Andy Walker / Android Authority
When one thinks of Google’s myriad productivity apps, Gmail and Calendar presumably come to mind immediately. This important duo is preinstalled on Android smartphones, making them readily accessible to anyone wanting to exchange emails or log events. However, what if you want to keep track of to-dos? Chances are, you’re already using Google Tasks, the company’s ethereal task management app, without even knowing it exists.
This statement isn’t a reach, either. While scrolling through online forums, it struck me how many long-time Android users had no idea that Google even has a dedicated to-do list app. Yes, it’s not preinstalled on Android like others, but its presence is nonetheless felt in almost every other service.
Do you use Google Tasks?
12 votes
Set a reminder on a Google service? That’s probably Tasks.
Andy Walker / Android Authority
Google Tasks wasn’t always a standalone app. The task management tool was originally one of Calendar and Gmail’s talents, allowing users to create action items within either app. This setup was functional and fluid, allowing tasks to be viewed on either app. Eventually, Google realized how beneficial knitting Tasks across more products could be for productivity.
Despite being almost everywhere that matters, Tasks often goes unnoticed.
Now when you create a to-do on a Google app, you’re likely using Tasks without ever knowing it. If you’ve ever barked at Assistant or Gemini to create a task, that task ends up listed in Google Tasks. The same goes for Chat, Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Drive.
In 2018, relaunched Tasks as a standalone app, giving it further prominence in Google’s lineup and allowing users to access all their to-dos added from Google’s various services in one place. Despite being almost everywhere that matters, Tasks often goes unnoticed.
A to-do list app that’s seamless and simple, and easy to forget
Andy Walker / Android Authority
I think a big part of this is due to the app’s simple, seamless functionality. Unlike more distracting to-do apps with overflowing talents, the Tasks app is rather basic, almost to a fault. It includes just enough features to be useful and nothing more.
I use Tasks to jot down snapshots of action items or ideas that come to mind during the day. I maintain multiple lists to service this use case. One list includes random chores I’d surely forget if I didn’t write them down. Who actually remembers to defrost the freezer? Notably, I still use another app for regular chore management, but Tasks helps with recording the one-off events.
Another list details car-related tasks, from items to purchase to a broader note about maintenance items. Another relates to dinner ideas for a particular week or month.
A big part of Tasks’ anonymity is a testament to how well integrated it is within other Google products.
I can add to these lists, create new ones, or manage them from various platforms. I usually run the web app in a browser sidebar or secondary window while I work, keeping distractions to a minimum. I can also ask my Home Mini in the kitchen to add spaghetti to my shopping list when I’ve run out or add a link to an interesting article I come across while researching an adjacent topic.
The beauty of Tasks is that you never need to use the app itself to use its best features, but this is to its detriment.
Joe Maring / Android Authority
As you never really need to access Tasks itself, the service and app never feel like a separate entity. Yes, the convenience of adding tasks from various other platforms makes it a handy tool, but it means that people are far less likely to ever interact with the product directly.
It’s worth highlighting an app like Keep, a better-known product from Google that offers plenty of overlapping features with Tasks. It comes preinstalled on Android devices, making it immediately useful. It also provides a broader feature kit, from extensive formatting and organization options to various note types and a UI that works far better on smaller screens. I can color code or label similar notes or create reminders, so I don’t forget to action a specific item.
I could easily use Google Keep as my tasks management platform, but I’ll miss out on some important Tasks benefits.
I could use Google Keep instead of Google Tasks for my task management needs. I can even add notes from Assistant to a note, like Tasks. In many ways, it’s actually a better organization app. But I’d miss out on the convenience of Tasks’ availability on other Google platforms. So why isn’t Google Tasks given the same level of focus on Android devices as Keep?
Google is the reason you don’t know about Tasks
Andy Walker / Android Authority
I’m not entirely sure. I’d welcome Google adding Tasks as a preinstalled app on Android for a start. Unlike other bloatware, Tasks is genuinely useful and gives users a platform to view all their to-dos on a single screen.
I’d like to see Google invest more time in Tasks, too. Thanks to a recent Authority Insights deep dive, we’ve found signs that Google is, albeit slowly. We spied new forthcoming features, including more sorting options, indications of the number of tasks in each list, and easier ways to add tasks to a list. Those are, admittedly, pretty minor improvements, but they’re trending in the right direction.
I’d welcome Google offering Tasks as a preinstalled app on Android phones. Would you?
Of course, there’s a laundry list of items I’d love to see Google add to Tasks. The option to share lists with others, tag or label similar lists, add tasks using natural language, and search for tasks would massively improve the app. I also wish I could add tasks via Assistant without requiring a reminder time. These changes wouldn’t disrupt the seamlessness of Tasks across platforms, either. If anything, I believe they’d enhance it and perhaps even prompt users to consider taking the app more seriously.
Nevertheless, Google Tasks doesn’t seem to be a high-priority product for Google, unlike Gemini and its related AI push. That’s a massive shame, as it’s unironically the best productivity tool in the company’s ecosystem.
