Megan Ellis / Android Authority
For a while, I wanted to keep my phone as streamlined as possible, only keeping my essential apps installed. But this year has been a tough one and keeping track of everything mentally has been getting more difficult to do.
I decided to start leaning on some niche apps, while not adding on additional subscriptions, to help me keep track of everything. Overall, it has proven to be a positive change. While not every app I’ve tried has been a hit, these six have proven to be hidden gems that make my life easier.
What kind of lesser-known free app made the biggest impact on your daily life?
15 votes
A niche productivity/tasks app.
53%
An app that helps me manage my health.
13%
Something that helps me engage in my hobbies.
20%
An app that helps me manage my finances.
13%
1. Donetick
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
I came across Donetick when I was exploring self-hosted apps to try. It’s a to-do list app that is focused on household chores, with handy features like automated scheduling.
Initially, I just used the mobile-responsive website on my phone to connect to my server. But I eventually set up a Cloudflare Tunnel so that I could use the Android app (which requires an HTTPS connection). If you’re not interested in self-hosting a Donetick server, the app does have a hosted cloud option available with a subscription fee.
Keeping my chores in a separate app has really helped me keep track of things.
I previously used TickTick for most of my task management, but found that I was getting overwhelmed when adding both personal and work tasks to one app. By having a separate app for my chores, I could keep track of household tasks in a less stressful way.
The ability to automatically set the next task due date according to the previous task’s completion date also makes it much easier for me to keep track of pet-related tasks that I sometimes lose track of.
For example, my cats’ flea treatment is only due every three months. My previous system was to send a WhatsApp message or write down a whiteboard note with the date of their last treatment. With Donetick, I have the exact date recorded with the follow-up treatment automatically scheduled.
If this sounds like an app you want to try, you will need to sideload it from the developer’s GitHub page. However, you can also just save the mobile website as a shortcut since it’s mobile-responsive — you just miss out on the ability to receive push notifications.
2. Pillo
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
As someone with multiple chronic illnesses, my medication list is quite long. I’ve never had much difficulty remembering to take medications, but I need help keeping track of the dosages I’ve taken over time and for how long.
This was one of the more difficult apps to find, since some free options have been gutted to push users to premium subscriptions. Meanwhile, others focused more on reminders than stock management and medication history. Eventually, I settled on Pillo.
Pillo’s notifications are a bit annoying, but I like how much functionality the app packs in.
There are a few things I really like about the app. Firstly, it has plenty of features available for free. It keeps track of the medications I use on specific dates, includes reminders, and allows me to make notes about how I feel that day or why I’m taking a certain medication.
The reminders were a bit annoying, since they display over apps and don’t go to sleep until you mark a medication as taken. However, I disabled certain permissions to make them less intrusive and also set all reminders to silent mode.
Another thing I like about the app is that if a medication is not in its database, you can simply add a custom name for it. I can also set the stock I have for specific medication and choose whether I want the app to remind me when I need to get more.
You can also export medication lists, which will be useful when I need to visit various specialists. It also has a feature that lets you log different health measurements, including mood, blood pressure, sleep, blood glucose, and more.
There also seems to be functionality for an interaction checker, but it’s currently paused while the feature undergoes improvements. Overall, despite a few annoyances, I’ve found the app really helpful.
3. Planta
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
I considered using Donetick to track my plant watering, but since there are so many variables that contribute to watering levels, I decided to use a standalone app. I was really surprised by how much functionality Planta provides for free.
Planta keeps track of watering schedules according to light levels, weather, and plant types.
This includes the ability to set up different areas within your home, record photos of your plants’ growth over time, and add individual plants. When you add a plant to the app, you can set its species, area, the light levels it is exposed to, and when you last watered it.
Based on the information you provide, Planta will set up a watering schedule for you with reminders. It also provides information like whether the plant is toxic and allows you to set the health status of your plants.
I’m usually pretty good with plants, since gardening is a hobby of mine. But I have been neglecting the plants in my home and garden because of my health issues, so Planta is helping me get things back on track so that I have fewer dead shrubs and flowers.
