At Todoist, we love delving into the science, psychology, and personal stories behind meaningful productivity. When we build new apps and updates, we spend a lot of time thinking about how we can incorporate what we learn into our designs to help our users accomplish the things that matter most to them.
So when Apple released their highly anticipated smartwatch, we didn’t just see a miniature iPhone. We saw an opportunity to help people overcome one of the biggest modern obstacles to getting meaningful work done: constant digital distraction.
We thought that the small screen size and limited capabilities compared to the iPhone would make the Apple Watch the ideal platform to cut down on distractions and multitasking and focus on what’s important when it’s important.
Here are some of the features we’ve built into the app with that goal in mind:
- The readily accessible Glance View allows you to view your next upcoming task and the number of tasks you have left for the day.
- When you need more detailed information, the Main View gives you access to your Inbox, Today view, Projects, Labels (Premium), and Filters.
- Quick-Add with Voice Command makes getting tasks out of your head and onto your to-do list almost completely frictionless. Todoist will recognize any natural language you input to the task, including due dates (a popular feature that was released in our latest Todoist for iOS version 10).
- Receive gentle buzz Reminders when you’re near a certain location or at the exact date/time associated with your task. Complete or snooze a task with a tap on your wrist. For even more convenience, you can dictate a response like, “postpone to tomorrow.”
- Get Notifications for new comments on shared tasks, when you’re invited to a new project, or when someone assigns you a new task. Use Voice Command to reply to comments right away and keep shared projects moving forward.
When Apple finally made the Watch available to the public, we wanted to test out our theory about minimizing distractions and see if Todoist for Apple Watch could actually filter out the digital noise and help users focus on what’s most important. To do this, we asked long-time Todoist user and iMore Senior Editor, Ally Kazmucha to give the Todoist for Apple Watch a thorough productivity testing “in the field”.
Here’s how Todoist for Apple Watch has changed the way she gets things done on daily basis.
Starting the morning off right
“In the few weeks I’ve had Todoist on my Apple Watch, I haven’t found a need to pick up my iPhone in the morning. Instead, I swipe up from the Home screen of my Watch to reveal the Todoist Glance, which lets me quickly see how many tasks I have due for the day.”
The easily accessible Glance View shows you the next upcoming task you need to focus on.
“Launching the full Todoist app provides an optimized and scaled down version of the iPhone app. The Inbox and Today views are right at the top, undoubtedly two of the most important views.”
Personalizing task views with custom filters
“Todoist for Apple Watch also lets you drill into projects, labels, and filters. For anyone using Todoist for collaboration, the Filters section makes it incredibly easy to see only tasks assigned to you.”
(For more ideas on how to create helpful filters to try out check out todoist filters.)
Working on the right things at the right time (and even the right place) with reminders
“During the workday, I use Todoist on my Mac or my iPhone to add tasks as they come up. As they come due, I’m now depending on Apple Watch to keep me informed. If I’ve already completed a task, I can even mark it as complete right from my Watch. If I need to snooze it for later, I can do that too.”
Schedule reminders for tasks based on a date and time or even a specific location. Complete the task or snooze it for later.
Only the information you need, when you need it
“Todoist makes managing my day less of a task. With Todoist on my Apple Watch, I no longer touch my iPhone to triage tasks. Instead, they come to me.”
“I’ve talked at length about my desire to spend less time with my iPhone. Todoist for Apple Watch is helping me further achieve that goal. It shows me what I need to know and leaves everything else where it belongs, on my iPhone.”
Of course, since the Watch is Apple’s “most personal device yet,” everyone will have their own unique way of using its apps, and ours is no exception. We’ve worked hard to make Todoist for Apple Watch flexible enough to fit any workflow or lifestyle.
For example, Ally found it more useful to add tasks on Todoist for iOS and Mac and have them ready when she needed to take action on her Apple Watch [read her full review here]. On the other hand, you may find it easier and faster to dictate new tasks and due dates with Quick-Add on your watch. It’s up to you to make the experience your very own :)
Can’t wait to discover your perfect Todoist for Apple Watch workflow? Here’s how you can get up and running:
- Step 1: If it’s not on your iPhone, download the Todoist for iOS app Todoist for iPhone.
- Step 2: Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Step 3: Tap the “My Watch” tab.
- Step 4: Scroll down to Todoist and enable the “Show App on Apple Watch“ switch. All set!
We’d love to hear how you use the Todoist for Apple Watch to get things done. Which features do you find yourself using the most? Does it help you focus on what’s important? Leave a comment and let us know!
