Best Time Management Apps: iOS, Android, and Desktop

Tracking time across multiple devices and the web couldn’t be easier, whether you press start and stop buttons as you go about your day or manually fill in blocks of time. Your time can be divided into different projects and different tags can be attached, allowing you to see which blocks of time are associated with which work or non-work activities.

Once you’ve built up some stats, there are a number of useful reports you can use to get a breakdown of how you’ve spent your time. There is also a standard calendar view. The app offers many of its features for free, but you can choose to pay to get more customization options and features, the ability to split time and add breaks.

timeline

Timeline can categorize your day for you.David Nield

timeline It’s best to look at your time-tracking solution, as long as you’re using an iPhone or iPad—it’s not available for Android or desktop. If you’re looking to log time using a mobile Apple device, you’ll find this a flexible, intuitive option, which sticks to the basics in terms of most features but does them well.

All you need to do is tap to get started Add timeline Buttons: Your “timeline” can be socializing, working, relaxing, studying, or whatever you like. Then you start and stop the timers as needed, and the app gives you reports as you go. You can set goals for how much something (like exercise) you want to log in a day, a week, or a month.

The app creates a comprehensive picture of how you spend your time without overwhelming you with different screens and features. You can get started with Timelines for free, with additional features—such as multi-device syncing, long-term trend reporting, and unlimited time tracking categories—available for $4 per month.

Simple time tracker

Simple Time Tracker isn’t complicated—but offers a lot.David Nield

After mentioning an app that’s exclusive to iPhone and iPad, it’s only fair we mention an app that you can only get on Android. Simple time trackerAs its name suggests, it tries to stay out of the way as much as possible while monitoring where your time goes. You can start and stop time slots with a tap and everything in the app is well organized

There’s more to it than just the basics. Different activities (such as reading or playing sports) can also be divided into different categories (such as work or fun) and customized with their own colors and icons. You can set goals for yourself to meet specific time thresholds and get real-time reports on how your day’s hours are spending.

The app does a really good job of choosing how simple or detailed your time tracking is. You can really dig into individual days and times if you want, or stick to a broad overview. Perhaps best of all, the app is completely open source and free to use, although I would recommend sending the developer a donation if you find the app helpful.