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Keep track of your tasks on your computer or phone. Tip: If you have a work or school account, on the side panel, click the Tasks app.If it does not appear, your admin may have turned it off. Step 1: Open Google Tasks. You can add tasks to the side panel in Gmail. Microsoft To-Do. In a bid to accelerate its ‘Mobile First, Cloud First’ vision, Microsoft purchased the. Under Select for Mac select Custom Mac. Name the task in the Task name field. Since you may end up with many saved tasks, be sure to use a clear and specific name. To locate and upload resources required to complete the task, click Browse.
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Whether it's a work-related task or a personal goal, TickTick Mac App is always here to help you get things done in less time. Add task faster and easier. Use shortcut Command+Shift+A to capture ideas in a second. Check schedules at a glance. View your to-dos. “Things never feels messy or overbearing, no matter the length of your task list. Lovely, unfolding animations keep your place, and there’s a super-fast search tool if you get lost. It’s the rare to-do list app that doesn’t try to force you into a particular way of thinking.
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With life’s busy schedules and numerous distractions, staying on top of tasks can pose a challenge — that’s why every single productivity guide recommends you to keep track of everything in your mind with a to do list to achieve your goals.
While, historically, to do lists were handled by pen and paper, with the rise of mobile technology and modern software, it’s far more efficient to use a specialized to do list app to stay on top of your tasks.
That said, the beauty of pen and paper lies in the ability to format, write, and manage however you see fit, whereas apps force you into their predefined frameworks. And exactly because to do lists can be so personal, it’s worth exploring the differences between them before picking one for good.
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Why Should I Use A To Do List?
From tasks at work to chores at home, to catching up with friends and family, and everything in between, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with things to do. The trouble is finding the time to do them, prioritizing them accordingly, then actually remembering to carry them out. That’s where even simple to do lists can be a powerful productivity tool, freeing up your time and mental space to focus on what you do best.
However, there are now so many different to do list on Mac options in the marketplace that getting around to selecting one is a chore in itself. That’s why this guide just saves you some time by picking some of the best ones for you to consider.
What are some tips for using to do lists?
There’s an art to using to do lists effectively, no matter the technology. You don’t need to be a project manager or have high attention to details to make a Mac task manager work for you. Simply follow a few of the most important tips:
- Understand what should be on the to do list versus what should be a daily habit or calendar item. Brushing your teeth probably shouldn’t be on the to do list, as it would ideally be baked into your daily routine. Whereas your friend’s birthday should probably be put in your calendar. However, you might write “purchase gift for friend’s birthday” as a to do item.
- Try to keep a manageable level of to do items at any time. Having a list of 300 probably won’t do much for your productivity, as it becomes difficult to quickly ascertain the correct priority and order. Make sure your to do list stays below 15 items to not get overwhelmed.
- Focus on completing one item at a time. Multi-tasking is never as productive of a method of executing a task as you might think. So when it’s time to action your to do list, focus your energy on the task at hand.
With these tips in hand, you’re ready to get out and find the technology that works best for you.
What should a good to do list app for Mac do?
When it comes to selecting a to do list on Mac, there are a few aspects to consider. Some of the apps aim for total simplicity, whereas others come packed with useful features for more advanced users. Here are a few things to look for in your next to do list app:
- Simplicity is most important. Adding new tasks and organizing them should be done in just a few clicks or taps.
- The ability to categorize your to do list in such a way that it’s easy to find similar tasks. This might be done by grouping, tags, due dates, and more.
- A notification system for reminding you of upcoming or late tasks. These hold you accountable and are something pen and paper can’t beat.
- Syncing of your data across devices and operating systems can be useful for those who like to work on the go
- At a more personal level, your to do list should look and feel easy to use, as friction points in the user experience might prevent you from making the most of it
Now that you know what a good to do list should be, let’s take a deeper dive into some of the best to do list apps for Mac on the market.
Comparing the best to do list apps for Mac
Honestly, there are too many to do list apps out in the world to count. To make your decision easier, many of those have been evaluated and narrowed down to just five — each with its own pros and cons that could sway your decision depending on your preferences.
As a Mac user, you’ve probably heard of Apple Reminders, which comes pre-installed in iPhones, iPads, and, of course, Macs. One of the main pros of using Apple Reminders is the fact that it’s ready to go — no additional tinkering required. It also has the benefit of looking and feeling like the rest of your Apple software, including Siri support, so it’s a familiar experience. Reminders works well with other Apple users by allowing you to share tasks in iCloud, but, unfortunately, you can’t assign tasks to people outside of that ecosystem, or to multiple people.
