20+ Essential Apps for Remote Workers to Bring Their Office Anywhere

More than ever, our definition of the workplace is changing. With 43 percent of employed Americans stating that they worked remotely at some point over the course of 2016, staying connected outside of an office setting is more vital than ever. Whether you are working on your freelance business or are employed by a company that allows you to work from home, technology is the key to getting your work done in a timely, professional manner.

In fact, building a toolbox of apps is an essential task for any remote worker. Chances are, if you have a problem, there is an app to solve it. Here’s our essential list of apps that will transform any virtual office into an efficient, productive space that allows you to get the job done, whether you are working from home or a seaside cafe.

Here are the 20+ best productivity apps that every remote worker needs to have in their life.

 

Apps to Store Your Information

Dropbox – Always having important files at your fingertips with Dropbox, which has a wide range of plans to fit your storage needs. In addition, shared folders make it easy to send large files without clogging up your email storage. iOS | Android

Google Drive – Not just cloud storage for photos and files, Google Drive is the easiest way share documents and spreadsheets. Commenting and change tracking allow clients and teams to work together on files without overwriting each other’s work. iOS | Android

 

Apps to Foster Teamwork

Asana – Project management for teams has never been easier. In fact, Asana is even our app of choice at My Modern Met. Track projects, assign responsibilities, and see your progress at a glance with this app, which can be used in a browser or on your phone or tablet. iOS | Android

Slack – This popular app for small businesses and teams lets you bypass long email chains in favor of group messaging and document sharing across platforms. iOS | Android

1Password – If your team is juggling multiple accounts or needs access to sensitive information like the company credit card, 1Password lets you safely store everything in one place. iOS | Android

iDoneThis – By prompting team members to check in daily and record the status of their work, it’s easy to see who is doing what, when, or why it can’t be completed.

 

Apps to Let You Track Your Time

Toggl – A top app for tracking your time, Toggl integrates into your browser, letting you keep on top of your hours no matter where you are browsing. Advanced features include team tracking and profitability charts, and Toggl also integrates with apps like iCal, Asana, Basecamp, and GitHub.  iOS | Android

Chrometa – This passive timekeeping tool runs in the background while you work, even synching with your smartphone to track calls. You can set up automatic rules to place certain tasks into projects, letting you quickly and effectively see how you spend your time. Integrated invoicing and options to link with Quickbooks make it easy to then bill your clients.  iOS | Android

 

Apps to Help You Take a Meeting Anytime, Anywhere

GoToMeeting – A premier video conferencing platform, GoToMeeting lets you attend a meeting from your tablet or phone and even allows you to record your meetings in case you need to fill in someone who couldn’t attend. iOS | Android

Pick – Setting a meeting time and want to stop the back and forth emails? Pick integrates with your calendars, allowing you to set your availability and send a link to invitees, so they can do the same, all from your iPhone. iOS 

Time Zone Ninja – If you work with international colleagues or clients in different time zones, chances are you’ve had someone get the meeting time wrong due to time zone errors. Never make this mistake again with this app that tells you the best time for everyone to make the call.

 

App to Makes Sure You Never Miss an Email

Boomerang – This app integrates with Gmail, allowing you to schedule an email to be sent later and also remind you if you haven’t heard back from that important client or need to send a follow-up email within a certain timeframe.

 

App to Improve Your Writing

Grammarly – Never make a spelling mistake again with Grammarly, which not only corrects spelling but checks your writing against over 250 grammar rules. It works in your browser, correcting as you type on any website, or on your desktop, where you can even upload documents.  iOS

 

Apps to Make the Perfect Task List

Todoist – Available offline and across multiple platforms, Todoist makes sure you always have your task list handy. You can also collaborate on shared tasks and its clean design makes it easy to see exactly what needs to get done.  iOS | Android

Focuslist – Focuslist combines a to-do list with time tracking, allowing you to set up your daily tasks and plan out your day using the Pomodoro technique.  iOS 

 

Apps to Preserve Your Well-Being

Forest – If the constant notifications on your phone are driving you crazy, this app will help you regain your sanity. By growing a virtual tree—but only if you don’t touch your phone—you’ll not only free yourself up to concentrate on what you’re doing, but help plant a tree in real life thanks to their partnership with Trees for the Future. iOS | Android

Take a Break Please – One of the hazards of working remotely is that it’s often easy to forget to give yourself a break. This app allows you to preschedule pauses throughout the day and when the time comes, your screen dims, prompting you to take a break.  iOS

 

Apps to Help You Research and Take Notes

Evernote – Keep your ideas anywhere you go with this popular notetaking and organizational app. Evernote comes with a huge range of functionality, allowing you to create and keep checklists, audio notes, links, tables, attachments, and handwritten notes in one virtual notepad.  iOS | Android

Skitch – This app from Evernote allows you to quickly annotate and mark up photos and documents. Highlight errors on a PDF or circle an area on a photograph that needs editing and then share it all from your desktop, phone, or tablet. Unfortunately, Evernote is no longer updating Skitch for Android, but check out some alternatives. iOS

Pocket – Clip all your favorite articles and save them in Pocket to read later when you have time. It’s a great way not to get bogged down and distracted when conducting research, as you’ll know that all your articles will be waiting for you when you have time to read them over thoroughly.  iOS | Android

Feedly – Get all your news in one place with this powerful content aggregator. You can pull together your feed by source or Google keyword, which is also useful for keeping on top of your marketing and brand awareness efforts.  iOS | Android

 

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