Meanwhile, Microsoft attempts to go above and beyond what the average user might need. At every turn, Google Tasks provides a minimalistic framework to give users just enough functionality to manage their tasks. This initial comparison informs just about every aspect of the user experience for both apps.

Microsoft chose to immediately present new users with a long series of automatically curated lists, while Google Tasks says hello to newbies with an almost completely blank slate. However, Microsoft's slightly wider variety of widget size options, and the fact that you can add a new task from any one of them, regardless of their size, gives it the edge here.Īs I mentioned in the intro, Google Tasks and Microsoft To Do take very different approaches to introducing their functionality to new users. Microsoft, meanwhile, includes four widgets: a 2x2 version that lists tasks from the 'My Day' screen a 2x2 version similar to Google's smaller offering, but with support for one-tap access to new task creation a 4x2 version that lets you see longer titles, mark individual tasks as completed, and add new tasks and a screen-filling version that does essentially all of the same things as the previous widget, but takes up far more screen real estate.īoth companies' widgets include options that let you choose which of your task lists a widget displays, meaning you can have multiple widgets for multiple lists. Google has two variations: a small 2x2 version that provides a truncated view of your top tasks, with one-tap access to opening the app and a larger 4x2 list that provides quick access to individual tasks, as well as an included button for adding new tasks. Michael Gariffo Widgetsīoth apps support a selection of widgets that are largely identical across their Android and iOS deployments. Three of Microsoft's four available To Do widgets (left) and both of Google's available Tasks widgets (right).

Microsoft outlook tasks