Simplify Your Task Management With The Versatile TaskAgent 3

TaskAgent 3 for Dropbox (Free) by Francisco Cantu is a slick solution for managing your task list on iOS 7. If you are looking for a natural feeling list app for iOS 7 that fits in nicely with the OS and makes your lists always accessible as text files in Dropbox, then TaskAgent 3 is something you should check out.

I’ve gone through my fair share of task management apps, and I always end up sticking with OmniFocus 2. However, I do realize that not everyone needs a complex “getting things done” (GTD) setup, so plain text lists can be incredibly versatile. I’ve reviewed TaskAgent a while back, but decided to give it another look with the brand new free version, now fittingly dubbed TaskAgent 3.

Once you open the app for the first time, you will encounter a flattened interface, which is quite a difference from the original version. In a few ways, TaskAgent 3 reminds me a bit of Vesper, the simple note-taking app from John Gruber. There are simplistic icon buttons, and the app itself is quite intuitive and easy to use.

The main view will be a list of your current lists. Since this is a Dropbox list app, you will want to hook up your Dropbox account to it, which is done through the cog Settings button. If you used the previous version and have a TaskAgent folder already, the app will automatically detect it and fetch your previously made folders and lists.

While TaskAgent used to be a paid app, it has gone the way of free with in-app purchases. Unless you upgrade the app, you will only have access to three folders, and the $1.99 cost also unlocks other premium goodies, such as URL schemes for interacting through the app with other apps like Launch Center Pro, list archive, and the ability to merge lists into folders. However, even if you don’t upgrade, you can add as many task items as necessary to your three folders.

To add a folder on the main list, just tap on the “+” button in the bottom toolbar. Give it a name, and your list is good to go. Tap on a list to view current items and add new ones by tapping either the text bar at the top or the compose button at the bottom. To edit an item, tap on it to be taken to the Edit view, where you can add any needed task notes. If you are a fan of Apple Reminders, you can also add these tasks directly from TaskAgent 3 into Reminders.

While viewing your tasks, you can mark them as complete or incomplete by double-tapping them. Swiping to the left on a task brings up a delete button, and a tap-and-drag gesture is to manually reorder your list. Since TaskAgent specializes in plain text, you can toggle between the plain text version or rich view by tapping on the top right button.

For those who like to clean out their list in batches, the middle button in the bottom toolbar allows users to do actions with every item at once. You can delete everything, mark all as done or not done, and sort the list alphabetically, done first, and done last.

If necessary, TaskAgent 3 allows you to share entire lists as well. Just tap on the Share button, and you get options for AirDrop, Messages, email, Twitter, Facebook, copy, open in, and even share the Dropbox URL.

With the TaskAgent 3 settings, users are able to modify options for Tasks (actions to do when a new task is created and task behavior), General (sorting, counters, detailed task input, TextExpander support), Dropbox, and Actions (add to Reminders and create your own custom actions with titles and URLs).

TaskAgent has grown up quite a bit, and it’s become quite a powerful, yet simple and elegant, task manager that provides plenty of flexibility. All of your lists can be accessed outside of TaskAgent 3 as well, since they are stored in Dropbox as plain .txt files.

I’m not a fan of the recent trend of App Store pricing, as TaskAgent has now gone from being a premium paid app to a free with in-app purchase one. I prefer to pay up front for my apps, but I must be in the minority these days.

I recommend checking out TaskAgent 3 if you’re looking for versatility and flexibility with your to-do lists. Make sure to check it out in the App Store as a universal download for free.