Whether you use your Android device to get work done on the move or to organize and plan, you need a productivity app that’s actually useful.
Task-specific tools include word processors and document scanners, while organizational aids help you to plan tasks, schedule, and keep notes.
Below are our picks for the best Android productivity apps to organize your projects and get things done when you’re on the move.
1Password
What We Like
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Stores lots of information.
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Autofill makes logging in very easy.
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Identifies if your credentials have leaked online.
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Inexpensive monthly plans.
Password managers house all your passwords so that you can free up some of your brain power for things that actually matter. It’s not just passwords you can store in 1Password, but also notes, documents, driver’s licenses—really, anything you can’t afford to forget, but that’s too hard to remember.
Like other password managers, this one locks all your important information behind a single master password. You do have to pay to use 1Password, but it works across all your devices, so the passwords you add from your Android or computer can also be used on the other device.
What We Like
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Interface that works on small screens.
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Sync documents with OneDrive or Dropbox.
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Edit styles and equations.
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Preserves as captions and cross-references.
If you need to open and edit Word documents on the move, the official Microsoft Word for Android app is the best option. It has a simple interface that intuitively gives access to the most important features for creating and editing documents, and you can even write complex equations in the mobile app, provided you can write in LaTeX.
A common use for Word for Android is to review documents received by email. This is where the app has some issues. Although it has a Track Changes option, it doesn’t always work reliably.
What We Like
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Simple visual note taking.
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Create reusable checklists.
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Set reminders by time or location.
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Create notes with Gemini.
This wouldn’t be a useful list of Android productivity apps without mentioning this one. Notes in Google Keep look like post-it notes, but you can do a lot with them, including adding sketches, photos, and lists. Like most Google apps, everything is stored in the cloud and can be easily accessed from a PC using a web browser.
You can also set reminders, either by time or location, but Keep isn’t fully integrated with other Google apps in a way that truly capitalizes on Keep. For example, integration with Google Maps could allow location reminders to be set to any grocery store, instead of only a single location. You can, however, create notes with the Gemini assistant.
What We Like
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Create reusable checklists.
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Hierarchies with many layers.
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Simple text import and export.
Listing it! is convenient and flexible, with powerful import and export features, while being quick and easy to use. You can create standard lists for your groceries or pack for an overnight trip, for example, then quickly check off what you’ve already finished and move on to what you still need to do.
You can import and export lists using simple text files, meaning you can easily back up lists or create them using a spreadsheet.
What We Like
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Access email and calendar.
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Also works with non-Microsoft email accounts.
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Lots of customizable settings.
Outlook for Android aims to provide a more streamlined Outlook experience than the full PC version. If all you need is email and calendar, then this is ideal for you.
If you like deep customizations, you’ll enjoy all the settings in this app, like per-account signatures and automatic replies. You can also have weather details added to the calendar and lock the app with your fingerprint.
What We Like
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Sync to built-in Android Calendar app.
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Includes tasks.
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Integrates with Google Assistant.
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Simple and clean interface.
Google’s own Calendar app is best integrated with Android. If all you need is a basic calendar and task list, it’s a great choice, but it has far fewer features than Outlook, which may be an issue.
One key weakness is the lack of categories for tasks. However, integration with Google Assistant is nice, meaning you can say “Hey Google” and ask things like “When’s my first meeting today?” or “Where’s my next event?” The assistant can also schedule and add events.
What We Don’t Like
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No auto-numbered captions.
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No cross-references to captions.
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Missing basic word processing functionality.
If you need a basic word processor, Google Docs can do a good job. However, don’t expect it to replace Microsoft Word. Docs isn’t suitable for producing large, complex documents, as it lacks features like captions and cross-references. Also, unlike Word for Android, you can’t edit equations.
What We Like
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Very easy to use.
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Corrects alignment and perspective.
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Recognizes text (OCR).
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Can sync documents with Evernote, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.
CamScanner provides a convenient way to quickly scan paper documents, whiteboards, and receipts using your phone, almost completely removing the need to keep paper documents.
For this Android productivity app to work in an ideal manner, the scanning process needs to be quick and easy. Maybe even more importantly, documents need to be filed in a trusted and easily accessible location, meaning you need to pay to sync files to your preferred cloud storage.
What We Like
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Access all your Outlook data.
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Today widget to view upcoming appointments.
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Shortcuts to edit specific memos.
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Shortcuts to call favorite contacts.
DejaOffice has many different widgets that can be used to view important summaries of information directly on your home screen, as well as shortcuts straight to a particular function of the app.
One of the most useful of these is the Today widget, which places a list of upcoming appointments on your home screen. You can also create a shortcut that takes you from the home screen straight into editing any memo.
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