Key Takeaways
Integration with Google apps makes managing tasks seamless and efficient, especially when using Gmail. The use of lists and subtasks in Google Tasks helps organize tasks efficiently for different purposes. Google Tasks offers useful widgets, keyboard shortcuts, and a customizable web view for a minimalist task management experience.
In a world where every task management app is chasing AI, third-party apps integration, project management tools, habit tracking, and more, Google Tasks easily stands out as a beacon of simplicity and efficiency. Ever since its introduction, Google's task management app has followed a minimalist approach to keep the bloat away.
Whether you are managing your daily tasks, creating a travel checklist, or planning long-term projects, Google Tasks provides essential features you need without overwhelming you with unnecessary options. Here are the top reasons why Google Tasks can be the ultimate choice for anyone seeking a straightforward task management solution.
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7 Integration with Google apps and services
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Google Tasks' seamless integration with other company apps and services shouldn't surprise anyone. Firstly, you can easily access Tasks right from Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and others. Whether you want to glance over your blog post checklist or your travel to-do list when composing an email to a hotel, just click Google Tasks from the sidebar and check your to-dos.
Google Tasks works exceptionally well with Gmail. You can open Tasks from the sidebar and simply drag and drop emails to create new tasks. This feature comes in handy when you want to track your important emails like a pro. You can also open an email, click the three-dot menu at the top, and select Add to Tasks.
Whether you use Tasks on your phone, tablet, or the web, simply open a relevant email from the task entry and complete it after the due date. I use this feature all the time to track my credit card bills in Google Tasks. Whenever a new bill arrives in my inbox, I drop it into Google Tasks, add the bill amount as a description, set a due date, and pay it on time to avoid high-interest charges.
In another scenario, I use this integration to track my important receipts, invoices, and booking confirmation emails in my travel checklist in Google Tasks. The possibilities are endless here.
6 Lists for specific purposes
Google didn't just add basic task management and call it a day. It also supports lists to organize your tasks under relevant categories. All your emails remain under the From Email list. There is also another default list for all your starred emails. You can access all your lists from the top scrollbar or the bottom hamburger menu.
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to share or collaborate on Google Tasks. It's the one major omission from the search giant's task management app.
5 Excellent web view
Instead of offering a different web app, Google has integrated Tasks right into the Calendar app. When you visit Google Calendar on the web, click Tasks at the top and glance over your lists.
Surprisingly, the Google Tasks web view is quite customizable. You can choose to disable certain lists, drag and drop your lists to a relevant place, and even move your tasks between lists in no time. There is a separate tab to check your starred tasks as well.
Thanks to a drag and drop editor, you can use Google Tasks as a lightweight personal project management tool, too.
4 Support for subtasks
A robust task management app is simply incomplete without support for subtasks. Google Tasks is no slouch here. When you create a main task, start adding relevant subtasks with due dates and other details. For instance, if you create a shopping list, you can use subtasks to be more specific about what to get. You can add relevant items under Groceries, required products under recurring items, and so on.
3 Useful widgets
Google Tasks offers feature-rich mobile apps on iPhone and Android. These apps support multiple widgets to create and manage tasks right from your phone or tablet home screen. As soon as an idea comes into your head, a widget makes it easy to jot down before it flies away.
2 Support for keyboard shortcuts
Like other Google web apps, Google Tasks is packed with useful keyboard shortcuts. It may take some time to memorize these key combinations, but once you get the hang of it, there is no going back to using a keyboard or trackpad to navigate Tasks on the web. Here are some of the frequently used Tasks keyboard shortcuts.
More task actions: . (period) or v Move task up/down: command/Ctrl + Up/Down Print a task list: command/Ctrl + P Add to starred: s, +, = Remove from starred: s, -
You can also check out the official guide to learn more about Google Tasks keyboard shortcuts.
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1 Cross-platform availability
Unlike some of the task management apps (looking at you, Things 3), Google Tasks isn't limited to a specific device type. It's available on iPhone, Android, iPad, and the web. Cross-platform access isn't an issue when using Google Tasks.
Minimalist mastery
Google has nailed the basics with the Tasks app. While it does a fine job of handling your daily to-dos, power users may be left wanting more. If your workflow demands an advanced task management solution, check out our separate post to find the top options to complete your tasks like a pro.