Google Tasks Standalone App Launched; Web Interface Gets a Facelift

Google on Wednesday announced the launch of a new standalone Tasks app that will include a redesigned interface for the Web, along with new mobile apps. The app is already live on Play Store (Android 4.1 and up) and on App Store for iOS.. The new Tasks app can be used to create tasks and subtasks, apart from adding due dates complete with notifications. Google Tasks will be integrated with the company's G Suite productivity apps.

Gmail recently got a redesigned look on all platforms, as announced on Google's blog on Wednesday. The blog, however, also mentioned the launch of Tasks. Google states that users can drag and drop emails from Gmail into Tasks to create a to-do element. Add to that, reminders from Tasks with due dates will appear in Google Calendar.

We tried out the Google Tasks app on Android, which has a file size of just about 4.2MB. The main page of the app shows an "Add a new task" button on the bottom. Using that option, users can quickly add text in the task. Additionally, a Plus button reveals an option to add the date, using Google Calendar, to enable notifications on the due date. There is, however, no option to add a specific time for the task.

From the home page, users can also create lists to manage tasks. The embedded shortcuts help users work across G Suite apps like Gmail and Calendar seamlessly. According to the G Suite Learning Center, you can use Tasks to create, organise, and share tasks and lists. The app's Play Store listing also mentions that users can "leverage Google's AI to bring data insights and analysis to every employee."

Separately, to get the the new Gmail look, click on the cog wheel on the top right of the inbox, go to Settings, and click on Try the new Gmail. To switch back, click on Go back to classic Gmail from the same menu.