What do you use for a simple free ad free login free Android basic line-item checklist app?

[Arlen Holder]

What do you use for a simple free ad free login free Android checklist app?

For example, this is the _simplest_ checklist app I've been able to find:
o Simplest Checklist (check list), by JakiganicSystems (free, ad free, gsf free)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jakiganicsystems.simplestchecklist>

But maybe you know of an even simpler or more useful checklist than that?
o It must be free, ad free, login free, account free, and google free
o It should be gsf free, but that's not mandatory
o It must add & delete checklist items easily
o It should have a checkable clickbox (where it shows it's checked off)
o It should autosave (for convenience)
o It could have multiple checklists

Note: By my definitions, checklists are just checkboxes & items, whereas
some apps get far more complicated, and as such are really "todo" lists,
or "tasklists" or "shopping lists" as they do more than just checklists
(e.g., tasklists often have dates attached and progress bgars,
where shopping lists can get even more complex with prices and quantities
involved).

Other checklists which are also free, ad free, google free & gsf free are:
o Color Checklist, by Kenzap Pte Ltd (free, ad free, google free & gsf free)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kenzap.checklist>

o Check Off - Reusable checklists made easy, by Dave O'Brien (free, ad free, google free, gsf free)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.obrien.dave.lister>

o Easy Check list, by FLT mobile (free, ad free, google free & gsf free)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flt.checklist>

I love to find great apps out there, where I searched first and only one thread specifically for a "checklist" app, but it was from 2014:
o recommendation for notepad/checklist app with same data accessible on two phones?, by DWT, February 17, 2014
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/D3AemrlLOmM/>

The only somewhat encompassing thread is my own, from 2019 on grocery apps:
o What do YOU use for your todo/tobuy lists and why do you like that app?
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/GVnN_bnHzGk/>

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) there were _scores_ of grocery apps,
of which "some" were checklist, which, from memory, I think were these:
o ShoLi Shopping lists manager (free, ad free, google free & gsf free)
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/name.soulayrol.rhaa.sholi/>
o OI Shopping list, by OpenIntents
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.openintents.shopping>
o Shopping List (Privacy Friendly), by SECUSO Research Group
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=privacyfriendlyshoppinglist.secuso.org.privacyfriendlyshoppinglist>
o Shopping List
<https://f-droid.org/wiki/page/com.woefe.shoppinglist>
o Simply Do
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/kdk.android.simplydo/>
o Simple Shopping List, by Sourcefactory.at
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.mkweb.android.simpleshoppinglist>
o Fast Shopping, Albert Wolszon
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.wolszon.fastshopping>

I've installed & tested _all_ the apps above (and many more, of course),
where they're all simple "checklists", and where I simply ask which
checklist app you like best, and why (so that I learn from you and
so that everyone lurking learns from both of us, as always).
--
From the goodness of my heart, I add value to this Android newsgroup.

[Arlen Holder]

On Sat, 9 Jan 2021 02:54:04 +0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

> I've installed & tested _all_ the apps above (and many more, of course),
> where they're all simple "checklists", and where I simply ask which
> checklist app you like best, and why (so that I learn from you and
> so that everyone lurking learns from both of us, as always).

Ooops. I almost always snap a screenshot proving what I claim
o Which I inadvertently forgot to add to the opening post

Here is that screenshot showing all the tested apps installed:
o <https://i.postimg.cc/CL0wZ29n/buy01.jpg>
Notice it contains, in order, the 10 checklist apps I listed in the OP.

Also, I accidentally omitted my main homescreen checklist app by mistake:
o Clear List, Add todo items and alarms
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/douzifly.list/>
Note it's in the middle of the "buy" and "test" folders on my homescreen.
(It's the only app icon that isn't in a folder, which is why I missed it.)

In summary, I've listed a dozen checklist apps I've personally tested:
1. Simplest Checklist, by JakiganicSystems
2. Clear List <douzifly.list>
3. Color Checklist, by Kenzap Pte Ltd
4. Check Off - Reusable checklists made easy, by Dave O'Brien
5. Easy Check list, by FLT mobile
6. ShoLi Shopping lists manager <name.soulayrol.rhaa.sholi>
7. OI Shopping list, by OpenIntents
8. Shopping List (Privacy Friendly), by SECUSO Research Group
9. Shopping List <com.woefe.shoppinglist>
10. Simply Do <kdk.android.simplydo>
11. Simple Shopping List, by Sourcefactory.at
12. Fast Shopping, Albert Wolszo

I've installed & tested _all_ the apps above (and many more, of course),
where they're all simple "checklists", and where I simply ask which
checklist app you like best, and why (so that I learn from you and
so that everyone lurking learns from both of us, as always).
--
From the goodness of my heart, I add value to this Android newsgroup.

