Do you need a Swiss Army knife when a single blade can do the job just as well? For years, I relied on a mix of complex third-party apps to manage my productivity, convinced that Apple’s built-in apps were too basic. But after deciding to go all-in on Apple productivity apps, I only wish I’d done it sooner.
I’ve always been on the hunt for the best productivity tools to help me stay organized and focused. Over the years, I’ve tried everything from Notion and OmniFocus to Obsidian and Todoist. While each of these tools has its strengths, I eventually realized they all share similar frustrating challenges.
Firstly, many third-party apps come with a lot of features—so many, in fact, that they can feel overwhelming. While these bells and whistles might seem appealing at first, they also come with a steep learning curve. I’ve spent hours customizing dashboards, setting up workflows, and learning how to use advanced features, only to realize I didn’t need half of them.
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Secondly, even though most of these tools sync to the cloud, they don’t always communicate well with each other or with the other tools I use daily. This leads to disconnected workflows and a lot of manual work to keep everything updated.
On the other hand, Apple’s productivity apps have been intentionally designed for simplicity and seamless integration. There’s no overwhelming feature set or steep learning curve. Instead, they focus on doing a few things well and integrate seamlessly, leading to a smoother, more connected experience that lets me focus on my work, not my tools.
Reminders: The Surprisingly Capable Task Manager
At first glance, Apple’s Reminders app seems like a basic to-do list—great for grocery shopping and quick reminders. While it’s true that Reminders isn’t as feature-heavy as project management powerhouses like OmniFocus, that’s precisely what makes it so effective.
Reminders strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and functionality, and its seamless integration with other Apple apps has made it an indispensable part of my productivity system.
Reminders focuses on the essentials—everything is exactly where you need it, without unnecessary complexity or endless customization. This makes organizing your to-do lists in Reminders a breeze. For example, one of Reminders’ most underrated features is its ability to handle both simple to-dos and complex projects. You can break down large projects into smaller tasks and even create subtasks within those tasks.
Location-based reminders are another simple yet effective feature, as it allows you to set alerts that trigger when you arrive at a specific place. For instance, you can set a reminder to water your plants as soon as you get home.
I also use Smart Lists in Reminders to take the heavy lifting out of organizing tasks. Instead of manually sorting reminders into different lists, Smart Lists automatically group tasks based on criteria like date, priority, time, or location.
Notes: My Personal Knowledge Hub
Apple Notes is the best note-taking app for Apple users. Although many power users may rightly feel that the Notes app lacks several important features, its benefits still outweigh its drawbacks, especially for those within the Apple ecosystem. Instead of switching to another app, I use ProNotes to supercharge the Notes app on my Mac.
One of my favorite things about Apple Notes is how quickly I can access information. Thanks to deep macOS integration, I can pull up specific notes in Spotlight Search simply by typing a keyword.
I also use the Notes app on my iPhone to scan documents. Whether it’s a receipt, a handwritten note, or a contract, I can quickly scan and save it. Thanks to iCloud sync, it’s instantly accessible on all my Apple devices.
As someone who often has ideas strike at random moments, I need a way to capture them quickly before they slip away. I use Hot Corners on my Mac to assign one of my screen corners to open the Notes app quickly. With a simple flick of my mouse, I can capture thoughts without interrupting my workflow.
Calendar: My Time Manager and Meeting Scheduler
I’ll admit it—I haven’t always been a fan of Apple Calendar. This is why I initially replaced the default Mac app with a third-party alternative called Fantastical. However, I switched back to Calendar because it’s free, and, since then, I’ve realized that sometimes, simplicity is exactly what you need.
One of my favorite things about Apple Calendar is how effortlessly it handles multiple calendars. For example, I have separate calendars for various aspects of my life, each assigned a unique color. This visual distinction makes it easy to differentiate them at a glance.
Another feature I love is that Calendar can sync events from other calendar accounts, like Google Calendar. Whether it’s a work meeting scheduled by a colleague or a family event shared via Google, everything shows up in one place.
Apple Calendar’s simplicity shines when it comes to creating events. I can set reminders, add location information, invitees, attachments, and more. If plans change, rescheduling is as easy as dragging and dropping events to another date.
Adding a new event is as easy as control-clicking the desired date and adding the details.
How Apple’s Productivity Apps Work Better Together
Apple’s native apps aren’t just useful on their own—they’re much better when used together, transforming them into a cohesive productivity system. Let’s start with Siri, which has become my preferred way to add tasks to Reminders quickly. You can also use Siri to create Calendar events and notes, by saying something like:
Remind me to call Sarah at 3 PM.
Create a note titled book recommendations.
Create a meeting event with Paul in Calendar for tomorrow.
In addition, Apple makes it easy to connect information between these tools, for example:
- I can capture meeting notes in Notes and instantly create a task in Reminders from that note.
- Tasks in Reminders appear in Calendar, allowing me to view my schedule and to-dos in one place.
- If I receive an email about a meeting, I can drag it from the Mail app into Reminders to create a task.
This means that tasks, events, and notes don’t exist in separate silos. Instead, they move fluidly between apps, ensuring no detail gets lost and that productivity feels natural.
By using Apple’s native apps, I’ve improved my workflow and reduced distractions. If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, these apps may be all you need to improve your productivity.
