (no credit card details needed).

Platforms: iOS

Price: From £2.60 ($3.50) per user per month

9. Omnifocus 2

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Omnifocus claims to be a PC-grade, in-depth task management solution that you can use on your iOS device. While it costs £30, the app offers flexible viewing options, location awareness and on-the-fly task entry features to help you get through a busy day. You can assign tasks based on location, people and energy level to accomplish jobs. Every task or piece of work you add to the app shows up in the iPhone's Notification Center, so you don't have to worry about missing deadlines.

Platforms: iOS

Price: £30 (around $40)

10. Nudjed

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If you feel unmotivated, stressed or unwell, it's likely your work will suffer. And in an ideal world, that's something you'd like to avoid. Fortunately, online platform Nudjed is on a mission to boost employee health. It collects data across key areas of health to help employers build a picture of how their staff are feeling. Using this information, they can then step in and develop work-based health programmes so all employees are happy and thriving. The company was set up in 2013 by Welsh designer and entrepreneur Warren Fauvel.

Platforms: Web only

Price: Varies

11. Scoro

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Scoro is a worthy end-to-end work management solution. Soon to be launched in app form, it allows professionals and businesses to control their entire workflow from one place. The tool also aims to streamline work and eliminate unnecessary processes that may affect productivity. Scoro's features include calendars, task and project management, quoting and billing, enterprise-level reporting and a real-time dashboard. While it costs to subscribe to Scoro, there is a free 14-day trial available.

Platforms: Web only (app coming soon)

Price: From £8 ($11)

12. Pen and Paper

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A simple pen and paper is always a great way to stay productive, and this aptly named app digitises the process. With Pen and Paper you can create handwritten notes and documents on your trusty iPhone or iPad. You draw with your finger or a stylus, and can doodle away if you wish and easily pull off tricks like resizing, adding text boxes or creating diagrams. The app works with Dropbox too, so you can import and annotate PDF documents and other files.

Platforms: iOS

Price: £2.29 ($2.99)

13. Buffer

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If you deal with a ton of social media feeds at work, then you ought to have a look at Buffer. It's one of the best tools you can get for scheduling posts on sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The platform is easy to use, too. You simply link your company accounts to one email, and you'll be able to push out tweets and status updates in a matter of seconds. There are apps for iOS and Android, although you can use Buffer on the web too. An individual account with one social profile is free, but if you have multiple profiles or team members who want to use the service, you'll need to pay for a subscription.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

14. Evernote

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Evernote has been around for a good few years and is one of the safest bets when it comes to using apps to boost productivity. It offers a variety of note-taking tools so you can change the way you work on and organise your personal and professional projects. You can write, analyse and store ideas in the form of notes, notebooks, checklists and to-do lists. Notes can be taken in a plethora of formats, including text, sketches, photos, audio, web clippings, PDFs and more.

The app syncs across all your devices, so you never have to worry about losing your precious notes and documents. It's free to use, although there's the option to upgrade to a pro version with more features.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

15. DropTask

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When it comes to working on projects with a large team, things can get pretty hectic. Allocating tasks ends up taking forever, and soon everyone's confused. The solution? DropTask. It offers a vibrant, colourful interface that delivers an enjoyable but effective task management experience.

The main feature here is a customisable workflow board, where team members can allocate tasks and check what they're expected to do. You can invite up to five colleagues to work on tasks in real-time, and you can assign items under multiple categories. Like many of the other apps listed in this article, DropTask is cloud-based and syncs across devices.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

16. Be Focused Pro

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It's easy to fall behind when you have so much work to do, and it doesn't help when there are so many distractions to deal with. If you suffer with these sort of issues, Be Focused Pro could help you. This iOS app lets you focus on your work and get things done by splitting individual tasks into intervals, separated by small breaks. This, the creators claim, will help you retain motivation while you work. As well as being able to create and configure tasks, you can also track your progress throughout the week, month or year.

Platforms: iOS

Price: £1.49 ($1.99)

17. Harvest

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One of the banes of running a business is having to deal with time and expense sheets. Unless you're willing to shell out for an accountant, this is something you're going to have to tackle yourself. But Harvest makes the task a lot simpler. The app is a way for you to track time, log expenses and manage invoices on-the-go.

You can use the app to send invoices to clients and track when they've paid, add, view and edit time entries, take photos of receipts and upload them, monitor mileage, and much more besides. There is a basic free plan but it restricts the number of clients and projects available, so you'll need to fork out for a paid subscription if you want to unlock those limits.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

18. TinyPulse

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Are you a business owner? Then you'll understand the importance of knowing how your employees are feeling. After all, if they're not happy at your firm, then the chances are they're going to underperform – or go elsewhere. TinyPulse is an app that lets you get to know your staff, giving you the ability to set them questions and analyse their feedback. Using this data, you can then make changes if they're needed.

You can also share virtual suggestions with your team, ensuring they're always included in strategic decision-making. And hopefully the result of all this will be a happier, more democratic working environment. You can get a free trial to test the system out, although you'll need to contact the company for details of pricing plans when it comes to the full service.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Varies

19. Bria

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Bria is a business-grade communication app available on iOS and Android as well as BlackBerry. It creates a SIP-based softphone client using Wi-Fi or a cellular data network that can make and receive calls over the net. The service uses the phone's existing contact list and has been designed to facilitate easy, effective communication management. There's an intuitive interface that accommodates multiple calls, and functionality includes the ability to swap, merge and split calls, plus you can perform attended and unattended transfers. You needn't worry about security either, as it boasts built-in audio encryption.

Platforms: Android, iOS and BlackBerry

Price: £6 ($7.99)

20. Wunderlist

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There's certainly no shortage of to-do list apps out there, but equally there's no denying that Wunderlist is one of the best. The app allows you to create as many task lists as you want and share them with your colleagues. They sync across devices, so you'll always have them to hand. Note that the app is free, but there's a pro version that'll cost you a few quid a year. You can delegate tasks, set deadlines, add notes, create reminders and split items into sub-tasks – and the interface is easy-to-use, and looks good, too.

Platforms: Android and iOS

Price: Free

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