Key Features:
- Smart location-based reminders which prompt depending on where you are
- Task list sharing through iCloud
- Simple, Apple-based interface that includes a quick calendar view
If you’re looking for the best task manager for Mac with more features, then you can’t pass Omnifocus. Made exclusively for Apple devices, Omnifocus takes everything one step further by allowing lists to be grouped into different projects, depending on the type of activity you’re doing, making it useful for work. Everything syncs, but only between Apple devices, of course. All in all, Omnifocus is definitely a strong candidate for any power user.
Key features:
- Full-featured software designed exclusively for Apple
- Multiple project types for any given workflow
- Six handy views right out-of-the-box, including calendar, due date, projects, tags, and more
Another to do list on Mac that comes with a strong set of features is Wunderlist. Unlike Apple Reminders and Omnifocus, it can be used across all devices and operating systems, including Windows. While the app features a clean interface, it does have some complexity to it, so overall Wunderlist targets users who would like to collaborate on tasks together.
Key features:
- Task reminders with notifications
- Multiple assignees and collaborators on projects and tasks
- Add hashtags to any descriptions to help search and organize task lists
If you care about speed and efficiency, you need 2Do — a perfect to do list app for people on the go. The quick-add feature makes creating new tasks a breeze, and you can even break your agenda up into a checklist format for subtasks.
A better version of Reminders
Get a top-notch app for busy folks. 2Do will help you organize any number of tasks into smart lists and break big jobs into subtasks.
While 2Do isn’t as full-featured as some of the alternatives, its upside is simplicity — essential for those who just need to get things done.
Key features:
- Quick-add feature for maximum efficiency
- Extra context for tasks via the tagging system
- Smart lists let you view critical information at a glance, including due date, tags, and reminders — nothing more than what you need
One more of the best to do list apps is GoodTask. The beauty of GoodTask is its native ability to integrate with Apple Reminders and Apple Calendar, while adding some extra functionality on top to help you become more productive. The downsides are few and far between: for example, it doesn't have the extended functionality of something like Omnifocus.
Calendar With Tasks For Mac
Key features:
- Automatic sync with your iCloud or Outlook calendar
- Reminders (and repeat reminders) to help you stay on top of tasks
- Smart sorting to organize your list by alphabet, due date, time created, or manually
With one of the best to do list on Mac options in hand, you’re ready to go out and become more productive than ever. Just remember to consider the difference between a task and a habit, keep your task list below 15, and pick an app that suits your preferences.
While you’re at it, give Be Focused a try. Be Focused is another task manager for Mac with a welcome twist — alongside the standard features, such as multi-device support and task list organization, Be Focused lets you set timers for each task. Now you can get to work knowing that you’re on track by the minute. Want to look further ahead? You can even breakdown your annual, quarterly, and monthly tasks into groups for a wider view of your life’s goals.
Best of all, 2Do, GoodTask, and Be Focused are available to you on a free 7-day trial via Setapp, a subscription service for Mac that grants you access to more than 150 indispensable apps across all categories imaginable. Now that’s a definite boost for your productivity!
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By the virtue of being on Windows for many years, most users develop a muscle memory in hitting Ctrl + Alt + Delete when their PC acts up to open the Task Manager and restart a stalling process. It's just part of daily life. But what's the Mac equivalent of Task Manager?
Some say there's no need for the Apple Task Manager, as Macs run better and smoother than their PC counterparts. And while this is largely true, from time to time you absolutely need a way to force quit Mac processes to keep it in good shape.
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So how to get Task Manager on Mac? Easy! There's already an OSX Task Manager pre-installed (or rather the Mac equivalent of Task Manager) — called Activity Monitor, which you can find in Applications ➙ Utilities.
Activity Monitor Is The Apple Task Manager
Below is a guide for long-time Windows users in the process of onboarding to Mac and hence wondering, 'Where is Task Manager?' 'How to get Task Manager on Mac?' 'How to open Task Manager on Mac?' But Mac users who haven't used the MacBook Activity Monitor in a while will find the instructions on how to halt Mac processes useful as well.
What is Activity Monitor?
Activity Monitor is basically the OSX Task Manager, a utility that shows how much memory your Mac processes are using and which apps are currently active (even if they aren't open), letting you force quit stalled ones if you can't close them the usual way.
If you've never used this task manager for Mac before, it can be quite a lot to take in. But don't worry, here's a quick breakdown of all Activity Monitor's features.
CPU: The first tab in Activity Monitor lists all the processes that are currently taking up your Mac's CPU, displays the exact percentages of power they are consuming, and notes how long they have been running.
