Best productivity apps

With the surge of new technology, we can feel as if there's no excuse for not being super-productive. However, with such a plethora of apps in circulation and being developed, how do you know where to start? Here are five apps for you to start out with, which we think will make a real difference to how much you get done each day.

Mailbox

How many emails are sitting in your inbox right now that you know you should reply to, but just haven't? The app Mailbox can help you achieve your inbox target of zero. While it might not last very long, due to the speed at which emails fly in, having an empty inbox for a short period of time is better than not at all. 

Mailbox makes it easier to organise, prioritise and clear your inbox. You can quickly swipe messages to your archive or trash when you're done with them. Scan an entire conversation at once with chat-like organisation. Make emails go away with the snooze function until later. They’ll return to your inbox automatically so you can focus on what's important at the time.

It's only compatible with iCloud and Gmail accounts for now, but Apple assures customers other email platforms are coming soon. 

Clear

To-do lists are vital. Not only do they help you to understand how much you need to get done each day, but they also give you an indication of how well you're doing and a sense of achievement when you can cross something off.

Clear enables you to keep on track of everything you've got to do. It's not limited to a work to-do list either - use it to write down your shopping, to remind you to buy an anniversary present or even to plan what you need to buy for that fancy dress party next weekend. 

The app is also quite aesthetically pleasing, which can momentarily help take your mind off the fact that you've got a to-do list which, instead of getting shorter, just gets longer.

Keep

We've all experienced moments when an imaginary light bulb flicks on above our heads and the solution to something - especially a creative problem - suddenly dawns on you. Instead of faffing about with a touchscreen keyboard, use one of Keep's many features and record your thoughts in a voice note that will be transcribed automatically. Don't let your idea escape your head as you struggle to write it down fast enough. 

The whole premise of this app is to download what's on your mind into a safe place for you to access at a more convenient time. Whether this is taking a picture of something and annotating it or colour-coding your notes so you can find them more easily, the name of this app implies just what it can expertly help you to do. 

Pocket

The internet is awash with engaging content. The problem is there is arguably too much of it. When you're on the move, so often you'll find yourself on an interesting or engaging article but not have time to finish it or even read it at all. What happens next? You come out of your meeting or appointment and forget all about the article. Now, you can Pocket it and come back to it when you have a free couple of minutes.

Furthermore, this app strips away all the superfluous stylistic elements - and the adverts you don't really want to see - and lets you concentrate on just the words you want to read. If you love interesting articles but don't get round to reading enough of them, then this is definitely one for you. 

HootSuite

If you're frequently on Twitter as part of your freelancing work or marketing campaign, then HootSuite is an app you'd be silly to disregard. Particularly if you've got more than one account, you'll soon wonder how you maintained your social media presence without it. It makes seeing what's trending and being retweeted really easy, so you can stay on top of what's hot and make sure you're part of the action.