Notes, Files and Productivity Apps

A phone can replace a notebook, a filing cabinet and a diary, but only if you choose tools you will actually keep using. This collection covers the note, file and calendar apps that we think suit everyday users: Google Keep, Notion, Google Drive, Files by Google, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Google Calendar and Outlook.

The overviews compare how heavy or light each app feels, what is free and what is paid, and which sharing settings to check before you send a link. If you are just starting out, pick one notes app, one place for files and one calendar, and stay with them for a month before you add anything else. Our guides on backups and on freeing up storage explain how to keep the whole system tidy.