There's a process you might notice in the CPU tab called 'kernel_task' that could be taking a large share of resources. Don't panic and don't shut it down! The process simply ensures your CPU isn't working too hard by forcing other memory-intensive Mac processes out. As a result, it might seem like one of the heaviest processes on the list. Similarly, 'mds' and 'mdworker' help index files for the Spotlight search, which sometimes spikes their appetite.
Memory: The second tab reflects how much RAM every process is taking up, which could be the most useful indicator of all. RAM is directly responsible for the speed of your Mac, so getting rid of heavy users is the fastest way to speed things up.
Another interesting feature of the Memory tab is the RAM Pressure Gauge at the bottom. If the bar is green then your Mac's RAM isn't being taxed too much. But if it turns red — consider buying additional memory for your machine.
Energy: The middle tab comes handy when you're using your MacBook without plugging it in. Here you can easily find apps and processes that drain your battery and quit them to extend your screen time.
Disk: Even though this tab might not be the most useful one for daily use, it still shows how various processes interact with your hard drive, rewriting data. If you ever happen to install some malware, you might find its processes here as large outliers and quit them just in time.
Network: The last tab in Activity Monitor reflects the amount of data received and sent by every app you have installed. Again, it's generally good for spotting outliers that might send too much data online.
Cache: If you're running macOS earlier than High Sierra, you might see another tab in Activity Monitor called Cache. It basically lists how much data your network devices have cached so far and is only useful for those who know how to clean up those caches (read more on this below).
How to open Task Manager on Mac?
Unfortunately, there are no keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open your Mac process monitor, but launching Activity Monitor is still quite simple. Pick one of the three ways to do it.
Open Activity Monitor from Spotlight:
- Press ⌘ + Space to open Spotlight
- Start typing Activity Monitor
- Once Activity Monitor comes up highlighted, hit Enter or click on it
Open Activity Monitor from Finder:
- Click on Finder in your Dock
- Navigate to Applications on the sidebar
- Choose Utilities in the Applications window
- Double-click on the Activity Monitor icon
Open Activity Monitor from Dock:
If you've been having recurring troubles, setting up Activity Monitor in your Dock is absolutely worth doing. It's essentially a handy one-click Mac Task Manager shortcut.
But before you can open Activity Monitor from your Dock, you need to use one of the previous two methods first. Then, once Activity Monitor is active:
- Right-click on the Activity Monitor icon in your Dock
- Select Options
- Choose 'Keep in Dock'
'Keep in Dock' should now have a checkmark beside it, which means it will stay in the Dock even if you quit the app — then you can launch it like any other program.
How to force quit an application?
If you're looking for answers regarding the Mac OS Task Manager, chances are it's because some app has stalled on you. There are two ways to go here.
From the Activity Monitor:
Tiny Task Mac
- Navigate to either the CPU or the Memory tab and find the slow process
- Click to highlight
- Press the X icon in the top toolbar
- Confirm that you're sure you want to quit the process
The other force-quit option is from the Force Quit Applications window:
- Press ⌘ + Option + Esc
- Highlight the program you want to quit
- Click Force Quit
Check out: Mac startup programs
Are there better Apple Task Manager alternatives?
While Activity Monitor is definitely the Mac equivalent of Task Manager, sometimes you want to monitor your Mac's processes a little more closely and get real time updates on your Mac's performance. iStat Menus will help you do that.
Keep your Mac controlled
iStat Menus is the single Mac monitoring tool you need for a great performance. Get updates on your Mac’s resources in a click.
iStat Menus gives you fast updates on what's using your Mac's resources at just a glance. Working hard right from the menu bar, the app displays graphs for nearly every function of your Mac, so you can instantly find out what's wrong or just notice how your Mac behaves in different conditions.
It's likely that if you need a Mac OS Task Manager it's because your computer is running slowly. But don't just address the symptom, address the cause. Instead of quitting processes, get your Mac to run smoothly overall with CleanMyMac X.
CleanMyMac X is an optimization software that's designed to improve your Mac's performance with just a few clicks. It removes user and system caches, protects against malware, uninstalls unwanted software — all to bring your Mac back up to speed. If there's an app constantly stalling or hanging up, it's probably due to a conflict with some other process — CleanMyMac X will clear it up right away:
- Open the app
- Navigate to System Junk ➙ Scan
- Review Details to see what might be wrong and hit Clean
Knowing how to use your MacBook Task Manager is essential to getting the most out of your Mac and following the tips above is a good start.
Tasks For Machine Learning
Best of all, iStat Menus and CleanMyMac X are both available for a free 7-day trial through Setapp, a platform with over 150 useful apps that turbocharge your Mac's capabilities. Now you surely won't miss the Windows Task Manager at all.
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Creative Tasks For Macbeth
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