The Best Organization Apps For 2021

Have you found that your home is getting more cluttered during this COVID-19 pandemic?

Sheltering at home means there’s more opportunity to make messes. That goes for anyone, those working at home as well as kids doing school online. After sitting all day for work at home, you may not feel like straightening up around the house once your workday is over.

Sometimes all you need is something to help you focus and plan. That’s where organization apps come in. They can help you organize chores, remind you to take ten or twenty minutes to straighten up, or just help you plan your day out more efficiently.

These apps go beyond just simple lists and reminders, though. While none is designed for home organization alone, one or several of them will help you organize your workplace and your life.

We selected seven apps we like that are available on both Android and iOS.

1. S'moresUp

The tagline for the S’moresUp app is “your partner in parenting!” How will that help keep your home organized?

One of the app’s major features is dividing up family chores. You can make chore lists for everyone in the household, making sure to give your kids chores they can handle and that they’ll feel good about getting done.

You can use it to establish a daily routine for everyone beyond just chores, handle your kids’ allowances, stay in touch with friends and relatives, and more. Its purpose is to make parenting easier, which will also make keeping your home organized easier.

2. AnyList

Keeping your food organized, in the fridge, freezer, and pantry is an important aspect of keeping your home in order.

Going to the grocery store and forgetting something important, especially if you’re trying to reduce how often you go out due to COVID, can mess up your routine and throw a wrench into your day.

The AnyList app helps with that by helping you with your grocery lists.

Can’t other apps do this?

Of course, but AnyList suggests common items that may have slipped your mind, collects and organizes your recipes so you can plan to shop for specific dishes, assists with meal planning, and more.

3. Cozi Family Organizer

Cozi Family Organizer is a bit like a hybrid between S’moresUp and AnyList. It allows you to plan meals, create grocery lists, organize family schedules, create lists, including chore lists, and share updates with members of your household.

4. Centriq

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with paper product manuals?

Centriq helps with home organization by creating a digital space for information about your electronics, appliances, tools, and other items that come with manuals and warranties.

You simply take pictures of your things and Centriq downloads all the relevant digital paperwork. It will also link to how-to videos to teach you how to better use your stuff. If there’s a recall on an item, you can get a notification.

It’s a welcome step toward a paperless home or office.

5. Todoist

Now, we’re getting into apps that handle your to-do lists.

One of the great things about to-do lists is that they reduce stress by getting your important tasks out of your head and on paper, or these days, into your smartphone.

You can then revisit the list during the day and check items off as you get them done, which is quite a satisfying feeling.

So, that’s what Todoist does. It gives you a place to list what tasks you have coming up, but it does more than that.

It also has alarms to remind you of when to do tasks, lets you know when tasks are due, and helps to manage projects.

6. Evernote

What can we say about Evernote?

Evernote is an ever-popular app with millions of people using it. There’s a free option as well as a paid premium version, the one you need depends on your needs.

Evernote allows you to make robust to-do lists with copious notes and check off your tasks as you finish them. Plus, you can use it on any of your devices. So, while working at your computer during the day, you can have it open in a window and check your tasks there. When you head out, you can check it on your phone or tablet.

With Evernote, you can also scan documents, rather than having to type everything in. That includes notes, business cards, and so on. Plus, you can record voice memos.

7. Time Timer

Time Timer is a clock-like product that helps people who think a little differently stay organized and not lose track of time. Yes, there is an app, too, which is why we’re covering it here.

This product isn’t specifically for planning and organizing. Rather, it can help you get a sense of how much time you need to get a task done.

You can also use it to encourage yourself to get a certain amount of work done in a given amount of time. Or, set an amount of time you’re going to dedicate to a task in Time Timer, like the Pomodoro technique, and observe how much this helps with focus.

This is designed to help with productivity, self-regulation, and breaking big tasks into manageable parts.

Bonus App: Jour

Keeping your home and life organized starts with decluttering your mind.

Jour isn’t a to-do list maker, an appliance-tracking app, or any of the other things we covered. It’s a journaling app focused on gratitude and mindfulness, two things that help people keep their external lives in order as well.

It has plenty of prompts to help you deal with various things that may be on your mind, and once you have them down, you may find it easier to focus on other things.

Now, if you have persistent anxiety or other emotional or mental issues, then you may want to consider counseling. Some mental issues are quite serious and require professional help. Even so, a journal program like Jour used in conjunction with therapy can help you organize the rest of your life, too, home included.

Really getting your home organized will take dedication, especially in the beginning as you build habits, but now you know about eight apps that can help. Here’s to greater organization and productivity in 2021!