Popular ‘Things’ To-Do App Now Auto Syncs with iOS, Macs

The most recent release of the Things to-do apps is just one more reason to say goodbye to Wi-Fi syncing.

Cultured Code’s Things is a set of iPhone, iPad, and Mac to-do list apps that makes it easy to create multiple projects, each with their own lists of scheduled or unscheduled to-do items. Each Things app has a polished, streamlined interface.

A few years ago, I started looking for software that let me access my to-do lists on all my devices. So I (begrudgingly) spent $10 for the Things for iPhone and iPod touch app; $20 for the iPad app; and $50 for the Mac app.

After a while, though, I grew tired of Things’ major drawback: I had to sync to-dos between the apps manually by connecting them to the same Wi-Fi network. And I had to sync each device separately. For instance, I’d open Things on my iPhone and sync it to the Mac desktop software on my Wi-Fi network. Then I’d open Things on my iPad and repeat the process.

This was a significant limitation. When you have to stop and think about syncing data, you’re less likely to do it frequently. And the inevitable eventually occurs: You go to your iPhone to check your to-do list, only to realize it’s out of date.

However, champagne corks are now popping (at least in my home), because Things’ manual Wi-Fi syncing is dead. After downloading the free, updated apps, you simply create a free Things Cloud account. (The cloud account is free, though you can only use it with the paid apps.) Syncing is then automatic across all your devices using the Things Cloud. In my tests, changes on one device synced instantly on the others.

I’d stopped using the Things apps in favor of Apple’s Reminders, Notes, and Numbers apps, all of which automatically sync data between their iOS and Mountain Lion OS-based apps. But now I’m back on Things.

Unfortunately, you’ll still have to spend $70 to use Things on your Mac and two other iOS devices. If you juggle lots of projects and frequently use multiple iOS and Mac devices, the price might be worth it. If you’re not sure, however, download the free Things Mac OS trial.