(& yet, adults rarely, if ever, publicly stand up to support this goal)

[Arlen Holder]

On Sat, 9 Jan 2021 03:18:42 +0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

> Here is that screenshot showing all the tested apps installed:
> o <https://i.postimg.cc/CL0wZ29n/buy01.jpg>

Update:
o I added an app to the list of seemingly decent "checklist" apps.

I tested the dozen checklist apps listed, none of which have ads (AFAICT)
o And none of which require a login, all of which are free
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZwR6gXc/buy02.jpg>

Given I like to have only the best apps on my system, I googled for the
best checklist apps, bearing in mind checklists are often commingled
with todo lists (which often have time periods) and with grocery apps
(which often have a ton of grocery-related fields such as prices).

This was the first hit:
o 9 Best Daily Checklist Apps for Android
<https://www.bettertechtips.com/android/daily-checklist-app/>
1. Any.do: To do list, Reminders, Planner & Calendar, by Any.do
(offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anydo>
2. Todoist: To-Do List, Tasks & Reminders, by Doist
(offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.todoist>
3. Wunderlist, by Microsoft (apparently killed by Microsoft)
(in favor of, apparently, Microsoft "To-Do")
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wunderkinder.wunderlistandroid>
4. Microsoft To Do: List, Task & Reminder, by Microsoft
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.todos>
5. TickTick: ToDo List Planner, Reminder & Calendar, by Appest Inc.
(offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ticktick.task>
6. Google Keep - Notes and Lists, by Google LLC
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.keep>
7. To Do List, Splend Apps (Contains Ads)
(Offers in-app purchases)
8. Simplest Checklist(check list), by JakiganicSystems
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jakiganicsystems.simplestchecklist>
9. Checklist, by Checklist.com
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.checklist.android>

Noting that only one of the apps above were on my previously tested list,
I checked out each of those apps above that had potential to be free,
ad free, gsf free, google free, login free, and "in-app purchase" free.

But that left us only a single potential app:
4. Microsoft To Do (free, ad free, gsf free, & google free)

Loosening the filter to allow gsf-dependent apps, added another app:
9. Checklist (free, ad free, gsf dependent, & google free)

When I started the Microsoft "To-Do" app, it asked me to sign in
or create an account, so I deleted it the very next second (crappy
apps only get a single strike and they're out).

That left us with only Checklist, which claims in its opening screens
that if you sign in, you can sync with the cloud and all your devices;
but it allows you to skip the sign-in process.

It seemed to work ok, and it allowed reminder times to be set (which
is more of a feature of the "todo" lists, than a pure checklist, IMHO).

You could also set the priority, so of those 9, only 1 is a keeper
(which is about the right ratio of 1:10 for good:bad apps, IME).
<https://i.postimg.cc/BZwR6gXc/buy02.jpg>
--
Posted out of the goodness of my heart, whereas the trolls post out
of malice in their souls (the proof being they never add any value).

[Arlen Holder]

On Sat, 9 Jan 2021 06:40:58 +0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

> I tested the dozen checklist apps listed, none of which have ads (AFAICT)
> o And none of which require a login, all of which are free
> <https://i.postimg.cc/BZwR6gXc/buy02.jpg>

In the google search results, very few "checklist" apps showed up,
where there were far more "task" and "todo" apps, which, as noted,
are similar, but which usually add a timing component to the mix.

As a matter of fact, if I add the "-to-do" subtraction to the search,
almost nothing comes out of a google search, which is surprising.

Hence I have to dig into the "to-do" and "task manager" apps, to find
the list of the best free ad free login free gsf free simple checklists.

This is one prominent hit in the search results:
o The Best To-Do List Apps for 2021
<https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-to-do-list-apps>

Being PC Magazine, they sought out the cross platform apps, where they
declared Wunderlust (https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/wunderlist) the best,
although Microsoft apparently killed it in favor of "Microsoft To Do".

