Task List for Android Review
Task List for Android has been around for a couple of years and seen several million installs over that time. The app itself has not been updated since early 2014 and it is beginning to show its age.
The idea behind this task manager is that it can act as a kind of cross-platform chat client in the task list market. It aims to sync with the likes of Google, Google Apps, Google Tasks, Any.do, Astrid, Remember the Milk (RtM), Microsoft Exchange, and more.
This is a heady list of competing and in some cases complementary apps. However, these apps change regularly and their methods of storing data and syncing to the cloud will alter as well so unless you plan to update your own app regularly, it may start out compatible with all these other apps and services but will quickly start to exhibit syncing errors for users. And this is sadly the case with Task List in its present iteration.
User Interface
Compared to the likes of the flashy Any.do or slick Remember the Milk, the user interface for Task List is serviceable but basic. There are none of the flourishes and fancy visuals here. Nonetheless, the tasks are clearly shown, there is color coding of individual tasks, and it is relatively easy to use.
Task Management
Tasks can be easily created. They can be set as one-off or recurring tasks that will repeat several times subsequently.
Customize the standard categories to make them your own. Tasks can be edited to change the category, priority, and due date. Tagging is also supported on an individual task basis which is very useful in a task management app.
Add Notes
It is possible to extend the user of individual tasks with added notes.
Swipe to Complete
Some gestures are included with this task app. The main one is a swiping action to confirm completion of a task. Shaking the device will remove a task (so we'd suggest not dancing while the app is open!)
Collaborate with Friends and Colleagues
The intention with the app is that task information can be shared with other users. SMS messages can be sent or email dispatched to friends or colleagues about an upcoming task. However, the sharing of information with others often isn't working any more in the current version.
The social side of sharing includes Facebook friends, Google Plus contacts, Twitter followers, Gmail contacts, LinkedIn contacts, and WhatsApp friends.
Syncing Issues
The syncing with Task List is very hit and miss. The Oauth authentication process is said to be used with the syncing. Largely it depends on which To Do list system you are trying to access via syncing. Where Remember the Milk syncing could work, perhaps the Google Task syncing will not, or visa versa. Several users report on the comments in the Android home page for Task List that syncing is not working for them at all at the present time.
Home Screen Widget
There is a home screen widget for Android users which can help to display upcoming tasks.
Verdict
Task List certainly was a good Android app originally however given that it has not been updated in many months and the number of syncing and sharing problems that the current version has, it is difficult to recommend it. Whilst other major To Do list apps do not feature compatibility with so many other task management software products, they offer similar or better features with a more attractive interface without the current syncing and sharing problems. Cross-platform support is also far better with other apps like ToDoist or Remember the Milk.
