Apple's iPad comes with built-in productivity tools like Notes, Calendar, and Reminders, but if you want to maximize your productivity and explore new ways to organize your life, there are plenty of apps to help.
While the iPad started out as a device that could be used to stream content and browse the web on the go, Apple has essentially made the iPad capable of handling a variety of tasks for personal, work, and school use. I changed it to a computer. As a result, there are many apps that can help you create a single place to organize your life or block out distractions so you can focus on your daily tasks.
Below, we've compiled a list of the best available on the App Store.
good note
Image credit: Goodnotes
Goodnotes is one of the most popular iPad apps, and for good reason. This app is perfect for people who like to write notes using Apple Pencil. You can include both handwritten and typed text on a single page, and you can also add images, stickers, doodles, and more.
Create digital notebooks using blank or lined paper for notes, checklists, planners, and more. This app allows you to export your entire digital notebook or specific pages to PDF or other files.
Goodnotes is also great for drawing and sketching. Goodnotes isn't as advanced as creative apps like Procreate, but it's easy to use and perfect for creating quick sketches and diagrams.
If you are attending a class or meeting, you can also record voice notes that will be synced to the moment you write. Additionally, you can use AI to summarize your notes and assist you with your writing.
You can create 3 digital notebooks for free. If you want unlimited notebooks, you'll have to pay $9.99 per month or a one-time fee of $29.99.
tick-tock
Image credit: TickTick
If you're not a fan of the iPad's built-in reminder apps or want a more advanced to-do list or task management app, TickTick might be a good choice. It can be used for both professional and personal tasks.
This app lets you sync tasks across all your devices and integrate your favorite calendar apps. You can create checklists, set recurring tasks, upload attachments to tasks, share your task list to collaborate with others, and more.
If you want to develop a habit, like meditating before bed, you can set goals and track your progress in the app. Also, if you receive an email but don't have time to reply, you can turn it into a task to remind yourself not to forget to reply.
You can also add tags to your tasks to better manage them and mark them based on priority.
If you want to focus on a specific task, you can turn on the app's “Pomo Timer.” It's based on the Pomodoro technique, which divides work into focused intervals to maximize productivity.
TickTick is free to use, but if you want additional features like the ability to add up to 5 reminders to tasks and the ability to add more lists and tasks, pay $3.99 per month or $35.99 per year That's it.
forest
Image credit: Forest
Forest is an interesting app that gamifies productivity while helping the environment. If you have trouble staying on task or are easily distracted, this app may be for you.
When you need to focus on something, you can open the app and plant a tree. If you concentrate on your work and complete it, the tree will grow. If you exit the app before the timer ends, the tree will die.
You can set up “allowlists” for a variety of apps you use to be productive, such as your email app or Microsoft Word. This app also allows you to track your productivity.
Over time, you create a digital forest that visualizes your productivity. If you're competitive, you can share your forest with others and compare it to other forests. As you focus and grow virtual trees, you earn coins that you can use to help plant real trees around the world through the tree-planting organization Trees for the Future.
Forest costs $3.99 to download and you can purchase in-app boosts to grow your forest and plant real trees faster.
concept
Image credit: Notion
Notion is the perfect app for taking notes, managing tasks and workflows, organizing lists and habits, collaborating with others, and more. Instead of having to go to another app to manage your calendar, tasks, and notes, you can do it all right within Notion.
You can integrate the different apps you use, like Slack and Dropbox, to keep all your workflows in one place. One of the great things about Notion is its flexibility and customization options. Customize it to fit your needs, whether it's your personal life, work, school, or passion projects.
Don't know where to start? Use templates to create travel planners, product roadmaps, and more. Notion also has AI features to help you create and brainstorm ideas. Notion AI helps you get answers about your content and turn large amounts of data into easy-to-digest action items.
Notion offers a free plan for personal use. The company also offers an $8/month Plus plan for small groups and a $15/month Business plan for businesses. Get 20 AI responses for free. After that, you pay $10 per month per member.
croutons
Image credit: croutons
Planning what to eat can take up a lot of time, leaving you with less time for other tasks. That's why it's useful to have an app to help you with that. Croutons are meant to make cooking and meal planning easier, and are perfect for organizing recipes and planning grocery lists.
You can also import recipes from online websites or scan from physical cookbooks. So instead of relying on bookmarked or physical recipes, you can save your recipes all in one place.
You can plan your meals for the week, and if you can't decide what to make one day, the app will create a meal plan for you. Once you have planned your meals for the week, you can create a grocery list that includes all the ingredients you will need.
Crouton also features an in-app timer, so you don't have to use a separate app if you have timed recipe steps. Plus, you can share your recipes with others, whether you want to tell your family what's for dinner or find a recipe your friend will like.
Crouton offers basic functionality for free, but if you want unlimited recipes and additional features, you'll need a $14.99 annual subscription.
freedom
Image credit: Freedom
Freedom is a great app for blocking distractions, focusing on your work, and increasing your productivity. When you start a Freedom session, you can block distractions on all your devices for a selected amount of time.
You can choose which websites and apps you want to block during that time. So, if you're working on your iPad and try to open TikTok on your phone, it won't open and you'll see a green screen instead.
This app allows you to start a session right away, schedule a future session, or set up a recurring session. If you know you don't need any distractions at a specific time each day, you can set up your Freedom Session to start at that specific time each day.
For those who listen to specific sounds to improve their concentration, Freedom allows you to listen to a variety of sounds. For example, you can hear the sounds of coffee shops in cities like New York or Berlin, the sounds of birds chirping, or the sounds of calming musical instruments.
The app is very easy to use for $3.99 per month and also includes a series of articles featuring tips on how to increase your productivity and gain a deeper understanding of digital wellness.