Image rights from top: Stay Sorted, Readdle.
When we last looked at
Sorted 3, we were impressed
by its ability to auto–schedule
tasks according to rules you
specify. Upgrades since then, including
the latest, 3.5, retain everything we liked
about it while adding more. There’s
support for iOS system Dark Mode,
multi–window support in iPad OS, and the
ability to draw notes using your finger on
the iPhone or an Apple Pencil on iPad.
There’s also a Mac version in beta
testing for those who want a productivity
app on all their devices.
Sorted 3’s biggest strengths continue
to be its auto–scheduling and its
If you’re fed up with having
to use different apps for
tasks or reminders and
calendar events, Calendars 5
has long been a solution. And recent
versions have added some new features.
Calendars 5 has now gained a Dark
Mode, support for Outlook/Exchange
calendars, an interface overhaul, and the
ability to specify which calendars can
send you alerts and notifications.
One of Calendars 5’s strengths, and
something it shares with apps like
Fantastical, is its support for natural
language input. Begin typing “meet
Carol for lunch at 13:00 tomorrow”
Sorted 3.5
Manage appointments and tasks
Free (IAPs) From Stay Sorted, staysorted.com
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11.4 or later
Calendars 5
A calendar app to manage events and tasks
$6.99 (IAPs) From Readdle, readdle.com
Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Needs iOS 11 or later
GREATGREATThe Add Task window supports rich text input,
and you can add images as attachments.Calendars 5 supports tasks and calendar events,
but its interface isn’t as elegant as some.extensive tutorials which cover the
broader techniques of scheduling as
well as actually using the app. Auto–
scheduling lets you specify a default task
length, as well as a buffer between tasks.
And it’s smart enough not to move
calendar appointments in order to make
way for tasks thanks to its “locked”
feature which locks pre–scheduled tasks
and events and forces auto–schedule to
work around them. Support for folders,
lists and tags makes organizing
everything simple, and the Re–organize
feature is great for splitting tasks with
multiple notes into separate tasks,
making them easier to tackle.and it will fill in the details at the correct
date and time.
It also supports Apple’s new Reminders
lists, and groups tasks according to the
list you’ve allocated them to in Reminders.
We also liked the extensive support for
Siri Shortcuts and the ability to drag and
drop appointments to re–schedule them.
It’s not perfect. It can’t match up to
Moleskine’s Timepage for the sheer joy
of using it, and if you’re a fan of
Fantastical’s interface, you might find
Calendars 5 a little prosaic.
If, on the other hand, you value having
tasks and appointments in one place and
want to be able to manage both withoutWe’d still like to see an “upcoming”
view that showed tasks due in coming
days, but other than that the latest
upgrades to Sorted 3 improve what was
already an excellent app.
THE BOTTOM LINE. If you haven’t
found a task manager to meet your
needs, give this a try. KENNY HEMPHILLswitching apps, Calendars 5 is a good
choice. Agenda also allows you to see
both tasks and appointments, but its
focus is much more on the former.
BOTTOM LINE. An excellent and
good–value option for anyone who wants
to manage appointments and tasks in
one app. KENNY HEMPHILLTough testing, trusted ratings
maclife.com MAR 2020 65