For free cross platform apps, they only listed three that were decent:
1. Asana <https://asana.com/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asana.app>
(free, ad free, gsf dependent, google free, login free)
2. Todoist <https://todoist.com/downloads/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.todoist>
(free, ad free, gsf dependent, google free, login free)
3. Remember the Milk
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rememberthemilk.MobileRTM>
(free, ad free, gsf dependent, google free, login free)

Installing them, one by one, here are my initial observations:
1. Asana immediately asks you to sign up or log in, where I didn't
see a skip button, so I deleted it immediately thereafter.
2. Todoist instantly complained that I had "Google Play" disabled,
which is odd, as almost no app complains about that (I've had
Google Play disabled for something like a year now).
Even so, it requires a log in using an email, or Google Account
or an iCloud or Facebook account, which means it got deleted
a split second after I realized there's no skip option.
3. Remember the Milk
The initial introductory pages say it's a reminder app, which most
to-do apps are; and it says it's "magically in sync" with all your
devices, and that you can share your lists with others (all of which
is typical stuff for to-do lists). Then it asks you to log in, or
sign up, which means I deleted it a microsecond after I determined
there was no way to skip that process.

That was a bust, where I see no reason for an account just to
create a checklist, even one with timed reminders, particularly
since there are at least a dozen (previously noted) apps which
seem to work just fine without the need for a facebook login.
o <https://i.postimg.cc/BZwR6gXc/buy02.jpg>
--
Posted out of the goodness of my heart, to help others choose apps.

[Arlen Holder]

Digging further into the reviews is disappointing, as almost every review
seems to be about "to do" lists and "task managers", and not so much simple
checklists (which is the stated goal of this thread).

Worse, almost all the reviews seem to recommend apps which don't fit the
requirements, one of which is the app needs to be login free (why should
a checklist app need a login, when plenty don't, even task managers don't).

In the hopes of finding a keeper buried in the reviews, here's the next hit:
o 11 great to-do list and task management apps for Android
<https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/05/23/best-to-do-list-apps-android/>
1. TickTick (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ticktick.task>
2. Todoist (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.todoist>
3. Microsoft To Do
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.todos>
4. Google Tasks
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.tasks>
5. Asana
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asana.app>
6. Tasks.org (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.tasks>
7. Any.do (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anydo>
8. Memorigi (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.tinbits.memorigi>
9. Remember The Milk
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rememberthemilk.MobileRTM>
10. Trello
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trello>
11. Zenkit To Do
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zenkit.todo>

Of those, about half were already rejected by the stated criteria:
o TickTick, Todoist, Microsoft ToDo, Google Tasks, Asana, Any.do, & Remember the Milk.

That leaves only:
6. Tasks.org (Offers in-app purchases)
8. Memorigi (Offers in-app purchases)
10. Trello
11. Zenkit To Do

Taking them one by one,
6. Tasks.org (gsf dependent, no ads)
This deserves further exploration as it didn't strike out right away.
It's a checklist with location, dates & times & repetition intervals.
So it's a bit more complex than a simple checklist would otherwise be.

8. Memorigi (gsf dependent, no ads)
This requires a signin, either Google or Microsoft or Facebook or
Twitter or email. There doesn't seem to be a skip. So it's gone.

10. Trello (gsf dependent, no ads)
This complains that Google Play is disabled, which is a rarity.
It requires a signup, so that point is moot as it's gone now.

11. Zenkit To Do (gsf dependent, no ads)
This also required a signup, and had no skip button; it's gone now.

In summary, out of those 11, the only keeper was Tasks.org, whose only
obvious drawbacks initially are that it's a bit complex (albeit powerful)
and it's GSF dependent (which isn't all that much of a problem).
--
Posted out of the goodness of my heart to help others, as always.

[Arlen Holder]

The reviews are starting to repeat (which is a good thing),
so let's take the next hit, this time from Android Central:
o Best To-Do Apps for Android of 2021
<https://www.androidcentral.com/best-todo-app>
1. Todoist
2. Google Keep
3. Microsoft To Do
4. TickTick
5. Google Tasks
6. Any.do
7. Trello
8. Remember the Milk
9. Asana

Interestingly, every one above has been rejected for the stated reasons.
However, what's more interesting is this article has a nice chart.
The chart compares features between all those apps, those features being:
o Collaboration
o Tags
o Calendar Sync
o File Attachments
o Smart Lists
o Widgets
o Natural language parsing
o Repeatable tasks
o Reminders
o Smart Assistant Support
o Folders/groups
o Subtasks

This has already strayed far too deeply away from "simple", so I'm
likely gonna give up on finding an article that compares the simple
free checklists (I guess they don't make money shilling for them).
--
Luckily, we have more than a dozen decent checklists to test out.

