Android apps for working away from the office
— -- You may already be using your Android phone or tablet as much as you can to manage your time and get things done. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan. As soon as you take time off from the office and start to relax, urgent work-related tasks come up. No matter how much we try to balance our professional and private lives, they eventually clash and there's nothing we can do to avoid it. To keep your job and your sanity, here are our top apps for getting work done on your Android device even when you're not supposed to be working.
1. QuickOffice Pro
Download: QuickOffice Pro for phones
Price: $14.99
Download: QuickOffice Pro HD for tablets
Price: $19.99
QuickOffice Pro lets you make, open, and edit Microsoft Office and PDF files on your phone or tablet. Open or save files from or to cloud accounts like Dropbox, Box.com, and Google Drive. Edit formulas in spreadsheets, sign documents in PDF forms, or give PowerPoint presentations — all from your phone or tablet. There are separate phone ($14.99) and tablet ($19.99) versions of the app.
2. Google Drive
Download: Google Drive
Price: Free
The free Google Drive is similar to Dropbox but is more tightly integrated with Google services, including Gmail and Google Docs. If your work uses files saved as Google documents, then this should work perfectly. It even allows you to take a photo of printed text and convert it to a Google document.
3. Wunderlist Task Manager
Download: Wunderlist Task Manager
Price: Free
If you like making lists, Wunderlist (free) lets you do it in a simple yet beautiful interface. Your lists are saved online and can be accessed with a web browser. Wunderlist also sends reminders through email or SMS so you won't miss any pending tasks.
4. PocketCloud Remote Desktop
Download: PocketCloud Remote Desktop
Price: $14.99
Do you need access to all files in your home computer? With PocketCloud Remote Desktop, you can access your desktop files from your Android device. The catch? You'll need to leave your home computer on and connected to the internet. This may be a deal-breaker for some, but if you don't want to pay for extra storage in your Dropbox account yet want to access unlimited files in your computer, this is a cheaper alternative.
5. Everest for Basecamp Next
Download: Everest for Basecamp Next
Price: $1.98
If you use Basecamp, an online project management tool for teams to track and accomplish projects, you'll be happy to know that this mobile app lets you access Basecamp on the go. Note that Everest for Basecamp Next only works with the new Basecamp, not Basecamp Classic.
6. Dropbox
Download: Dropbox
Price: Free
Dropbox is the most popular cloud storage service for storing your files across all your devices — from your phone to your tablet or desktop computer. Access files saved on your home computer from your phone. Dropbox eliminates the need to email files to yourself. Sign up for a free account that lets you store up to 18GB of data, or get a paid service starting at $9.99 per month for more storage.
7. Evernote
Download: Evernote
Price: Free
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