However, if you want to use Planta for plant identification, you will need to opt for the premium plan. For this, I usually just use an internet search if I don’t remember what a plant is.
4. Bend
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
A problem I have with exercise apps is that they often try to push me to do too much, which in turn causes a fibromyalgia or migraine flare up. I have a set of mobility and strengthening exercises I do that I learned from physiotherapy, but when I’m feeling particularly foggy, it’s difficult to remember all the different stretches I’ve learned over the years.
As a disabled person, this is one of the few exercise apps that meets me where I’m at.
That’s where Bend comes in. The app focuses on stretching and flexibility, but also incorporates strengthening exercises. What really sets it apart is that it allows you to customize routines according to your needs. It’s one of the few apps that has actually asked me about whether I have any health conditions and any caution areas. I also like that it has routines aimed at specific conditions, like pelvic tilt and “tech neck” (cervical kyphosis).
While I’m relatively skeptical about generative AI features, Bend includes a feature that allows you to generate a limited set of custom routines based on prompts. I generated one for nerve compression in my legs and hips, as well one for upper back and neck pain relief. I was able to emphasize that these needed to be gentle exercises and I set a time limit — and the results were well-tailored.
I have a default routine I use nightly to help with mobility and pain relief, but Bend has helped me change things up when my usual fixes aren’t enough.
5. Subby
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
There are plenty of financial management and expense tracking apps out there, but I wanted something simple that could help me keep track of my upcoming, recurring expenses. I had tried some self-hosted tools, however many overwhelmed me with too much information.
I eventually settled on Subby due to its simplicity and customizability. The app lets you add recurring payments of any type — whether they are subscriptions, bills, or planned expenses. I could also create and assign categories, payment intervals, and whether I wanted reminders.
I needed something simple yet customizable and Subby has proven to be the perfect solution.
For me, the most helpful feature was being able to mark individual items as paid, though you can also set them to be checked off automatically on the due date. There’s also a pause option that you can use when you’ve temporarily canceled a subscription.
While the app is simple, it has been incredibly helpful for me. This was because money was getting tighter each month due to my medical expenses and I needed to start micro-managing my recurring payments in a way I’ve never had to before. I was starting to get caught off guard by the small banking fees and internet fees that hadn’t been a problem before.
Subby didn’t solve my financial stress, but it has made dealing with recurring expenses much easier when my budget is a lot more strained.
6. Paprika Recipe Manager
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
I never really expected myself to be a recipe app kinda gal. I’m not a huge fan of cooking and most of what I’ve cooked in the past doesn’t require very specific quantities of ingredients. However, I started doing meal prepping earlier in the year to save money as I couldn’t afford to buy prepared meals anymore and my chronic pain leaves me with limited energy during the week.
For a long time, I mainly prepared one recipe and I just revisited the site each time I needed to cook it again. Over time though, I needed to add a few more recipes to improve my protein intake, since I’m vegetarian. The mental bandwidth of remembering recipe sites, setting timers, and remembering ingredients while shopping proved frustrating — until I found an app that could help me with all these things.
Paprika makes recipe management easy, while packing in a bunch of useful features.
Paprika Recipe Manager 3 not only lets you store recipes, but formats them in useful ways, converts ingredient quantities, and lets you launch timers based on the instructions. The app also keeps your screen on while you have a recipe open, which is great if you don’t want to keep handling your phone while you cook.
But one of my favorite features is the ability to export an ingredient list as a grocery list. You can select the specific items you don’t have at home and it sends them to the grocery tab, which you can use while you’re shopping. I had considered using an app like Samsung Food for my recipes, but liked the flexibility that Paprika gives me. You can even use the app as a meal planner.
When I first started using these apps, I had no idea how useful they’d actually turn out to be. Most of them have the drawback of having ads, as well as the occasional annoyances. But I’m happy to put up with the occasional quirk in exchange for so much functionality.
Are there any lesser-known apps that have proven invaluable in your daily life? Let me know in the comments.
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