[Arlen Holder]

Just as I was about to give up on the reviews, I found this:
o The 12 Best Android To Do List Apps, 2019
<https://zapier.com/blog/best-android-to-do-list-apps/>

Which lists what it feels is required of a "todo" list:
o Multiple ways to organize
o Quick to add tasks
o Reminders on deadlines
o Clean interface
o Sync to other devices

They said these "stand out" in their test criteria:
1. Todoist: Best Android to do list app for balancing power and simplicity
2. Tick Tick: Best Android to do list with calendar and Pomodoro integrations
3. Microsoft To Do: Best Android to do list for Microsoft power users (and Wunderlist refugees)
4. Google Tasks: Best Android to do list for users of Gmail's integrated tasks
5. Google Keep: Best Android to do list that integrates with Google products
6. 2Do: Best Android to do app for organizing tasks however you like
7. Habitica: Best Android to do app that makes doing things fun
8. Simpletask: Best plaintext Android to do list app
9. Any.do: Best Android to do app for people who forget to use to do apps
10. Remember The Milk: The best Android to do list for old school power users
11. Nozbe: The best Android to do list offering project templates and collaboration

The following were already covered (and rejected, for various reasons):
1. Todoist: Best Android to do list app for balancing power and simplicity
2. Tick Tick: Best Android to do list with calendar and Pomodoro integrations
3. Microsoft To Do: Best Android to do list for Microsoft power users (and Wunderlist refugees)
4. Google Tasks: Best Android to do list for users of Gmail's integrated tasks
5. Google Keep: Best Android to do list that integrates with Google products
9. Any.do: Best Android to do app for people who forget to use to do apps
10. Remember The Milk: The best Android to do list for old school power users

That leaves these four to test out:
6. 2Do: Best Android to do app for organizing tasks however you like
7. Habitica: Best Android to do app that makes doing things fun
8. Simpletask: Best plaintext Android to do list app
11. Nozbe: The best Android to do list offering project templates and collaboration

Here are the links for each after downloading & installing:
6. 2Do (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.guidedways.android2do>
7. Habitica (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.habitrpg.android.habitica>
8. Simpletask
<https://f-droid.org/packages/nl.mpcjanssen.simpletask/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.mpcjanssen.simpletask> <== N/A
<https://github.com/mpcjanssen/simpletask-android>
11. Nozbe (Offers in-app purchases)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nozbe4

Here's a quick assessment of each of those 4 remaining apps to test:
6. 2Do (GSF dependent, no ads)
This seems like a full-featured task manager, with all the inherent
complexities of due dates and syncing and reminders, etc.
Good for task management I'm sure, but not good for checklists.
Still, I'll keep it for now as I'll test task managers later.
Note: It syncs with iCloud, for those of you with Apple hardware.

7. Habitica (GSF dependent, no ads)
This seems to have a "gaming" approach to tasks, but nonetheless
it requires a login so I deleted it within a microsecond or so.

8. Simpletask (GSF independent, no ads)
The standout feature is that this writes to a standard text file.
However, its a bit complicated, even as it's named "SimpleTask".
It apparently is based on the cross platform <http://todotxt.org/>
(e.g., it has a VIM plugin, and a Windows command-line interface).
It has a nice sharing feature and a history & a bunch of other
features which will likely be worth the effort to test out later.

11. Nozbe (GSF dependent, no ads)
The first thing you see when you start up the app is
"start free trial", which is the death knell for me.
Even so, it seems to require a login, so it's gone now.

In summary, this article added two potential keepers (2Do & Simpletask)
both of which are task managers, and not checklists, per se.

Hence I'll keep them for now to test, but I'll have to write up a
separate tutorial for task managers as I think I've exhausted the
reviews (AFAIK) for simple checklist applications.
--
Posted out of the goodness of my heart to help others find good apps.